Thunderbird MarkQ: I am hoping you can identify this mark It is on a set of dishes I bought that look to be from the 1950s.
A: Your mark with the bird was used on dinnerware made by the Stetson China Co. (c.1919-1965). Stetson's dinnerware was sold under the name of Marcrest in the 1950s and 1960s. The phrase "detergent proof" was not used as part of a mark until around 1944. Marcrest dishes were distributed by the Marshall Burns Co. of Chicago. Marshall Burns contracted with many different pottery companies to create pieces that were used as premium items for service stations, grocery stores, and movie theaters in the 1950s.
Louis Stetson started his company in Lincoln, IL, around 1919 by buying whiteware from the Mt. Clemens Pottery in Chicago and the Illinois China Co. in Lincoln. Stetson's company decorated the dishes, then resold them. His son took over the company after his death and in 1946 he bought the Illinois China Co. Stetson used decals for decorations, but for two or three years he hired decorators from Red Wing and Southern Potteries and pieces were handpainted. Stetson then went back to using decals.
Nearly all of Stetson's later ware was sold to Marshall Burns to be used as premiums. The Stetson China Co. went out of business in 1965. Stetson also had a plastics plant that made melamine ware.
3 comments:
Hi Terry and Staff, Just wanted to post a correction. The Mt. Clemens pottery co. was in Mt. Clemens Michigan - where I live, not in Chicago Il. It was bought out by McCoy pottery in the late 70's or early 80's and went out of business at the end of the 1980's. A large storage facility stands in its place now - they tore down the old pottery factory in the 1990's. Best Wishes, Vicki
Hi, Vicki is correct. Mt. Clemens Pottery was in Mt. Clemens, MI where I grew up and often bought items from the attached store. Also, Mt. Clemens was known for their Sulpher Springs in the early 1900's. People came from all over the country for the healing benefits. Mt. Clemens is now known as Bath City.
Yes it was in Mount Clemens Michigan and I have photos of where is Used to be... only the oven stack is still standing. If you would like to see my Mount Clemens Photos they are located here::
http://www.flickr.com/gp/21349685@N02/01wSnK
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