Customer Reviews

Franciscan: An American Dinnerware Tradition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My father worked for Gladding-McBean, Interpace and Franciscan for nearly 30 years so I grew up with this company, toured the factory and factory shop on many occasions, and went to university on an Interpace/Franciscan scholarship. This book does a nice job of combining the history of the business with descriptions of the products they manufactured. The color photos are excellent and there are pictures of some very rare pieces. A bonus is the designer drawings of some of the products plus some that never made it to the stores. Included is the 1999 Replacements price guide to Franciscan ware. BTW, American-manufactured Franciscan ware is a thing of the past (the plant was closed years ago) and the current English & Portuguese Franciscan pieces are made on different molds and designs - and the site of the Los Angeles factory is now home to a Costco mall.

There is so much to recommend about this book that I hardly know where to start. The price guide (updated for 1999) covers not only the most popular patterns (Apple, Desert Rose and others) but even contains some information on flatware and crystal pieces. The photos are a generous size and are in full, lush color. There are some rare and hard to find pieces here, including ones that collectors may never have seen before as well as photos of items which never made it into stores. I always enjoy looking at vintage advertisements for glass and dinnerware and this book doesn't dissappoint in that area, containing ads from Gladding, McBean, Franciscan Ware, Catalina Pottery and more - many from the earliest years. The photos are so well done that I was truly amazed at the quality of the color and accurate representation of each piece. There are special Collectors' Notes throughout the book which make it easier for the collector to find representative pieces of shapes and patterns and to distinguish specific items. There are complete piece guide checklists as well, helping collectors determine which items they have and which they may need to complete a set. Highly recommended!

Bob Page and Dale Frederiksen did a terrific job assembling this reference guide. 7 full pages are devoted to 1 plate of each Franciscan dinnerware pattern, making pattern matching a breeze. Follow up pages show the entire line of available pieces within a pattern, a check list for each item in a particular pattern, and in many cases a picture of an original catalog page. Lot's of collector's notes with interesting tidbits about a particular piece and pictures galore make this reference guide a must have for anyone with an interest in Franciscan

This is probably the best book on Franciscan dinnerware around. It gives a lot of information on the company, it's history etc. I would have liked to see more information and photos on the handpainted items, namely the Apple and Desert Rose varieties. There are only a few pages devoted exclusively to them. There is a price guide included that covers most of the items, although it doesn't show photos of each piece. I think it's a pretty good book though and I'm glad I bought it.

The book is well written and I've learned quite a bit. However, I don't like that there isn't a photo of every piece (like the child's plate) or how to tell the difference between a casserole and a covered vegetable. I also didn't like that the price guide doesn't break down the year the item was made, just prices of American made, and made in England. Is one made in 1941 worth more than one in 1980??? The book and the guide doesn't say. I also felt as though it was CLEARLY written from a SALES perspective, complete with a photo of The Replacements headquarters on the back cover!

Excellent material, but I wish the colors were more vivid and true to the real colors of the pottery. I recommend the book because it has a wealth of information for anyone who enjoys learning about all the patterns and their history. It would be a wonderful addition to the library of a collector or anyone interested in California pottery.

My Father was the last Dinnerware Plant Manager for Franciscan China while it was still made in California. This book included alot of Franciscan China that is usually left out. I recommeded this book to my Father, who bought it and loved it too.

Great resource. If you're a collector, BUY THIS BOOK. The pricing guide is an amazing reference for rare and uncommon pieces.

This was just what I was looking for as I have several sets of Franciscan ware and wanted a good book to help to identify all of the pieces. It was a used book in perfect condition.