Franciscan

The Franciscan Dinnerware and China Company started up in 1875 as a sewer tile manufacturer. The company expanded slowly over a period of 60 years, partially by acquiring smaller pottery shops and partially by focusing on Southwest American fashions. In 1934, Franciscan started its famous line of dinnerware and opened up a large factory in Glendale, CA.Throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Franciscan artists collaborated to create truly dynamic and unique ceramic ware. Frederic and Mary Grant, in particular, influenced the brand's designs. In the 1950s, the Franciscan Company produced a number of classic patterns, including the Starburst, the Eclipse, and the Modern. These pieces featured bright colors and reflected the spirit of the classic American West.Franciscan also introduced something called California Style and helped to make Spanish name designs, like Montecito and Coronado, household names. In the early 1940s, Franciscan introduced arguably its two most famous lines of ceramics, Desert Rose and Apple. Desert Rose has been in production since 1941, and collectors from around the world pay high prices for original Desert Rose pieces.Other collectors enjoy Franciscan's lesser well-known lines, like Wildflower. This line features desert flowers and plants. You can also find Franciscan Fresh Fruit, Ivy, Picnic, Hacienda, and George James lines. If you're going to collect Franciscan ceramics, focus on one or two lines, and try to gather complete sets at a time to increase your collection's value.