Midwinter Modern melamine teaware
The chemical melamine has many uses; from an ingredient in some mixtures of concrete, to an additive in industrial fertilisers. But mix it with formaldehyde and it becomes an incredibly strong, light and easily moulded plastic.
The relative light weight and strength of melamine led to its use as dinnerware aboard some ships in the US Navy – which in turn led to its use in millions of homes in the US and here in Great Britain.
1950s advert for “Unbreakable” Melmac
During the Second World War, metal was expensive. But aboard a Navy ship, it is my assumption that dinner plates falling on the floor was a very common occurrence, so everything had to be made out of tin – a light-weight and durable metal. As I mentioned, metal was at a premium and an alternative was needed. I’m sure they tried with other plastics such as bakelite, but it was brittle and didn’t stand up to repeated exposure to moisture and heat. This is where melamine comes in. The manufacturers touted it as “Break resistant” and “Virtually unbreakable” and that turned out to be quite accurate which made it the perfect material to use for military dinnerware.
Rare Fantasy dinner service designed by Joan Luntz
After the war, designers such as Russell Wright and Joan Luntz worked with companies in America to bring melamine into the nations kitchens with modern designs and bright colours. It wasn’t long before the craze made it to this side of the Atlantic and for some time, ceramics companies such as Midwinter were so worried about melamine taking over completely, they released their own range of modern dinner sets using the revolutionary material.
1960s melamine dinner set found in The Arcade
The set I have taken pictures of here is most probably of 1960s English origin. The box seems like it is original as all the pieces fit nicely inside internal compartments but I am unable to find any other evidence that Royal Tudor Ware ever made any melamine crockery. But as I mentioned before, some English ceramics companies did produce melamine for a short time to try to keep up with a changing market.
Original box for my melamine dinner set?
As with all things, fashion changed and a move back to the traditional china and ceramic dinnerware was inevitable. By the 1970s melamine had been relegated from the dining room to the picnic basket and the camper van (which is where I keep mine!). But today, if you were to do a quick search on eBay or Etsy you will find some of the big names in melamine are making a comeback. Mid-century design hasn’t been this popular since… well, since the mid-century!
Alex Rogers
