(57) Pieces of Vintage Franciscan Earthenware. All from the Apple line, one of their most popular. 1 platter, 1 large bowl, 8 small plates, 7 saucers, 8 large plates, 5 small bowls, 4 medium bowls, 6 bone plates, 1 waste dish, 1 cream, 1 sugar, 6 teacups, and 8 large cups. All from different eras of Franciscan production, marked on bases. 

Condition: Chip on rim of one of the medium bowls. Chip on top rim of one of the large cups. 

Largest Size: 14 1/4 x 10 in. 

Franciscan Ceramics (first known as Franciscan Pottery) dates back to 1934 in Los Angeles, California when Gladding, McBean & Co. started making ceramic tableware and tiles. They had hired Frederic J. Grant as their new vice president, a chemical engineer who had recently retired as president of the Weller Pottery Company in Ohio. His wife, Mary K. Grant, was the art director of R.H. Macy Co. and styled all the first lines of tableware and art ware, although at first she held no official position with the Franciscan department to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Originally known for their bright casual earthenware, Franciscan quickly expanded their production to include fine china collections. In 1937 Max Compton took over development of the company’s glazes, and changed the name to Franciscan Ware as he felt that the word “pottery” denoted an inferior product. In 1952 Frederic, Mary, and the chairman of the board all left the company, and the new president and chairman A. Lee Bennett made radical changes to the company departments that led to designs being separated into tiers, at high, medium, and bargain prices. Franciscan fine china collections were soon seen on Air Force One and the Presidential yacht, though it is their casual dinnerware of the 1960s and 70s that is most remembered. In 1962 Franciscan became part of the ceramic giant International Pipe and Ceramics (Interpace), and further expansion followed including the purchase of both the Myott and Meakin business in the United Kingdom. In 1972 Interpace started production of Franciscan Tableware at their newly acquired Myott works. In 1979 the Wedgwood Group acquired the Franciscan brand from Interpace and moved the UK production of Franciscan from the Myott works to their Johnson Bros factories. All American production of Franciscan ended in 1984. The Franciscan and Johnson Bros lines continued to be used by Wedgwood until 2009, when KPS Capital Partners acquired all the holdings of Waterford Wedgwood. The Franciscan brand became part of a group of companies known as WWRD, an acronym for “Wedgwood Waterford Royal Doulton,” after WWRD was acquired by Fiskars Corporation in 2015, and continues to produce two specific patterns in their name to this day. 

Chip on rim of one of the medium bowls. Chip on top rim of one of the large cups.