Fork
Maker & role
Russel Wright (b.1904, d.1976), Designer; John Hull Cutlers Corporation (estab. 1940s, closed 1960s), Manufacturer
Production date
circa 1950
Object detail
Title
'Highlight' brand
Production place
Collection
Measurements
L: 17cm (L: 170mm)
Signature & marks
Marked to reverse: 'Hull Stainless [maker's logo] Russel Wright'
Credit line
Gift, through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, Harry Seidler AC OBE, 1991
Rose Seidler House Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Rose Seidler House Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caption
Salad / small fork, 'Highlight' brand, design by Russel Wright for John Hull Cutlers Corporation, USA, c1950
Description
Part of a 68 piece flatware / cutlery set with four original maker's boxes. Following the success of the Russel Wright designed American Modern dinnerware in the 1940s, Wright designed a number of other items for the home including the 'Highlight' flatware line (also called the 'Pinch' line). The set comprised of just six different parts or components – a large and small knife, a large and small folk, and a large and small spoon. For the more relaxed and informal lifestyle the USA was experiencing after World War II, Wright believed that homewares should also be simpler in variety and design.
Harry Seidler purchased this flatware from the United States together with a range of other furniture and furnishings for Rose Seidler House, which he designed in Sydney (1948-50) for this parents, Rose and Max. Seidler had dismissed most of his parents' Viennese furnishings as unsuitable for a modern home, many considered overly decorative. Indeed, he declared that 'decoration should be OF a thing, not ON a thing.' Although Seidler mostly had his own way on the furnishings, Rose insisted on keeping several Viennese pieces: a decorative tea set and an ornate silver cutlery service.
Harry Seidler purchased this flatware from the United States together with a range of other furniture and furnishings for Rose Seidler House, which he designed in Sydney (1948-50) for this parents, Rose and Max. Seidler had dismissed most of his parents' Viennese furnishings as unsuitable for a modern home, many considered overly decorative. Indeed, he declared that 'decoration should be OF a thing, not ON a thing.' Although Seidler mostly had his own way on the furnishings, Rose insisted on keeping several Viennese pieces: a decorative tea set and an ornate silver cutlery service.
Accession number
RSH91/12-22
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