| Gladding, McBean
&
Co., was founded in 1875 to produce sewer tile for the rapidly developing
American West, but their fame began with production of Franciscan dinnerware
in 1934 at their plant in Glendale, California. Gladding, McBean dinnerware
was developed and marketed with the arrival of Frederic and Mary Grant.
Frederic already had experience in the emerging disciplines and styles
of American art pottery, having been president of Weller
Pottery previously, and Mary was a talented artist. The Grants worked
together for many years of Franciscan production, creating many of the
best loved designs plus guiding the work of the other artist's and engineers
that worked at the company. They worked together at the company well into
the 1950s influencing most every major Franciscan design. Other talented
artists still produced compelling designs in the mid 20th century period
including the Eclipse American Modern and Starburst patterns of the mid
1950s. Starburst in particular is a hot fifties collectible, desirable
for its innovation of an irregular shape and abstract design which become
the norm for mid century mass production of the fifties "look."
Franciscan was originally sold under the
name Franciscan Pottery and used bright colors in the design and production
of earthenware pieces in the style of the American Southwest. The name
Franciscan is an allusion to Franciscan monks and reflected the simple,
informal style of Mexican folk pottery. They grew through acquisition,
buying smaller regional potteries and acquiring new production capabilities
to produce a wider array of goods including art pottery, garden pottery,
and decorative tiles. Franciscan was instrumental in creating the "California
Style" of American ceramics, adopting Spanish names for their lines such
as Montecito and Coronado. They changed the markings to Franciscan Ware
in the 1930s in an effort to broaden their market image, and simultaneously
they introduced new patterns which were hand painted and used a raised
relief technique in the ceramic production. The most famous of this period,
Franciscan Apple first produced in 1940 and Franciscan Desert Rose
first produced in 1941, are still produced today although early pieces
are what collectors seek. It has been observed that Desert rose is the
most popular American dinnerware of all time, a claim that even if not
true accurately reflects its sustained popularity from continuous production
since the inception of the design.
Some designs such as Wildflower were only
produced for a few years, which as you might imagine reflects scenes of
the western wildflowers and flora. Other popular patterns include Ivy,
October, and Fresh Fruit, and later popular work by other designers includes
Contours designed by George James in the 1950s, Hacienda in the 1960s,
and Picnic and Madeira in the 1970s. They survived the entry of the Japanese
into the American ceramics market in the 60s by shifting some new design
production there like the Whitestone, and Cosmopolitan lines, and they
were one of the earliest U.S. companies to see this trend and adapt for
success. They began producing fine china during World War II, in 1942,
an accomplishment in itself. They marketed china under the "Franciscan
Masterpiece China" label in the late 1950s, and continuing into the late
1970s. Masterpiece China was purchased in 1961 by Jacqueline Kennedy for
Air Force One and in 1960 by Richard Nixon for the Presidential yacht.
Franciscan finally ceased
production in 1984 following a series of mergers including their
1979 sale to Wedgwood of England. They shifted all Franciscan
production to the UK and American production ceased. Franciscan
designs, especially those done specifically by Mary and Frederic
Grant, have appeared in museum exhibitions including the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art which featured the
Encanto line in its 1951 "Good Design" Exhibition.
Ever been fooled by
a fake or a seller that didn't deliver the goods as described?
At Collectics, we authenticate and stand behind everything we sell, at
prices "30% below your local antique shop" according
to Collectibles Guide 2008. Please browse our main Antiques
& Collectibles Mall to find a treat for yourself or
a great gift for others, all with free shipping. Thanks!
Buy
Franciscan American dinnerware and other finer ceramics on the Collectics
Pottery
and Kitchenware pages,
or search the entire site for great antiques,
collectibles, and crafts for every collector!
|
