The Collector: Sue Burford enjoys using her midcentury modern flatware collection
In 1963, Sue Burford received a set of flatware as a wedding gift. Made in Japan by the Stanley Roberts Co., the utensils were nothing fancy – sturdy black handles topped with frosted stainless steel. Burford used it every day.
As her family grew over the years, she lost a fork here, a spoon there.
“I contacted the company for replacements, but discovered they didn’t make them anymore,” Burford said.
Flash forward to the advent of eBay.
Burford found her Modern Elegance pattern online and after filling in her missing pieces, she discovered Stanley Roberts had produced multiple patterns of what is now known as midcentury modern style flatware.
The midcentury modern era refers to the period roughly between the end of World War II through the mid-1970s. The style focused on clean lines with a mix of both organic and geometric shapes.
Enthralled by what she found, Burford began collecting. Leery of amassing an unmanageable collection, she set a few rules for herself.
“I only collect Stanley Roberts and I won’t pay more than $1 per item,” she said. “And I don’t like the gold sets or the ones with swirly designs.”
She has five complete sets and some partial ones.
“I love the uniqueness and that it’s something usable,” Burford said.
One of the more unusual patterns is Maestro, based on a modernist design by Carl Aubock of Austria.
The funky flatware features utensils with elongated shallow bowls and an encircled diamond-shaped pattern embossed on the handles.
“It’s just so crazy,” Burford said. “I love it. We never really used it, except for the serving pieces.”
She has knives and spoons in Fanta, an unadorned stainless pattern with angular shapes.
Another pattern, dubbed Royalty, intrigued her. The base of each utensil is etched with what could be a cherry stem or perhaps just two triangles with circles at the bottom.
When Burford discovered a complete set of Stanley Roberts Pasadena still in its original green-felt lined box, she had to have it. The utensils’ brown handles are edged in stainless steel.
“We had good friends who lived in Pasadena,” she explained. “But it’s rare that I order a set. Most are a few odd pieces and I keep watching for others.”
Her smallest acquisition is nine pieces from the Carnival pattern. The forks and spoons feature the elongated, shallow bowls of a Stanley Roberts’ design, but the handles are red, yellow, green, blue or brown.
“I try not to buy any more because I think I have enough,” said Burford. “But I love red and I found a full set of red.” (After this interview she bought the set.)
Like most collectibles, the prices have gone up since she first began looking for the flatware.
“Things that used to cost $1, now run about $9 on Replacements.com,” she said.
Her most recent addition is 24 Stanley Roberts Bellwood ice tea spoons. A pattern of horizontal lines notched in the handles is an example of the spare design that is a hallmark of midcentury modern.
“What we liked about our original set is that you could scoop ice cream with a spoon and it wouldn’t bend,” she said. “We’ve used most of these sets, but always went back to the black (Modern Elegance).”
Burford seemed bemused by the current fascination with all things midcentury modern.
“When we got it, it was just modern to us.”
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