Splayds – ‘the runcible spoon that captivated the world’, Yvonne Barber

Article from Vol 44 no 3, Aug 2022

Splayds – ‘the runcible spoon that captivated the world’, Yvonne Barber

Abstract:

Invented in 1948 and manufactured 'from the early 1950s, Splades or Splayds were a favourite gift for shower teas, weddings and Mothers’ Day in 1960s and 1970s Australia. We were vaguely aware that they might be an Australian innovation, but that wasn’t part of their advertising – they were promoted as a useful luxury item. When an English collector emailed us about them, we asked Yvonne Barber to dig deeper into the origin of the Splayd. A year’s research reveals their more than 70-year history, which touches many nostalgic aspects of our lives, especially if you have lived in Sydney.

Want to read this article in full?
Order PDF Issue Order Print Issue

List of Contents for this Issue Other Articles in this Issue Back Issues Archive

The Australiana Society acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.