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The Hyalyn pottery was founded
in Hickory, North Carolina, in 1947 by Leslie Moody (educated at Ohio
State University in Columbus, then associated
with Abingdon, San Jose Pottery, and Rookwood before starting his own
company). Moody was general manager of Hyalyn Porcelain, Incorporated,
until his death in 1973 (and president between 1965 and 1973). The name
"Hyalyn" is Mrs. Frances Moody's
spelling variation on the word "hyaline." Hyalyn's first product line was made only about 2 years
(in
1947-1948)
and featured stylized underglaze freehand decorations. Until the mid
1970s, Hyalyn pieces were high-fired with a white clay body. They often
show the influence of Charles and Ray Eames and other designers of the
Mid-Century Modern period. From the beginning, the company also made a
complete line of decal-decorated products. Trademarks were periodically
changed, and styles changed with the times. So these hints can be
useful in dating many Hyalyn products. Many of Hyalyn's most interesting dinnerware lines are
illustrated in a highly recommended 2-volume book by Michael Pratt,
called Mid-Century Modern
Dinnerware: A Pictorial Guide, published by Schiffer in 2003.
For Hyalyn, be sure to look for the one with the subtitle "Ak-Sar-Ben
to Pope Gosser." Michael also has an interesting article
about Hyalyn
on his website. Under other management, and sometimes other names, both
decorative artware
and utilitarian ceramic products were made at the location until 1996.
For a time, the company was called Hyalyn-Cosco, during which period
their primary line was electric table lamps. In the late 1980s and
early 1990s, the company was known as Vanguard Accents, and made lamps,
vases, and figural pieces, sometimes in 24K gold or pastel glossy
colors. I have been collecting Hyalyn Porcelain (Hickory, North
Carolina) for
about 10 years, and have decided to offer my collection for sale. You
can get an overview of the company's production by looking through my on-line
showcase (SEARCH for "hyalyn" there). My apologies that this
project will take some time. Prices will be added to the descriptions
by the end of September 2004. There is also a book on Hyalyn in the works, with a
contribution from one of Mr. Moody's daughters, so collector interest
has been on the rise. Sorry, but I do not have more details about the
book at this time. When the book is published, collectors will finally
have an easier method of dating the company's many products. I
personally can't wait!
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