Design Trends Dri-Coasters and Holder

Dri-Coasters were invented by Vincent Gallagher, who had aimed to create a coaster that would soak up the condensation. After working as a clothing sales associate, truck driver, and manager of a toolmaking venture, it was in his role as manufacturer of wet mops that inspiration struck. The mops were made of Du Pont cellulose sponge, and his logic was as follows: If a sponge can soak up water, why couldn’t it work in a coaster? However, no matter what he tried, the sponges continued to expand when wet. It was not until he saw Du Pont’s recent cellulose sponge yarn in 1949 that he found his material. Du Pont supplied yarn for his experiments, and he set to work weaving and sewing. In the end, he found his design in a simple spiral coil. In addition to the yarn, Du Pont also supplied the cement that holds the yarn in the base.

Gallagher began doing business as Coasters, Inc. before switching to Design Trends, Inc.

Du Pont, now more commonly known as DuPont, was founded in 1802 by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, whose family left France to escape the French Revolution. The company began as a gunpowder manufacturer using machinery imported from France, and by the mid-19th century it was the largest supplier of gunpowder to the United States military. In the early 20th century, DuPont expanded into the production of dynamite and smokeless powder. In 1914 Pierre S. du Pont invested in General Motors, eventually becoming the company’s president. DuPont had to divest its shares of General Motors in 1957 due to antitrust laws. In the 1920s, DuPont continued to experiment in materials science, hiring Wallace Carothers, who invented neoprene and nylon. In the following years, the company also introduced Teflon and the insecticide phenothiazine. DuPont had business connections with corporations in the Third Reich from 1933 to 1943, when the Nazi government seized the assets of all American companies in Germany. Irénée du Pont, president of the company during the buildup to World War II was a follower of Adolf Hitler and financially supported the Nazi government. DuPont later held a number of wartime production contracts for America, producing parachutes, powder bags, and tires. The company also assisted in the Manhattan Project. After the war, DuPont continued to experiment with new materials, including Mylar, Dacron, Lycra, and Kevlar.

Nina Blomfield
2021-2023 Decorative Arts Trust Marie Zimmerman Collections Fellow
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
August 2023

Clare Catallo-Werner
Curatorial Intern
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
August 2023