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Franciscan Ceramics Archive

Library

The library includes books which have been published on Franciscan Ware and Gladding, McBean & Co. These books are the best source for information. The Franciscan Ceramics Archives library includes information not included and corrections to existing published works. To identify your dinnerware or art ware pattern, join the Franciscan Collectors Group on Facebook. Replacements LTD will also assist you in identifying your dinnerware pattern.

Resources

Franciscan Ware patterns, lines, designers, marks, and glazes

Films and videos

Franciscan Tile

The Franciscan Newsletter and Gladding, McBean in Washington State

Books on Franciscan and Gladding, McBean

Franciscan, Catalina & Other Gladding, McBean Wares
Ceramic Table and Art Wares: 1873-1942

Franciscan, Catalina, and Other Gladding, McBean Wares Book Cover

Written by James Elliot-Bishop. Published in 2001 by Schiffer Publishing.

The early terracotta, garden wares, tiles, Franciscan line, and Catalina art ware produced by the prolific Gladding, McBean and Company from the late 1800s to 1942 are covered and beautifully displayed in this fascinating book. The Franciscan pottery table and art ware line was one of the most successful product lines produced by California’s Gladding, McBean and Company. Among the tableware included are their most popular patterns, including El Patio, Coronado, Metropolitan, Apple, and Desert Rose. Also featured are the colorful wares made after the firm acquired the Catalina Island Pottery in 1937. The history of Gladding, McBean covers its establishment in Lincoln, California, in 1873 to1942.

Franciscan Ceramics Tableware, Art Ware, and Tile 1943-1984

Written by James Elliot-Bishop. Published in December, 2022. Printed by Amazon.

Franciscan Ceramics, Tableware, Art Ware, and Tile 1943-1984 continues where the book Franciscan, Catalina, and Other Gladding, McBean Wares 1873-1942 ends.

This historical review of the companies who produced Franciscan ceramics begins in 1943. After WWII, Gladding, McBean & Co. met the demand for consumer goods by adding and creating new earthenware and fine china patterns, shapes, and lines. In 1962, Gladding, McBean & Co. merged with Lock Joint Pipe Company forming the International Pipe and Ceramics corporation, later renamed Interpace.

Millard Sheets, the well-known California artist was hired as Interpace’s design advisor for Interpace’s dinnerware and tile Franciscan Ceramics Division. Sheets directed the hiring of ceramists to create innovative tableware, tile, and tile murals. Murals were created for Disneyland and Disney World. The largest tile murals were designed and created for the Hilton Rainbow Towers in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Interpace in the 1960s bought Shenango China, Castleton China, Mayer China, and Wallace China. Expanding internationally, Interpace bought Myott Son & Co. and Alfred Meakin (Tunstall) Limited in Staffordshire, England. After Sheets left Interpace in 1973, the recession and high inflation of the 1970s took their toll on the ceramics industry. Interpace sold their Franciscan Ceramics Division in Los Angeles to Wedgwood in 1979. In 1984, Wedgwood moved all production of Franciscan ceramics to England. All products were discontinued except for Franciscan Desert Rose, Apple, and Fresh Fruit. By 2013, all Franciscan branded products were discontinued.

In this historical review, the author includes executives, personnel, facilities, products, design, production, and marketing of Franciscan ceramics. Included are biographies of the designers; Fridolin Blumer, Mary Chalmers Brown, Francis Chun, Donald Clouse, Dora De Larios, Rupert J. Deese, Mildred Downing, John Eustice, Margo Findlay, Rey Forsum, Frazier-Hauge & Associates, Robert Glover, Mary K. Grant, Annette Honeywell, Elliot M. House, Esta James, George T. James, Otto J. Lund, Harrison Mcintosh, Mineo Mizuno, C.O. Mouness, Richard Petterson, Elsa Rady, Jay Robinson, Jerry Rothman, Sheridan Stanton, Henry Takemoto, Donna Tousley, Jeff Tousley, Helen Richter Watson, and Mary Jane Winans.

Franciscan fine china was made for presidents, governors, and heads of state. The hand painted Franciscan patterns Desert Rose, Apple, and Ivy are American dinnerware traditions. Franciscan Ceramics created and produced some of the most collected dinnerware today; earthenware patterns including Desert Rose, Apple, Ivy, Fruit, Wildflower, California Poppy, Starburst, Oasis, Autumn, Hacienda, Madeira, Floral, Picnic, and Fresh Fruit and fine china patterns Silver Pine, Encanto Nuevo, Gold Band, Renaissance, and Mariposa.

196 pages, 230 images.

  • Available in hardcover on Amazon

Collector’s Encyclopedia of Franciscan Ceramics, Tableware and Art Ware 1943-1984

Collector's Encyclopedia of Franciscan Ceramics, Tableware and Art Ware 1943-1984

Written by James Elliot-Bishop. Published in December, 2023. Printed by Amazon.

The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Franciscan Ceramics is the companion book for Franciscan Ceramics Tableware, Art Ware, and Tile 1943-1984. This book includes the lines, patterns, and shapes of the dinnerware, fine china, art ware, and specials produced by Franciscan Ceramics from 1943 to 1984.

Gladding, McBean & Co. began production of dinnerware and art ware in 1934. In 1962, Gladding, McBean & Co. merged and became Interpace. The Franciscan Ceramics division of Interpace was sold to Wedgwood Ltd. In 1979. In 1984, Wedgwood closed the Los Angeles Franciscan Ceramics division and moved all production of Franciscan to England.
Franciscan Ceramics manufactured various patterns and shapes made in fine china, earthenware, and ironstone from 1943-1984. Lines, patterns, and shapes covered extensively in this book include Franciscan earthenware, fine china, Masterpiece China, Family China, Discovery, Cosmopolitan, Whitestone, Porcelain, Independence, Sculptures, Gourmet, Homeware, English ironstone, stoneware, Franciscan Myott, crystal, flatware, collector’s plates, special orders and notable individuals and organizations special orders. Included are the Franciscan Ceramics backstamp marks from 1943 to 1984.

This collector’s encyclopedia does not include Franciscan hand-painted embossed patterns manufactured by Gladding, McBean & Co., Franciscan Ceramics, and Wedgwood. Hand-painted embossed Franciscan patterns are extensively researched and documented in Franciscan Hand-Decorated Embossed Dinnerware (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2004).

Popular patterns included are the earthenware patterns Starburst, Franciscan Wheat, Coronado, Daisy, Floral, Sea Sculptures and the fine china patterns Silver Pine, Moon Glow, and Renaissance. The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Franciscan Ceramics is a complete resource for collectors of Franciscan ceramics from 1943-1984.

196 pages, over 200 images

  • Available in hardcover on Amazon

Franciscan Hand-Decorated Embossed Dinnerware

Franciscan Hand-Decorated Embossed Dinnerware Book Cover

Written by James Elliot-Bishop. Published in 2004 by Schiffer Publishing.

California-based Gladding, McBean & Co. began producing Franciscan dinnerware in the 1930s. Their introduction of Franciscan Apple in 1940 heralded a new product line featuring heavily sculpted, embossed dinnerware hand-decorated in brilliant colors. Desert Rose, introduced a year later, became the top selling dinnerware pattern in the world. This comprehensive guide focuses solely on Franciscan hand-decorated embossed dinnerware manufactured in the United States and includes Apple, Desert Rose (and its three variations), Wild Flowers, Ivy, Fruit, California Poppy, October, Forget-Me-Not, Strawberry Fair, Strawberry Time, Fresh Fruit, Bountiful, Rosette, and Bouquet. Over 430 color photos illustrate these highly collectible pieces while the captions provide values, sizes, and other information for each pattern. An extensive company history and detailed shape listings are included.

El Patio Franciscan Ware
El Patio, El Patio Nuevo, Taawa, Padua, Del Mar, Art Ware, and Specials

Soon to be released in 2024!

Written by James Elliot-Bishop with photographs by Bob Miller. Published by James Elliot-Bishop, printed by Amazon, 2024.

El Patio Franciscan Ware is a comprehensive book on the Franciscan El Patio shape for collectors. This revised edition from El Patio Table Ware printed in 2011 has been expanded to include all items produced on the Franciscan El Patio shape. Patterns included in this book is the first hand-decorated pattern Taawa and the patterns Padua and Del Mar. The El Patio shape in art ware lines are included. All specials made on the El Patio shape are included. Specials include Toastmaster, General Mills, and Sperry Flour. Specials produced for Carole Stupell, the Ayres Department Store, and others are included.

From the 1930s, El Patio was one of the first patterns produced by the Gladding, McBean Company of Los Angeles. El Patio was in production for twenty years. The line includes a vast array of shapes and colors. This book will enlighten the collector as to the time periods different shapes were manufactured. Also the book contains information on the glaze colors El Patio was produced. A collector can now assemble their collection to represent a certain time period. All information was collected from Franciscan Ceramics Archives and represents the most current knowledge available. This information is not available in any other book published.

  • Soon to be available in hardback and paperback from Amazon

Franciscan Ware Eclipse
Duet, Eclipse White, Oasis, Pomegranate & Starburst

Written by by James Elliot-Bishop. Published by the James Elliot-Bishop and printed by Amazon, 2021.

In 1954, the Los Angeles Franciscan Ceramics division of Gladding, McBean & Company introduced their Modern Americana line of dinnerware which included the Eclipse shape patterns Starburst, Eclipse White and Pomegranate. Starburst on the Eclipse shape, designed by George T. James with the pattern design by Mary Chalmers Brown, has become one of the most collectible vintage 20th mid-century dinnerware patterns. In 1955, the pattern Oasis was introduced, followed by Duet in 1956. The author includes a history of the Eclipse shape & patterns, all items manufactured in each pattern, pattern brochures, back-stamp marks, and other products made in the Eclipse patterns including tile & linens. This book is a complete reference for the collector of Starburst, Pomegranate, Oasis, Eclipse White, and Duet.

  • eBook, hardback, and paperback available from Amazon

Common Ground: Ceramics in Southern California 1945-1975

Common Ground

Published 2012 by the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA).

This survey of ceramics of Southern California from 1945-1975 includes “The Studio Years,” an essay on Interpace Franciscan Ceramics from 1962 to 1975, written by James Elliot-Bishop.

Franciscan, An American Dinnerware Tradition

Franciscan An American Dinnerware Tradition

Written by by Bob Page and Dale Frederiksen with Dean Six and Jaime Robinson. Published 1999 by Page/Frederiksen Publications.

Features a unique look into the history of Franciscan dinnerware, with full-color digitally captured images of more than 400 patterns. Thorough detail on Franciscan favorites such as Apple, Desert Rose, and Ivy. Comprehensive sections on Hand-painted Earthenware, and Fine China dinnerware, including a brief history with interesting information about each pattern. Includes segments on Franciscan Crystal, Flatware, Collectibles and Gift-ware. Hardbound, 272 pages,

Other resources

Collections and exhibits of Gladding, McBean & Franciscan Ware

Online resources

Connect with collectors online

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No part may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission from the Franciscan Ceramics Archive.