I see a trinket/cigarette box on eBay very like the cigarette box on the coffee table on I Love Lucy – it is chalkware by Borghese – the screen grab above is from Lucy misses the Mertzes. We cannot tell the color of the box from the b/w episodes, but we do have a clue from a color movie clip taken by a member of the audience in an early episode and the box appears to be a light color perhaps similar to the box below.
In the I Love Lucy, Season 1, Episode entitled Lucy’s Schedule the Ricardo arrive an hour late for dinner at the Littlefields due to Lucy putting the clock back instead of forward. Mr Littlefield values punctuality so dinner is over by the time they arrive.
In this episode Gale Gordon makes his appearance on the show as Mr Littlefield. We first see him seen reading an issue The American Weekly magazine dated May 25, 1952.
Ricky and Lucy have missed dinner so when Mrs Littlefield offers Lucy after dinner mints she is so hungry she takes all of them to hillarious effect. The glass dish is a Fostoria ‘American’ Compote Candy Dish which we looked at in a different scene previously.
Moments later Lucy spots the bowl of wax fruit and another hilarious scene ensues when Lucy bites into a wax apple
Related Post: http://www.50slucy.com/lucys-glass-candy-dish.html
Nesco canisters seen on eBay recently
The above set of three metal kitchen canisters are in the same design as those seen in Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen however the canister set seen in the b/w screen capture from the show below appear to be a darker color than the white ones seen here. Lucy’s kitchen had a set of four canisters and a matching square bread box all with the the same floral motif.
Read more about the original Nesco design in this post.
in the early episodes of I Love Lucy Season 1 we spot a pair of matching curve handled dishes on the coffee table. They could be used as ashtrays or serving dishes and match the stoneware pan or skillet made by Glidden Pottery.
To emulate the look search for a matching pair of Glidden Pans or Skillets on eBay
A similar one seen on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/499459174
From https://ceramicsmuseum.alfred.edu/exhibitions/glidden/ : “Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz owned a set of Gliddenware and examples can be spotted if one carefully watches early episodes of the I Love Lucy show.”
Another find this week is a gilt carved frame that is reminiscent of the oval mirror on Lucy Ricardo’s mantel:
Its not an exact match but would look the part with an oval mirror insert. Click picture above for the eBay listing.
Gilt Mirror on the Mantel – I Love Lucy
Ethels amusing bubble hat makes an appearance in the episode, “Tennessee Ernie Hangs On” (S3, 5/10/54)
It is by Mattel called Bubble-O-Bill. There are a couple of them in original box on eBay this week: https://www.ebay.com/sch/Other-Vintage-Antique-Toys/30/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_nkw=bubble+hat+mattel
This accent shaker set is currently on eBay. An identical set is seen in the kitchen on the set of I Love lucy
Click here to see them on eBay
This pair of Stewart B McCulloch oriental style statues are similar to the pair on the mantel of the Ricardo’s apartment on I Love Lucy. They don’t appear on eBay very often so this is your chance if you have been searching for a pair like them.
Seen on eBay this week a working Westinghouse T-4 Vacuum Cleaner called the “Handy Dandy” on the I Love Lucy episode. Click picture for details on the eBay listing.
Related post:
The focus of this blog is on items that match screen used props and set decorations on I Love lucy. Authentic original props that were screen used on I Love lucy rarely come to auction and when they do I expect to see convincing evidence and documented providence tracing the item to the show. It is disheartening to see an item claimed to be an original prop used on I Love Lucy only to discover after viewing countless screen captures that it fails to match any of the items used on the show.
From time to time such items turn up at auction. See the following link for an example of fraudulent I Love Lucy “props” that were offered for sale in the past: http://www.originalprop.com/blog/2008/04/30/i-love-lucy-global-antiques-and-auction-depot-la-metal-tea-pot/
Because several fradulent items were sold in the past it is reasonable to assume there are collectors out there who mistakenly believe they have an original prop and may offer it for sale as such. The onus is on the buyer to do their own due dilligence.
Recently I noticed a collection of figurines offered for sale described as I Love Lucy props. An experienced collector would observe in the wording of the description that the seller did not explicitly state that the items were used on screen, and note the lack of convincing providence. A novice buyer, on the other hand, may fail in their due dilligence or buy on impulse.
Caveat Emptor – the buyer is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.
As seen in Lucy’s kitchen