Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine – Dinnerware From The Past

Home Sweet Home, that’s what the Swiss Alpine or Swiss Chalet pattern reminds of.  It is one of those patterns that just make you feel at home - just says ‘family’ and makes you feel all comfy and warm inside.  The blue, olive green and turquoise blend so well together.  My mother’s favorite color combination was blue and green – maybe that is why she kept these dishes for all those years.  This dinnerware was made in the late 1950s or early 1960s and marketed through gas stations and grocery stores as premiums. 

Bread & Butter Plate

  

Besides the china dinnerware, there was the milk glass baking dishes and kitchenware and also, glass tumblers. And, I just discovered today that there is also kitchen tinware with this pattern called Decoware (Continental Can Co.?)

Set of 3 Tumblers

Some pieces are marked and some are not.  The dinnerware was made by the Stetson Pottery Co aka Stetson China Co (closed in 1966) for Marshall Burns, a distributor and division of Technicolor and marketed as Mar-crest.  You will find that some people advertise the milk glass baking ware as Pyrex, but most agree now that milk glass baking and kitchenware was made by Anchor Hocking Fire-King and these items are mostly called Swiss Alpine instead of Swiss Chalet.  Not only bakeware, but there are also mugs and bowls.  Then we have the glass tumblers.  I have no idea who made them as there is no mark and I could not find anything in books or the internet with any definitive answers.  If Anchor Hocking made the ovenware, would they have made the glassware, too?  I don't know.  But maybe.  I understand that Stetson also made glassware to match patterns of dinnerware that they produced, so maybe Stetson made the glassware.  Who knows?  I’ve seen standard tumbler size and old-fashioned size glasses in this pattern.  

Dinner Plate

My mother loved collecting dinnerware and grocery stores sure made it easy for her.  I have to admit that I love dinnerware, too and have several different patterns that I use depending on my mood.  I think the first set of dinnerware I bought was through a grocery store.  Imagine that!  For me dinnerware is fun and why settle on just one pattern?  I love mix-matching dinnerware - blending patterns with solid colors, using pastels for the spring and summer and bold colors for fall and winter.  With the Swiss Chalet / Alpine, you could use blue, turquoise or olive green solid colors or a mix of those colors.  I also find it interesting how the pattern varies a little depending on the piece.

Cup & Saucer

It would really be interesting to know the real story behind this pattern.  I found a blog that goes into so much more detail than I have and also sharing a lot of information on the many pieces associated with this pattern.  You might want to check her blog article out – really interesting:  CULVER CITY P.O.

I had written a blog back in 2010 but after reading hers, thought I’d better update my blog on the Swiss Chalet pattern.  However, there are still so many unanswered questions about the Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine pattern. 

I do have some Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine pieces for sale at: 

CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles

Round Chop Platter

Avon's 1876 Cape Cod Collection Dinnerware

Avon isn't just about fragrances and cosmetics.  During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Avon started expanding their product line starting with jewelry and then collectibles.  In 1975, Avon introduced a new dinnerware line called 1876 Cape Cod Collection.  A rich ruby-red color coupled with a design reminiscent of the old 'Sandwich Glass' produced by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Works founded in Cape Cod in 1825.  The pattern was said to be inspired by the classic Roman Rosette pattern.  The designs and glass production were awarded to the Wheaton Glass Company of Millville, NJ.  Avon had to approve all the mold drawings before the production began.

 Here is just a sampling of pieces I have for sale at:
CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles  on eBay
CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles on eCrater

The 1876 Cape Cod Collection was produced from 1975 through 1993 and 37 different pieces were made.Such a beautiful design and gorgeous ruby-red color.

Strawberries 'n Cream

Back in the '50s when I was a little girl (HEY.......it wasn't that long ago), a man use to come around late spring selling fresh strawberries.  Even though we lived in the city on a busy street, he drove a horse and wagon.  I think he use to go up and down the alleys or side streets most of the time.  While there was a busy street in front of our house, there was an alley on one side.  It really didn't seem that unusual back then.  It was always exciting to hear him coming down the alley yelling "strawberries, strawberries for sale."  I think I got more excited about the strawberry man than the ice cream truck.  His strawberries were delicious!  My grandmother would go out to his wagon and purchase a quart or two and make strawberry shortcake.  Her shortcake was the best - she would make a dough, pat it out and bake it in a tin pie pan.  I wish I could make it as good as she did - I can taste it now.............

I just finished listing a set of dinnerware that my mother purchased from the grocery store.  She really out did herself on this set.  She had purchased a service for 24 plus serving pieces.  It is Sheffield's pattern called Strawberries 'n Cream and was offered in the 1970s.

Made in Japan, some of the pieces have a strawberry decal and some are plain.  Both have a butterscotch trim.  I have both styles in the dinner plates and bread & butter plates.
You can find these dishes at CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles.

It has taken some time to wash all these dishes, research and list.  All the while I kept thinking about the strawberry man and my grandmother's strawberry shortcake.  And here it is almost winter!