Description: Gorgeous piece of art deco design history and machine age wonder! This Lurelle Guild cigarette box (ca 1934) was part of the Kensington Ware decorative collection the famed industrial designer made for the Alcoa aluminum subsidiary Kensington, Inc. Hexagonal base is approximately 5” high and 3” wide. Brass finial on the lid. Stamped on the bottom base with the Kensington mark of a K crest with stag head. In very good condition. Has scratches as to be expected with age, and shown in photos, most prominently on the bottom of the base. Intended to hold cigarettes, shown for the modern home (and for sizing) with q-tips. Would also make a great receptacle for matches, trinkets, candy, you name it. Bring some glamour to the ordinary. **All sales final. Condition is used and item will reflect it's age. Please ask questions before purchasing. Q-tips not included.** More on Lurelle Guild from Syracuse University, where Guild's archives are housed: Lurelle Van Arsdale Guild, born in Syracuse, New York, was an American architect and prolific industrial designer. Shortly after graduating from Syracuse University in 1920, he and his wife relocated to New York City and Guild started his own business, Lurelle Guild Associates, to design and market home furnishings and decorative arts. The company, which became hugely successful, produced designs, drawings, models, prototypes, and worked with manufacturers on product development and marketing. Guild's usual method was to invent or develop the new product, patent it, and then assign the patent to the manufacturer, charging a fee and royalties. Guild also played an active role in product development and marketing: placing samples of his products in retail shops, surveying potential customers, even trucking refrigerators into a local neighborhood in order to poll the residents. Guild is particularly known for his long relationship with Alcoa. In the early 1930s Alcoa, actively searching for new market opportunities beyond utilitarian cookware, hired Guild to design a giftware line for them. "Kensington Ware," as it was known, debuted in 1934 and featured Art Deco items in five categories: table and service, decorative pieces, drinking glasses and accessories/barware, smoker's articles, and desk accessories. In the fall of 1935, Alcoa began advertising Kensington Ware in various popular and women's magazines, including Vogue, Atlantic Monthly, Harper's Magazine, House and Garden, Country Life, and Time. Kensington Ware sold very well and is still collected today. Guild continued to design new products for the Kensington giftware line until it was discontinued soon after World War II. In 1947, Alcoa again looked to Guild, this time to design hardware/aluminum furniture. Guild modern designs included chairs, tables, consoles, vanity desks, bed headboards, night stands, chests and a glazed cabinet. Alcoa sold over 400,000 Kensington and Wear-Ever chairs before discontinuing the line in 1952.
Price: 200 USD
Location: Portland, Oregon
End Time: 2025-01-12T00:52:00.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Kensington
Object Type: Cigarette box
Material: Aluminum
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
