The Chalet Kaleidoscope
The dictionary definition of kaleidoscope is “a constantly changing pattern or sequence of objects or elements.” I felt that this was a perfect way to describe the everchanging colours we see in Chalet pieces and that a kaleidoscope was the perfect metaphor for the Chalet palette. For me, the next logical step was to feature some of Chalet’s colours and showcase some of the more unusual through a video. with Miss Cindy Lauper highlighting these “True Colours.” However, to provide some context, I started at the beginning and, as is the case in preparing these articles, was surprised by what I had both overlooked and not realized the significance of for all these years!
Some background is necessary. Chalet had a sole chemist – Sergio Pagnin. One of the company’s founders and owners as well as a Master glass blower. In my view, his personal involvement in creating works of art could not have but helped contribute to the beauty of his colours. Maestro Pagnin’s colour formulas were a very closely guarded secret. The Chalet artists told me they were always kept locked in a briefcase which Maestro Pagnin never left unattended. Many were generational – family recipes handed down over time. “…He brought with him his special formula- which he mixes up each day after the staff has left.” From the September 1962 Canadian Weekly article; “How Canada makes Venetian Glass.”
The “Chalet kaleidoscope” did not happen overnight. In actuality, when Chalet began operating in 1962, the company produced pieces in only three colours! You are probably shaking your head and asking yourself: “Where is she getting this from?” I am presenting this new information as a fact based on an obvious and solid foundation of evidence right from the company itself.
Firstly, and most significantly, the header on the Chalet 1962 “Items Available” sheet reads “Colours; Amber - Olive - Aqua”.
Note that the Chalet descriptor “aqua” pertains to “blue” in colour and not the uranium “aqua/ice” pieces.
Secondly, for further verification or contradiction of an initial three colour production range, I examined all the earliest historical pictures, newspaper articles and advertising I have on file. I not only found nothing to contradict this but more supporting evidence.
The only colour photographs of Chalet glass when Chalet began operating that I have found to date are these three from the same Canadian Weekly newspaper article as quoted above. Shown are some very early Chalet pieces – in tones of amber, olive and blue.
Thirdly but as of equal importance, this limited and early Chalet colour palette is verified through all the earliest retailer advertising of Chalet product. The first retailer, (Davis Agency of Ottawa) was a local chain of gift stores which still operates under the Hallmark umbrella. This advertisement was published in the Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
April, 1963 from an Ottawa newspaper. Chalet had been operating for 7 months at this point in time. Courtesy of 50 Shades member Gionny Gueli.
This advertisement published in the Friday, September 6, 1963 edition of The Kingston Whig Standard (a division of Postmedia Network Inc.) has a very personal connection to one of the members of 50 Shades, Geoffrey Chown as Chown’s, (a high end independent Kingston department store) was his family’s business. In September of 1963, Chalet had been operating for just a year and still obviously with a limited colour palette as the glass is offered in “AMBER-OLIVE GREEN- AQUA.” I was pleased to find further proof but my excitement over it was because of an immediate need to share with Geoffrey. Why? I knew of Chown’s as I had lived in Kingston for years and years and more importantly, I had actually met Geoffrey and his husband David, at the opening reception for the 2010 Chalet show in Cornwall as they had travelled from Toronto to meet the artists. We stayed in touch over the years. He was thrilled to see this as he had always wondered if the store had carried Chalet - it closed when he was 10 and as you can imagine, a young boy did not pay too much attention to what was carried in the family store china department!
Rather risque for the day! Chown’s also had a wholesale division on Barrack Street as well as the retail Princess Street store. These calendars were for those contractors and not as Geoffrey put it: “…For the Fine Folks who shopped in the Fine China Department.”
Geoffrey Chown (left) and David Dunkley (right) attending the 2010 opening reception for the Chalet exhibit. Cornwall Art Gallery, 2010.
Further evidence is found yet again in a third 1963 advertisement - coincidentally run the same day, September 6, 1963, but in an Ottawa paper. The following is from Ogilyv’s (a high-end independent, Ottawa department store 1887-1984) which offers “Chalet” in “…shades of Amber, Olive or Aqua”.
Please note that the birds in this advertisement are described as “exclusive” and “one-of-a-kind” which is in keeping with Chalet production moving away from and phasing out the more ornate styles of glass after the name change. If you refer back to the Canadian Weekly article shown above, you will see another of these figurines at the bottom right. As the company streamlined its vision, Angelo Tedesco explained: “We had to change Venetian design to a small, modern design. Less artistic but more useful. Artistic for Canadian homes.” Founder and owner Angelo Tedesco from “Why Canada,” 1965. Advertisement published September 6, 1963 in the Ottawa Citizen which is a division of Postmedia Network Inc., September 6, 1963. Courtesy of 50 Shades member Gionny Gueli.
The forms illustrated in the advertisement are consistent with the pedestal bird figurine photographed which was shown above in the previously mentioned article and a basket (BB1) from the 1962 catalog sheet also shown above.
Basket is from the collection of 50 Shades member Daniel Lynch.
This grouping illustrates why “A picture is worth a thousand words.” After seeing it, the Chalet owners’ decision to make the early Chalet colour palette “amber-olive-aqua” needs no justification!
As further evidence, we know from early articles, like the 1962 Canadian Weekly included here above and following, that when Chalet first began operating in Cornwall, company resources were extremely limited – they built their own crucibles, ovens, benches, molds and had only two other glass blowers in addition to Maestri Tedesco and Pagnin. Therefore, it is perfectly logical that the Chalet colour palette at the start up in 1962 and through the company’s first year would be restricted by this lack of monetary and physical resources.
Article courtesy of Mario Panizzon.
However, this did not stay the norm for very long – as demand for Chalet product grew, so did company resources. And although Maestro Bruno Panizzon could not recall when further production colours were added, he indeed confirmed that by the time he left Lorraine Glass and joined Chalet in late 1963, “tangerine” (orange), red and cranberry had already been added to production. By 1964, there were 15 glass blowers and 18 assistants working 14 ovens. Total employees numbered about 60 at this point. And this is certainly borne out by photographs from 1965 factory photographs showing glass in the inventory marking area as well as in retail advertising now routinely listing other colours in which the glass was available.
1965 Chalet factory. Image taken from the National Film Board ‘s “Why Canada.”
The following July, 1965 newspaper advertisement published in the Calgary Herald (a division of Postmedia Network Inc.) was placed by Woodward’s (a department store chain in British Columbia and Alberta for over 100 years) which carried an extensive line of Chalet for many years.
Advertisers did not always use the same “colour terminology” that the company did - I noted “green”, “olive green” , “avocado green” and “Laurentian green” as well as other descriptors such as “steel blue”, “flame”, and, most interestingly, I have one on file from an Edmonton department store which specifies “lilac” as well as amber and blue:
Courtesy of the Cornwall Community Museum.
We have no way of knowing from this black and white drawing if the Reed’s “lilac” was a shade of Chalet blue or if it was truly one of the Chalet purples - a non-production colour that was a Chalet “mistake.” Take a second look at this photograph of the same glass in the Chalet inventory area that we saw above:
It does indeed appear that the two cigar bowls (foreground centre) are purple.
Two very oft “colour questions” I am asked are: Why is there variation in colour and why was purple a “mistake”? Regarding the first – clean and simple, variation in both “shapes and colours” not uniformity was the Chalet company standard. Remember, as stated above, Chalet owner, founder, and Maestro Sergio Pagnin measured and mixed all his colour formulas by hand so some deviation right from the start was inevitable. Moreover, the cleaning of the crucibles, “cooking” fluctuations, environmental conditions as well as other factors such as the age of the mix influenced the end colour result. The Chalet factory was a very long way from a sterile environment. And I am sure that Maestro Pagnin also deliberately made changes to his formulas to test new colours or mixes – after-all, he was both a chemist and an artist.
And as to the second - why were purple pieces unintentional? I have been told consistently by every single Chalet artist that I met or interviewed that “purple was always a mistake” and that it resulted from error – either a mixing error or a “cooking” error. They were very surprised when I told them that that those “errors” are now very sought after! Why was it not used as a production colour? Perhaps, Chalet did not feel it was a popular enough colour to market successfully – the cutting-edge colour palette of 1960’s and 1970’s décor was decidedly skewed toward shades of greens, golds, browns, and oranges. Blues and reds were colour choice runners up – not the trend setters.
Now on to the main event – presentation of a Chalet “kaleidoscope.” The following video not only demonstrates a sampling of the constantly changing colour elements of the Chalet palette, but it also showcases some of the more unusually coloured Chalet pieces. It presents many different Chalet forms from the common to the unique. However, it does not come close to being a complete representation. All the pieces shown in this video are verified Chalet. Markings are as varied as the forms. Thank you to all who helped make it possible. Enjoy!
I also suggest that you check out “The Gallery” pages. They contain hundreds of pictures, showing thousands of pieces of verified Chalet glass. It is a breathtaking section of the Web site and adds immeasurably to the scope of Chalet shapes and colours presented here.
