Chalet “True Reds”

I recently authored an article on “Chalet Myths.” One myth is that Chalet did not produce pieces in “true red.” Well – that is an entirely incorrect statement. There are many Chalet pieces in “true reds” – whether you define that as “fire-engine red,” “cherry red,” “blood red,” “candy apple red” or … That being said, Chalet “true red” is a scarcer colour compared to the Chalet “orange red” but it is not rare.

 The “Chalet kaleidoscope” did not happen overnight. When the company opened in Cornwall in the September of 1962, it produced pieces in only three colours as shown on the Chalet 1962 “Items Available” sheet. It reads “Colours; Amber - Olive  - Aqua.”

Note that the Chalet term “aqua” pertains to “blue” in colour and not the uranium “aqua/ice” pieces.

“Tangerine” was the next colour to be added (1963) to the Chalet palette. There are advertisements as of 1965 offering red and “flame” coloured Chalet pieces.

Sayvette (discount department store chain 1961-1977) advertisement from September 4, 1965 in the Toronto Star which is a division of Torstar.

Advertisements from 1966 and 1968 promoting the “red and fire red”:

Eaton’s advertisement at top left from the May 9, 1968 edition of the Calgary Herald. At bottom right is a MACKENZIE’S advertisement from the Leader Post (Regina) on July 13, 1966. Both newspapers are a division of the Postmedia Network conglomerate.

We have seen reds marked with both distributor labels and with Chalet brandings.

This “redder than red” basket bears a Chantili sticker. From the collection of Dwain Robertson.

Etched “Chalet Canada.” Photographs courtesy of Darlene Spence.

To date, no red Chalet bonbonniere have been found and it appears that in animal figurines, the use of red was limited to the Chalet roosters.

Crowing in the collection of Diane Smith.

Red was used for many different of the larger hand-blown Chalet forms and lines:

Gorgeous display from Cindy Bishop Laughlin.

Exceedingly rare Chalet pear ashtray.

Red Chalet “clovers” will certainly bring their owners good luck!

Photograph courtesy of Kim Tersteeg.

True red Chalet “ribbon” pieces are not uncommon:

And red was used in minis as well:

Enough words. Here are some “Lovelies in Red” that serve as further proof that the myth that “Chalet didn’t do true red” is just that – a myth.