Lu-Ray Pastels Dinnerware: Correctly Identifying Colors
Many auctions on this site misrepresent the color names of LuRay Dinnerware Pastels. (Sometimes you may also see it written as Lu-Ray), so I have written this guide to clarify actual color names, along with a little historical background on the company.
Taylor Smith & Taylor Co. (TS&T Co.) began producing a brightly colored dinnerware line called Vistosia in January of 1938 in response to lines like Fiesta Ware from Homer Laughlin and similar lines from other companies. By the fall of 1938, TS&TCo. decided to make their own bold move by introducing a pastel-hued line that was coined “LuRay” after the leading salesman had visited the Lu-Ray Caverns in LuRay, VA. The line continued through 1962. Original marketing materials suggested the paler colors were perfect for the new brides of the day and offered an alternative, more soothing pallette than the brighter colors of the competing lines, including their own Vistosia brand.
The four original LuRay colors were: Windsor Blue, Surf Green, Persian Cream, and Sharon Pink. Persian Cream, a soft yellow color, was the best selling color. For a time in the late 1940’s, pieces were most readily available in this color which explains why many pieces still around today are Persian Cream. The only change to the available colors came in 1947 with the addition of Chatham Gray, but poor sales led to its being discontinued in 1952. During its short life span, Chatham Gray pieces were available in a variation with a platinum ring and also with applied flowers. The other colors also have some variations with rings and flowers.
A creamer in Persian Cream. An oval platter in Sharon Pink. A sugar dish in Surf Green:
A selection of items in Windsor Blue:
Much experimentation over a relatively short time period led to many pieces with great variety in the LuRay product line. Some of the creations included: egg cups, grill (divided) plates, cups & saucers, oval platters, baking dishes, relish trays, salad bowls, vegetable bowls, butter dishes, teapots, sugar dishes, creamers, salt & pepper shakers, and many others. Items like the mixing bowls, vase (epergne), juice jug, and tumblers were dropped after WWII.
Marks can be found on the pieces until the 1950s when they were no longer marked. Some have a LuRay signature mark with “T.S&T Lu-Ray Pastels U.S.A.”. Sometimes there was aditionally a numerical mark like “2-40″ to identify the date of manufacture. Many smaller pieces had only the U.S.A. mark.
TS&T Co. continued producing dinnerware into the 1970s, but was then sold to Anchor-Hocking.
Please vote “yes” if this guide has helped you to better understand the Lu-ray Pastels Dinnerware line, and don’t forget to visit my auctions and store at www.kayceestudios.com