The Casual line included some of Red Wing’s most successful and popular patterns. The line featured metal stands to hold a pair of cruets and as the base for a Lazy Susan. Metal warming stands were available for casseroles (3 sizes), beverage server, teapot, butter warmer, and gravy boat. A double wide metal warming stand with ceramic handles to match the pattern was made to hold two 2 quart casseroles or a huge 20″ platter. Initially these metal stands were black wrought iron. In 1957 copper stands were added and by 1960 the wrought iron stands were dropped, leaving copper stands as the sole option.
Smart Set Years: 1953-1957
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The Smart Set pattern practically screams 1950s. The design featured green, gray and black intersecting geometric shapes of various sizes against a white background. The initial 1953 brochure did not include a number of important pieces. But within a year the rim soup, 13″ platter, 112oz pitcher, cocktail tray, butter dish and butter warmer were added, probably at the same time as the introduction of Bob White. Covers and stoppers for the three casseroles, marmite, beverage server, teapot, cruets and butter warmer were available in either black or decorated with the pattern.
The original lineup for Smart Set included a peppermill. It was included in brochures dated 1953 and 1955, but was missing by 1957. The company that made the metal grinding mechanism was no longer able to supply them, so the peppermill was dropped. This piece is now very difficult to find and has considerable value. The January 1957 dealer price list included listings for a Smart Set coffee mug (Town and Country mug) and water cooler, but the listings most likely are an error as these pieces are not known to exist.
Smart Set was a big seller in its day, and remains popular today with both Red Wing and mid-century collectors.
Bob White Years: 1954-1967
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Bob White was far and away Red Wing’s best selling dinnerware pattern. It remains very popular with collectors today. Throughout the late 1950s and the 1960s Red Wing rapidly put out new patterns in hopes that one would approach the appeal of Bob White, but it was not to be.
Bob White was the first Red Wing pattern to utilize beige fleck as the background color. The pattern featured a bob white (quail) mother hen and her chicks resting in grass and reeds. The number of birds present on a given piece depended on its size. Colors were beige, brown and turquoise. The peppermill described in the Smart Set section was briefly available in Bob White. It is probably the most difficult piece of Bob White to find today and the most valuable.
The popularity of Bob White lead to the production of several pieces unique to this pattern. Besides the standard tall hourglass shaped salt & pepper shakers, a pair of small bird-shaped shakers were also available. An Hors D’Oeuvres holder in the shape of a larger bird had small holes along the back to hold tidbits skewered on toothpicks. Bob White was one of several patterns to have a trivet made in 1958 and 1959 (an offshoot of the 1958 Minnesota Centennial trivet). Tumblers (drinking glass) in two sizes (4oz and 10oz) were added in the early 1960s. Bob White was one of two dinnerware patterns to have the 5-section nut dish decorated in the pattern colors. Bob White and Round Up were the only two latter day patterns to have a cookie jar. and they were the only two Casual patterns to have a water cooler. Most stands found with water coolers in these two patterns as well as Tampico are Village Green-shape warmer stands decorated with the appropriate pattern. But a promotional spot in the August 1957 issue of “China, Glass and Tablewares” trade journal announces the introduction of 2 gallon water coolers in the Bob White and Tampico patterns. Shown in the accompanying photo is a Tampico cooler setting on a cooler stand in the shape of an overturned straight sided bowl. This style of stand was available only for Bob White and Tampico and is quite uncommon. This piece looks unusual because it appears to be a bowl with the decoration painted upside down, but knowledgeable collectors know it is a cooler stand not a bowl.
Hamm’s Years: Late 1950s
Hamm’s was not a true dinnerware pattern as it consisted of only a limited number of pieces in the Casual shape. It was a “popcorn set” that included a 60oz pitcher, a 12″ salad bowl, four 6″ bowls and a pair of salt & pepper shakers. These sets were made exclusively for the Hamm’s Brewing Company and were not available for sale to the public. Hamm’s used these sets as holiday gifts for business partners and other friends of the brewery. The artwork featured a blue lake, green pine trees, pine cones and a deer on a white background. The pattern was very much in tune with Hamm’s “From the land of sky blue waters” advertising slogan. Hamm’s pieces are scarce, and the pretty outdoors scene makes them extremely popular with both Red Wing and Hamm’s beer collectors.
Chuck Wagon Years: 1957 ?
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Round Up Years: 1958-1965
Chuck Wagon and Round Up were essentially the same pattern. Both featured cowboy scenes on a beige fleck background. In most cases the cowboy scene on a given piece was the same for both patterns, but the scene differed on a few pieces. For example the Chuck Wagon dinner plate showed a cowboy sitting on a fence watching two other cowboys tussle with a steer, while the Round Up dinner plate had an old west wagon and a hollering cowboy holding a fry pan by a campfire. Other pieces that differ are the 12″ salad bowl, 6″ individual salad bowl, saucer, and the 6.5″ plate.
Chuck Wagon was “Sold exclusively by The Mal Company”, as stated in an undated brochure. Chuck Wagon was sold only by mail with a $39.50 minimum per order. The brochure showed wrought iron stands, not copper, which is a clue that Chuck Wagon preceded Round Up. Four place settings (dinner plate, 6.5″ plate, 6″bowl, cup and saucer) were sold together as a “Unit Package”. These pieces were not available individually except on a replacement basis. Serving pieces were available individually. The following pieces came with a wrought iron stand: Twin Cruet set, Beverage Server, 2 Quart Casserole, Twin 2 Quart Casseroles, and 20″ platter. The following pieces were also available: 24″ Bread Tray, Salt & Pepper, 60oz Pitcher, Relish Tray, Sugar & Creamer, and 12″ Salad Bowl. It is not known if the “exclusive” rights involved a limited term contract or if the company subsequently closed. In any event the deal with The Mal Company was short lived and Red Wing rechristened the pattern as Round Up.
Round Up is one of the more highly sought Red Wing dinnerware patterns. It is popular with collectors of Red Wing pottery and with collectors of Western-themed home decor. Demand definitely exceeds the supply. All Round Up pieces have considerable value compared to most other Red Wing patterns, but among the more difficult to find pieces are the water cooler and stand, cookie jar, cruets, 112oz pitcher and teapot. The July 1958 dealer price list included trivets for nearly all patterns produced that year, but for some reason Round Up was excluded.
Tip Toe Years: 1958-1960 Place settings only 1961-1962
The name for this pattern was derived from the song “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”. Each piece of Tip Toe featured a circle of brown and amber tulips, along with bands of brown and light brown against a light beige background. Compared to other patterns in the Casual line, Tip Toe was rather drab. The brochure stated that Tip Toe blends well and was “Fashioned to take on the properties of any style home for which it is chosen. ” When introduced in 1958 a full range of Tip Toe pieces were available including Lazy Susan, cruets, bread tray and other standard Casual shape accessories, as well as a trivet. By 1961 only basic serving pieces (plates, bowls, cup and saucer) were still available. An ad in the December 1957 issue of “China, Glass and Tablewares” trade journal for new 1958 patterns listed the name of this pattern as Woodlawn.
Hearthside Years: 1961-1963 or 1964 Place settings only 1963 or 1964-1965
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This pattern was based on a country hearth theme. Among the country-oriented items depicted on various pieces were a spinning wheel, wooden bench, rocking chair, braided rug, kerosene lamp, eagle, and small table. The background color was white. Hearthside was significantly more limited in the range of available pieces than earlier Casual patterns. Brochures and price lists did not include the 112oz pitcher, cocktail tray, Lazy Susan, 1 quart casserole, 4 quart casserole, handled marmite, cruets, or butter warmer. Like Tip Toe, Hearthside does not attract much collector interest compared to other Casual patterns.
Special Designs, Test Colors and Limited Production
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