It’s cool and groovy, yet contemporary. Gay Fad Studios in downtown Lancaster has managed to restore vintage glassware art and design with a modern twist. The store and museum reopened in 2020 by Jason and David Annecy.
Ohio has always been known for its glassware, Lancaster especially. Years ago companies like Anchor Hocking were created to create and distribute glassware and are still around today. One of these companies is Gay Fad Studios.
Fran Taylor started the glassware store known as Gay Fad Studios in 1939. After being closed for around 60 years Jason and David Annecy reopened the business now to continue the legacy Taylor had created.
In 2020 the Annecy’s finished painting a mural for veterans downtown. After being asked to create concepts for another one, Jason Annecy pitched many ideas, including Gay Fad.
“He pitched eight concepts, one of which being Gay Fad, that was unanimously chosen for the project by a committee,” said David Annecy.
“We spent four months in the Summer and Fall of 2021 with a team of volunteers to complete two large murals that depicted original Gay Fad patterns from the 1950s. It was through this process that we met Fran Taylor’s daughter, Stephanie, and learned so much about Fran and Gay Fad Studios.”
In an interview with Wendy Pramic at Ohio The Heart of It All, Jason Annecy said that the name, Gay Fad, has become meaningful for more than one reason.
“While the name drew attention, it was more a sign of the times and not a social statement. But it fits perfectly today.”
“Nobody knows why she called it Gay Fad,” Jason said.
“We can only surmise that from the time period that ‘gay’ meant something joyous, or happy. And the idea of fads or trends, especially during the ’’50s, that was a big thing” (Pramic).
Before the Annecy’s decided to create the mural, not many people knew about Gay Fad.
“To our surprise, very few people knew of Fran Taylor and Gay Fad Studios locally. Her story and company’s legacy felt like it was being lost to time,” said David.
“After we finished the mural, we did not want to lose the momentum of resurrecting an amazing piece of local history. With this in mind, we asked Stephanie for her blessing to reopen the company and she said ‘Yes, Jason, you have the Gay Fad groove’”.
The Annecy’s use designs from the original days of Gay Fad. They also create their own, drawing inspiration from the aforementioned original designs.
“We’ve already acquired a significant amount of the original glass for an online and in-store archive which will be accessible by the public,” said David.
“We draw inspiration from original designs but will never recreate them out of admiration for the legacy of the artists that produced them.”
The current goals of Gay Fad Studios are to honor the past of Gay Fad and Fran Taylor, redefine Gay Fad’s direction, and design quality custom glassware.
“Jason and I share Fran’s story with customers and host presentations throughout the community,” said David.
“Moving forward, our website will serve as a platform to reach a broader audience,” he said.
To contact Gay Fad Studios regarding any of their glassware, call 740-277-6883, email them at: [email protected], or simply stop by the store at 137 W Main Street downtown.
