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Butter Dish, Residential Pattern

Decorative Arts and Design

Because of its low cost and easy care, plastic attracted both consumer and designer in the postwar era. Russel Wright worked with the chemical company American Cyanamid to develop a line of dinnerware from its patented plastic, Melamine. Although that venture was not successful, Wright soon found other companies to produce his designs for plastic dinnerware. Originally intended for institutional use, plastic dinnerware also found a place at home, and by 1957 Wright’s Residential line, produced by Northern Industrial Chemical, had door-to-door sales of $4 million.
MEDIUM Molded thermo-plastic
DATES 1953
DIMENSIONS height: 5/8 in. (1.6 cm) diameter: 6 1/8 in. (5.5 cm)  (show scale)
MARKINGS saucer bottom, raised and molded: Russel Wright" (italic script); RESIDENTIAL"; "by Northern (italic script); "BOSTON 27".
SIGNATURE no signature
INSCRIPTIONS no inscriptions
ACCESSION NUMBER 83.108.97
CREDIT LINE Gift of Paul F. Walter
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Russel Wright (American, 1904-1976). Butter Dish, Residential Pattern, 1953. Molded thermo-plastic, height: 5/8 in. (1.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Paul F. Walter, 83.108.97. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 1994.165.61_83.108.104_1999.29.48_83.108.93a-b_83.108.103_83.108.97_bw.jpg)
IMAGE group, 1994.165.61_83.108.104_1999.29.48_83.108.93a-b_83.108.103_83.108.97_bw.jpg.
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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Russel Wright (American, 1904-1976). <em>Butter Dish, Residential Pattern</em>, 1953. Molded thermo-plastic, height: 5/8 in. (1.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Paul F. Walter, 83.108.97. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 1994.165.61_83.108.104_1999.29.48_83.108.93a-b_83.108.103_83.108.97_bw.jpg)