Donald Colflesh's sterling silver and ebony “Circa 70” line, designed in 1958 for the Gorham Manufacturing Company, was conceived and produced during the height of the space race. It was one of the first luxury, Space Age–styled lines for the home to hit the market. Many Space Age products mirrored the styling of satellites, spacecraft, orbit patterns, or astronaut helmets, but none as gracefully as these. This article places the “Circa 70” line, principally its anchor tea and coffee service, in historical context and discusses the psychology of futurism and Space Age utopia that developed after war time and the “look” that grew out of the fervor for the future—a “look” that extended from candy and toys to housewares, luxury goods, and architecture.
University of California Press