Druware Explained

Druware, also known as DRU Holland cookware[1] [2] and Royal Dru,[3] was a line of porcelain-enamel-coated cast-iron cookware made by the De Koninklijke Diepenbrock & Reigers of Ulft (DRU) company in Achterhoek, Netherlands.[4]

Imports to the United States

The pots and pans were popular in the United States during the middle of the 20th century, after Robert Evans began importing the cookware from The Netherlands, with gross annual sales of $1.5 million in 1956,[5] and nearly $2 million in 1957.

In 1960, DRU incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to manage distribution.[6]

Popularity

The most popular line of Druware came in pastel shades of Delft Blue, Tulip Yellow, and Key Largo Green, and was recognizable for the hand-painted tulip, windmill, and fleur-de-lis decorations on the sides and lids of each piece.[7] A flame orange color, as well as "Holiday White" (white enamel, with the signature tulip design in blue)[8] [9] and an all-white color "that resembles china"[10] were also produced.

Despite Druware's popularity with home cooks, venerable chef James Beard was less impressed. "I use the old lines of cast iron -- Griswold, Wagner -- not all this prettied stuff. I had a Druware pot simply split from the heat a day or two ago."[11]

Cessation of production

After natural gas became popular in the Netherlands in the 1960s,[12] DRU ceased the production of cookware, and began producing fireplaces, wall heaters, and wood stoves.

Influence

Druware was the design inspiration for Dutch Ovenware, a line of pottery produced by Cameron Clay Products, of Cameron, West Virginia.[13]

Further reading

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Cast Iron Collector . 2022-10-27. The Cast Iron Collector
  2. Web site: Midcentury-Modern Cookware for a Thrifty-Chic Thanksgiving. https://web.archive.org/web/20111122202549/http://www.gourmet.com/food/gourmetlive/2011/111611/midcentury-modern-cookware-thrifty-chic-thanksgiving. 2011-11-22 . Lange . Alexandra . 2011-11-16 . Gourmet . Condé Nast . 2022-11-08.
  3. News: Cameron . Juan . 1957-04-28 . Acton Importer's Advice: Beware Operating a One-Man Business . 62 . The Boston Sunday Herald . 12728704 .
  4. Web site: Our Story. DRU . 2022-10-27. DRU: Our Story
  5. News: Freeman . William M. . 1956-04-08 . News of the Advertising and Marketing Fields . New York Times . F11 . 0362-4331 .
  6. News: . 1960-02-26 . Dutch Concern Establishes Distribution Unit in U.S. . Wall Street Journal. 5 . Dow Jones & Company Inc. . New York . 0099-9660 .
  7. Book: Goldberg, Michael J. . Groovy kitchen designs for collectors, 1935-1965 : with value guide . 1996 . Schiffer . 1149276708 . Descoware and Druware . 153–155 .
  8. News: . 1960-10-10 . 'Holiday White' Cooks 'n Serves . Daily Defender . 5 . Robert S. Abbott Pub. Co. . 2572-5289 . Chicago, Ill..
  9. News: Johnson . Abbey . 1960-12-11 . How About Gift for Home? It's a Cinch to Please . Chicago Daily Tribune . South . 11 . Tribune Publishing Company . Chicago, Ill..
  10. News: . 1958-10-15 . Housewares Get a Worldly Touch . New York Times . L49 . 0362-4331.
  11. Ginsberg . Priscilla . December 1962 . Kitchens are to Cook . Interiors . 122 . 5 . 102 . 2022-11-08 . Emerald Expositions.
  12. Web site: The rise and fall of the Dutch Groningen gas field.
  13. Web site: Gonzalez . Mark . Royal Cuisine and Dutch Ovenware by Cameron Clay Products . 2015-02-11 . 2022-11-04 .

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