History
Gladding McBean, Interpace, and Wedgwood
The Gladding, McBean & Company was founded in 1875 in Lincoln, California. The two most significant plants of Gladding, McBean & Company were the terracotta division in Lincoln, California, and the dinnerware & tile division in Los Angeles also known as the Glendale plant.
In 1934, Gladding, McBean & Company began the manufacture of dinnerware and art ware under the trade name Franciscan Ware in their Los Angeles Glendale plant. In 1962, Gladding, McBean merged with Lock Pipe and Joint Company. The new company International Pipe and Ceramics Corporation was later renamed Interpace derived from International Pipe and Ceramics.
Interpace in 1976 sold the former Gladding, McBean & Company’s Lincoln plant to Pacific Coast Building Products and in 1979 sold the Franciscan Ceramics division in Los Angeles to Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Ltd. In 1984, the Franciscan Ceramics division in Los Angeles closed and production moved to England to the Johnson Brothers division of Wedgwood. All lines were discontinued with the exception of the hand-painted patterns Apple, Desert Rose, and Fresh Fruit. Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Ltd. later merged with Waterford becoming Waterford Wedgwood.
By 2003 only the patterns Apple and Desert Rose were in production and were manufactured in China. Waterford Wedgwood went into receivership in 2009 and the assets acquired by WWRD Holdings Ltd. Franciscan Apple was discontinued in 2011 and Desert Rose was discontinued in 2013. In 2015, the Finnish consumer goods corporation Fiskars bought all the assets of WWRD. The trade name Franciscan currently is not in use; all dinnerware has been discontinued.
Gladding, McBean in Lincoln, California continues to produce terracotta garden ware, sewer tile, floor tile, and roof tiles. In 2000, Gladding McBean reissued their terracotta garden ware using the same methods and molds used since the late 1800’s.
Timelines
- History of Franciscan Ceramics Timeline
- Franciscan Products Timeline – list of art ware and dinnerware patterns by date of introduction