Here’s a piece in our store that’s from the same era as our Rose Point or Fostoria Chintz, but from a designer we associate with the Mid Century Modern style, Dorothy Thorpe. Let me share what I found when researching my stemware.
Dorothy Thorpe was a designer, not a glass manufacturer, active from the 1930s to the 1950s. She created deeply etched, often sandblasted, designs that are curvy and have a Scandinavian, modern look. Right now she is best known for her glasses trimmed with wide silver bands at the top, popularized by the show Mad Men.
I’m pretty sure we had these glasses when I was a kid – I think almost everyone had silver trimmed ashtrays and cocktail shakers and glasses back then. I used to see them, or at least similar glass, at estate sales frequently.
I was able to identify this cocktail when I found it at an estate sale because she marked her glass with her monogram. It’s distinctive with a big T in the center and stylized, smaller D and C on either side. I wish more glass was marked as it sure makes life easier!
According to the blog Forgotten Luxury, Dorothy Thorpe got her start when Clark Gable admired a tumbler she crafted from an old beer bottle. She had liked the rich brown color, cut the bottle down and trimmed with raffia. Her brother had it in his office where Clark Gable saw it. After that she branched out to other designs including her famous silver-trimmed drink ware.
My little stem is a cocktail with a neat design like a branch that starts on the bottom of the bowl and curves up the stem. It’s unusual. The branch is deeply cut into the glass. Aside from the decoration the stem is plain, with a straight stem and round bowl and unadorned foot. The simplicity of the shape helps the design pop. It’s a neat piece.