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06-001.
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Almost a year ago to the day I found my first piece of Russel Wright spun aluminum. Now 372 days later I've found a second. While this doesn't "officially' count as a thrift store find, since I picked it up at a local vintage modern shop, it still was priced virtually at a thrift store level. Normally I don't even check the prices on the more uncommon Wright pieces I see at shops that know what they have because I know I'll be disappointed I cannot afford the wares on display. This was the exception to that rule, though.
It's no secret that I think Wright's spun aluminum was some of his finest work. His use of materials is spectacular, and this combination of reed and metal is the pinnacle of early machine age design. A very early Russel Wright Studios catalog includes a hand-drawn illustration of this tray, which is noted as stock number #149. Apparently this line, called Ripple Finished Aluminum, was quite a breakthrough in industrial design. According to Wright's catalog, this is the first appearance of the "spun" look. If true, this was just one of the many contributions Wright made to the field, and a fine and widely imitated contribution it was!
Found on January 07, 2006 in St. Paul, MN.
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