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Versatile by Taylor, Smith & Taylor Co. LaurelHollowPark.net, an informative website created and maintained by Mark Gonzalez. Copyright © 2009-. Designed by John Gilkes, Versatile was introduced by Taylor, Smith & Taylor in 1953. It replaced the twenty-year old, ornate Garland shape. Versatile was created to meet the demand for clean, rimless shapes that became popular in the very late 1940s and early 1950s. Traditional handles and finials were not used on the casserole and sugar, nor on lids of the coffee pot and teapot. Instead, handles were made as tab extensions. Besides the solid color line, Pebbleford, Versatile was also made in pastel glazes - with and without decals, and in white with decals and underglaze decorations. Several Versatile patterns made use of special "fade away" or wash trims along the rim. TS&T created new lines by mixing hollowware from other shapes with Versatile flatware. "Shasta Daisy" was made using Versatile shapes only. "Dwarf Pine" used Versatile flatware while almost all of its hollowware came from the formal Classic shape. "Blue Mist" used Versatile flatware, but Empire hollowware. Other lines were more complicated with a sugar from one shape and a creamer from another resluting in new mix-and-match shapes. The major forms of hollowware used with Versatile flatware are listed here: Versatile shape - simple design without pedestal feet; lids have tab handles sugar creamer teacup casserole coffee pot teapot gravy shakers divided baker covered butter lug soup with lid Classic shape - Flared shapes with pedestal feet and pronounced finials. Classic hollowware used includes: sugar (two styles of lids) creamer teacup coffee pot gravy casserole shakers Empire shape - Lu-Ray shapes which are generally in a pastel glaze with some type of decal treatment or trim work. The Empire/Lu-Ray shapes used include the following: handleless sugar (two styles of lids) creamer teacup sauceboat casserole shakers curved spout teapot covered butter Versatile was produced into the 1960s and is usually marked with a date code as shown at the top of the page. The rimless flatware was used for shapes that followed, namely Ever Yours. Examples of the three styles of hollowware used with Versatile flatware. Versatile sugar and creamer with "Strawberry" Versatile gravy and creamer with "Shasta Daisy" Classic sugar and creamer with "Dwarf Pine" Classic gravy and creamer with "Dwarf Pine" in blue Empire gravy and creamer with "Golden Day" Empire sugar, creamer, and teapot with "Mardi Gras" The three ads above show a mixture of TS&T shapes. The first, Dawn, has Classic (round rim shape) flatware with Classic sugar and creamer and a Versatile teacup. In the middle is Golden Wheat with Versatile flatware, a Versatile teacup and creamer, and a handleless Empire covered sugar. The last ad, Silver Mist, has Versatile flatware and Classic shape sugar, creamer, and teacup. This advertisement is from the late 1950s and features "Regal Rose" (a.k.a. "Moulin Rouge") with Versatile flatware and Classic hollowware, "Harvest Gold" with Versatile flatware and Versatile hollowware (sugar has a restyled lid), and "Candlelight" with Versatile flatware and Classic hollowware. Brochures for "Jamaica" and "Shasta Daisy" on the Versatile shape Pattern 2341, "Springtime" with a Versatile creamer and a Classic teacup Versatile coffee pot with "Spenserian Scroll" "Scandinavian Blue" on blue Versatile with Lu-Ray shape cups Versatile divided baker with "Scandinavian Blue" Versatile butter with "Rose Sachet" Versatile coffee pot, gravy, and covered sugar with pattern 1969 Pattern 601, "Sterling" on a baker, fruit cup, teacup, and gravy Pattern 2252, "Dogwood" on a restyled Emprie sugar and Laurel creamer "Midnight" sugar and creamer Versatile creamer with gold fleur-de-lis stamps "Midnight" on a double-walled Thermarole Inside view of the Termarole Pattern 2273 on a restyled Empire sugar and syrup used as a creamer Pattern 2273 stamped on the underside of the syrup in gold "Dwarf Pine" Classic sugars - original lid on right, restyled lid on left "Bachelor Button" sugar with restyled lid Pattern 2308, "Blue Mist" - all the hollowware comes from Empire "Blue Mist" plate and fruit cup. From the collection of Garnett J. Tucker "Blue Mist" Empire gravy "Leaf O' Gold" Empire gravy Pink and yellow rose spray with green fade away trim "Dwarf Pine" plate, cup and saucer - the other hollowware comes from Classic Thistle decal on a Versatile plate "White Wheat" on a blue Versatile plate "Regncy Green" uses an Empire cup. All other hollowware is from Versatile "Regency Coral" gravy, "Regency Cobalt" soup, and a "Regency Green" sugar Versatile sugar, creamer, and shakers with "Regency Green" "Yellow Wheat" oval baker "Golden Harvest" plate, cup and saucer "Regency Coral" baker, fruit cup, and gravy "Jamaica" platter with yellow fade away trim "Silver Mist" plate "Nosegay", pattern 2279 "Cockerel" on a Versatile soup. "String" "Blue Claire" with gold lace stamp "Moulin Rouge" "Buttercup" "Grape" "Sweidsh Modern" "Candlelight" "White Wheat" on pastel pink "Buddy Rose" "Goldenrod" Underglaze blue dogwood Pattern 2210, "Begonia" Versatile plates in pastel glazes Versatile bowls in pastel glazes Versatile bowls in pastel glazes Handleless sugars with restyled lids "Leaf O' Gold" on yellow Empire butter and creamer "Blue Mist" and "Golden Day" French casseroles "Ming" (yellow) and "Dwarf Pine" (pink) "Ming" platter used as an advertisement piece "Mint & Spice" platter with Dwarf Pine decal and advertising "Cinnamon Stick" bowls "Mint & Spice" place setting "Mint & Spice" with both styles of Empire handleless sugars "Mint & Spice" Empire creamer and Verstaile bowls "Mint & Spice" Empire gravy, teapot, and shakers "Cinnamon & Honey" Empire gravy and Versatile bowls "Cinnamon & Honey" Empire creamer, open sugar, shakers, and casserole "Appalachian Plaid" Versatile cups, saucers, and fruit cup "Appalachian Plaid" Empire handleless sugar and creamer