Category Archives: I love Lucy Props

Lucy and Ethel use a Tape Recorder

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Lucy and Ethel use a Crestwood tape recorder on I Love Lucy, Oil Wells episode.

Lucy and Ethel use a Crestwood Tape recorder on the episode Oil Wells (15 Feb. 1954).  The Ricardo’s new neighbors claim to be Texas oil tycoons  and a tape recorder features prominently in the story line. The Crestwood tape recorder was a new model that was widely promoted that year. Reporting on the appearance on the show  an article in the popular Tape Recording magazine 10-1954 p. 42  followed with a picture of Lucy and Ethel on set.

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Tape Recording Magazine 1954 Article mentions Lucy’s Crestwood Tape Recorder

On eBay recently I came across a listing for a vintage Crestwood tape recorder that looks very like the one used on the I Love Lucy show – click on the picture below to see the listing.

A Crestwood Taperecorder similar to the one used as a prop on I Love Lucy
A Crestwood Taperecorder similar to the one used as a prop on I Love Lucy
1954 Crestwood tape Recorder on I Love Lucy
1954 Crestwood Ad for the Tape Recorder on I Love Lucy

The Crestwood is the second tape recorder we have seen on the I Love Lucy show – previously we looked at the Webcor tape recorder used by Ricky to record his song “There’s a Brand New Baby in Our House“.

Lucy devises a plot involving the the use of a tape recorder in the episode "Oil Wells"
Lucy devises a plot involving the the use of a tape recorder in the episode “Oil Wells”

References:

Little Ricky’s Superman Costume

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Little Ricky wearing his Superman costume on I Love Lucy

In the I Love Lucy episode “Lucy and Superman” Little Ricky is seen wearing his official Superman playsuit. A similar costume pictured below was seen in a past auction at liveauctioneers.com

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Vintage child’s Superman costume 1950’s, marked “Copr. National Comics Publications, Inc.” Image source liveauctioneers.om
Superman Playsuit ad
SUPERMAN Issue No. 101 November 1955

Little Ricky’s Mr Squawker The Duck Toy

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Fred entertains Little Ricky with a Mr Squawker duck toy

In the above capture from the I Love Lucy episode “Ricky Minds the Baby” Fred Mertz tries to amuse Little Ricky with a squeek toy. The rubber squeek toy is a Mr Squawker The Duck  toy  made by Rempel of Akron Ohio who also produced Froggy the Gremlin which we looked at in a previous post.

Rempel Mr Sqwaker The Duck Toy
Rempel Mr Sqwaker The Duck Toy
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Mr Sqwaker The Duck Toy original

From the original patent application:
Mr. Squawker the duck, [Fanciful figure of clothed duck in walking position] Rubber, H. 12 in,
Appl, author: Dietrich G, Rempel, © Rem-
pel Enterprises, Akron, Ohio;
10 Mar52; GP3259.

Click Here to find Mr Squawker toys on eBay

I Love Lucy style Bread Box and Canister set

Nesco Breadbox and Canisters restoration - Just like Lucy Ricardo's Set
Nesco Breadbox and Canisters restoration – Just like Lucy Ricardo’s Set

A fine Nesco  breadbox and canister set expertly restored  to look like the set in the Ricardo’s kitchen on I Love Lucy – pictured above- submitted by a contributor to this blog  who was inspired by the previous blog posts.  “With the help of my dad, who sandblasted, painted and clear coated everything and a friend who helped with the graphics, I too now have those Nesco canisters that are used in my kitchen every day!”


Read more about the original Nesco design in this post.

Wall Matchbox holder like Lucy’s

Matchbox holder on wall in Lucy's kitchen
Matchbox holder on wall in Lucy’s kitchen
Matchbox holder like one seen in the I Love Lucy kitchen
Matchbox holder like one seen in the I Love Lucy kitchen

Seen on Etsy this week is a metal matchbox holder for your kitchen wall just like the one in Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen. You place an open matchbox  with the open end down through the top and the matches can easily be accessed via the chute at the base. These were practical when the gas stove had to be lit using a match or flint tool. Now they are sought for their retro appeal.

Click Here for Details on Etsy (US)

Record Keeping

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Screen Capture from I Love Lucy, “The Quiz Show”

Lucy keeps her household accounts in a classic record keeping book.  Boorum and Pease record keeping account books have been around for over 100 years and look similar in style to Lucy’s account book and they are available on Amazon.
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Boorum & Pease Canvas Account Book, Record, 20 Lb., 9 1/2 x 6-Inches, 200 Pages, Olive Green (667-R)

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Boorum & Pease 3738150R Record/account book, blue/red cover, record rule, 9-5/8 x 7-5/8, 150 pages

The Title of Lucy's account book appears to be a sticker added by the prop dept.
The Title of Lucy’s account book appears to be a sticker added by the prop dept.

Lucy’s Glass Candy Dish

Lucy serves peanuts in her glass footed dish
Lucy serves peanuts in her glass footed dish

In the screen capture above from the “Lucy and Superman” episode Lucy is sharing peanuts from her pedestal glass compote/candy dish. Lucy’s dish looks like the FostoriaAmerican’ Compote Candy Dish which can also be found with a matching lid.  Hand washing is recommended it is not dishwasher safe.
Pictured below is an example of the Fostoria footed glass candy dish in the “American” pattern currrently on eBay HERE.

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Fostoria American Compote Candy Dish

Fostoria’s “ice-cube” style American pattern, line 2056 is pressed glass (which you can tell from the seams in the glass) not cut crystal: The color called “Crystal” means clear glass, not lead crystal and does not give an indication of lead content.  According to this article American pressed glass made after the Civil War does not contain lead. [If you are concerned about lead content and wish use  a  vintage  bowl to hold dry food such as peanuts or unwrapped candy, line the class first with transparent plastic – cut a rounded corner from a plastic food bag to make a funnel large enough to fit the bowl place into the bowl before adding the food]

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Ethel munches on peanuts from Lucy’s footed glass dish

See more like this on eBay

Fostoria Ad 1949
Fostoria Ad 1949

Ricardo’s Bookshelf: Lobagola

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Lobagola book on Ricky’s bedroom shelf

In the I Love Lucy episode ” Little Ricky gets a Dog” we see the book Lobagola on Ricky Ricardo’s bedroom shelf. Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola (1877 – 1947) was an early 20th-century American impostor and entertainer who posed  as a native of Africa, his real name was Joseph Howard Lee from Baltimore, Maryland.
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“LoBagola” posing as an African “savage” managed a long career in the early 20th century, during which he delivered lectures to institutions and conducted public debates and published articles. This book from publishers A.A. Knopf,1933, a pseudo biography, was an attempt to capitalize on public interest at the time.
References

Ricky Ricardo’s 1953 Webcor Tape Recorder

Ricky's Webcor Tape Recorder on I Love Lucy
Ricky’s Webcor Tape Recorder on I Love Lucy

The I Love Lucy episode titled “Sales Resistance” opens with Ricky using a new Webcor tape recorder to record his song “There’s a Brand New Baby in Our House”. The tape recorder was the must have gadget in 1953, the year Little Ricky was born. Ricky is  seen  using a 1953 Webcor Reel to Reel tape recorder from Webster-Chicago.

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Webcor Model 210 with 2 hour tape and microphone $197.50

According to the ad  pictured above the Webcor Model 210 with 2 hour tape and microphone sold for $197.50 in 1953,  which calculates to a buying power  of $1,765.21  in 2015 dollars.

A closer look at a Webcor 210 as seen on eBay
A closer look at a Webcor 210 as seen on eBay

Pictured above is a vintage portable Webcor seen on eBay this week (Click Here to view) selling for below the 1953 price although not in 1953 condition. Continue reading Ricky Ricardo’s 1953 Webcor Tape Recorder

Vintage Cruet Set Finds

The complete cruet set seen at an early date in the I love Lucy kitchen
The  cruet set seen on the wall in the I love Lucy kitchen

In the I Love Lucy kitchen you may have noticed a wall mounted salad set ( see previous post) Today I see these two sets -pictured below – that are not an exact match for Lucy’s set but will create a similar look on a kitchen wall.

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Cruet Set on Etsy

See it on Etsy (US)

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Cruet Set on Ebay

See it on eBay