When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, there were a few things I considered really posh: Viennetta, Ferrero Rocher and Dartington glassware among them. My parents had a few pieces of Dartington that were brought out for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays; the rest of the time they were kept inside the enormous faux Jacobean sideboard in the dining room. As I got older, my concept of posh changed and Dartington slipped from my radar. Since Helen and I started Muddled, however, I've developed a whole new appreciation for this classic British brand.
History
In 1925, the millionaire couple William and Dorothy Elmhirst bought the 14th Dartington estate in Devon. They were progressive thinkers who restored the estate and embarked on what they called the Dartington Experiment, an ambitious plan to regenerate what was then an economically depressed area. The Dartington Hall Trust aimed to regenerate rural areas through initiatives in the arts, education and business, and Dartington became a magnet for writers, artists, architects, musicians.
By the 1960s, young people were migrating from Devon due to a lack of economic opportunities. Dartington Glass was launched in 1967 by the trust as a means of creating jobs that would provide local people with a reason to stay in the area. The founder of Portmeirion Pottery, Euan Cooper-Willis, whose children were at Dartington Hall School, suggested that the trustees contact Frank Thrower as a potential chief designer. He worked for Portmeirion in ceramics but had begun to design glassware for the company.
Portmeirion's glassware was manufactured in Sweden and it was Thrower who recommended Dartington recruit Swedish glassblower Eskil Vilhelmsson and a team of Swedish glass blowers to teach skills to the local workforce.
Dartington initially employed just 35 people at its factory in Torrington but by the early 1970s demand was outstripping supply. Thrower, who had worked with celebrated glass designer Ronald Stennett-Willson, captured the zeitgeist with pieces that drew on both traditional English forms and the clean lines of Scandinavian design.
Thrower continued to be chief designer until his death in 1987. Some of his most iconic designs continue to be manufactured today, including Dimple which was deisgned in 1967. Sharon was designed in 1971 and features a teardrop-shaped bubble in the stem. In 1985 the Sharon champagne flute was included in a V&A exhibition 100 Best Ever Products.
Today, Dartington Crystal employs 150 staff and is the UK's only large-scale glass manufacturer.
What to buy
We love decanters here at Muddled Vintage and Frank Thrower designed some beauties. My personal favourite is The Classic or FT44 decanter in the main image on this post. Designed in 1968 and produced until 1980, it's an elegant Scandinavian-inspired design available in both clear and grey glass. It works beautifully with other Dartington pieces or other classic designs such as the Holmegaard glasses shown above.
I'm also very partial to the wine decanter with a cork stopper. Pleasingly chunky, it comes with or without the word Vin etched on the side and works equally well for water.
The Dimple double old fashioned glass is another favourite. Although it's still produced today, it's often possible to find vintage versions, sometimes in their original boxes. My father liked to drink whisky out of Dimple glasses when I was growing up and I could never quite get over how heavy they were.
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