Category Archives: I love lucy

1950s Furniture, 50s Retro, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Mersman Tables, Mid-century

I Love Lucy’s Mersman Hi-Lo Coffee Table

December 14, 2014 Patricia 2 Comments

I Love Lucy Convertible Coffee / Card Table

On eBay this week is a Mersman Tables Hi-lo convertible coffee table similar to the one on I love Lucy. coffeetable4 It appears to be walnut wood and identical in style and construction to the one on the show. It can be adjusted in height and the leaves opened for use as dining or card table just like the one seen on the show. It has a product number 1402S pictured in the listing. See pictures below from the seller’s listing or Click here to view full details on eBay
Alternative Listing for this table: CLICK HERE See this table on Etsy (US)

Measurements:
Lowered 15.75″ high
Raised 26 2/3″ high
Top:
Leaves Down 36″ x 20″
Leaves Up 36″ x 36 1/4″

Inventor of the spring and hinge mechanism:

Boris Hoppe
Patented Mar. 6, 1951
US2544229

https://www.google.ca/patents/US2544229

I love lucy, I Love Lucy Holiday Decorations

Happy Holidays: Lucy and Desi Color Photo Restoration

December 9, 2014 Patricia 3 Comments

I found an original color publicity photo from “I Love Lucy Christmas Show” episode (1956 ) of Lucy and Desi at buzzfeed.com and corrected the contrast, saturation and background lighting in Photoshop and below is the result. The blue of the walls and woodwork came up when l lifted the brightness of the background and it corresponds to the blue in another original color photo – seen below . The beige color walls often seen in colorized pictures of the set may have been picked up from color photos of the Ricardo’s first apartment in the early episodes.

The color used for the Ricardo’s second apartment appears to have been blue at the time these photo were taken. It makes sense that there would be a color scheme change when moving to the bigger apartment and getting the new furniture.

Color and Background Adjusted — After Contrast, Saturation and Background Brightness Adjustment

i-love-lucy-christmas-original — Before Adjustment in Photoshop Source: Buzzfeed

Rare color photo showing blue walls and woodwork of the Ricardo’s second apartment .

I believe this photo has colors that are close to the original set colors because the Bolstad picture on the wall is correct and the rare seated chinese man statue to the right of Lucy has colors that are similar to an original one from the same factory.
Happy Holidays!

I love lucy, Kitchen

I Love Lucy Blooper

November 25, 2014 Patricia

I found this Blooper shot when making a screen capture at the beginning of the I Love Lucy episode “The Business Manager”. To the right of the shot we can see a member of the production crew, possibly a camera operator. To see this you have to pause the action at the very beginning of the first scene.

Ref: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ECHWAAU/ref=dv_dp_ep13

50s Retro, Figurines, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Royal Doulton

Lucy’s Bedroom Figurines

November 20, 2014 Patricia

Lucy and Ricky’s bedroom figurines can be seen on the shelf above the beds in most of the bedroom scenes. The pair below are a match for one of the pairs of colonial style figurines that are easy to spot in many of the dialog scenes.

colonial pair figurines — Pair of Figurines Made in Japan – similar pair seen on I Love Lucy – seen on eBay recently

In the occupied Japan period such figurines were imported in large numbers and found their way into homes throughout the country. The I Love Lucy set reflects this trend at a time when cheap imports were beginning to impact local industry, with inexpensive imported knick knacks seen on the set, alongside US made decor items ,often local California pottery, usually the heavier items.

Look for similar figurines in the Occupied Japan section on eBay and also in the Collectibles section Continue reading Lucy’s Bedroom Figurines →

1950s Furniture, 50s Retro, I love lucy, I Love Lucy Nursery, Little Ricky

Ricky Jr’s Nursery Decor

November 18, 2014 Patricia

nursery-wall-pin-ups1

Dolly Toy Mother Goose Pin-ups in the I Love Lucy Nursery

The “Most famous nursery in the world” was a showcase of the latest in nursery style. TV Viewers could buy the same items in stores and decorate their own nursery with Mother Goose Pin-ups from the Dolly Toy Company
The cute nursery wall pin-up pictures are the 50’s version of today’s wall art stickers, but they have a retro charm that would not be out of place in any modern nursery or kids playroom.

dollytoypinups

Mother Goose Pin-ups as seen on the wall of the I Love Lucy nursery.
CLICK HERE To See Mother Goose Pin-ups on eBay
Continue reading Ricky Jr’s Nursery Decor →

50s Retro, I love lucy, Kitchen, Mid-century

Lucy and Desi’s Spice Rack

November 18, 2014 Patricia

lucy-desi-griffith-spice-rack — Griffith Spice Rack in Desi and Lucy’s kitchen at home

lucy-desi-griffith-spice-rack2 — Lucy’s Griffith spice rack – milk glass in a metal rack, could be red caps and red metal rack.

In this publicity shot of Lucy and Desi Arnaz at home in the kitchen there is a 12 piece Griffith spice set in a metal rack.

I see a similar Griffith spice set on eBay this week There are several sets of vintage Griffith spice sets on eBay at present but not many in the metal rack. The racks are also found in other materials. These are very collectible milk glass spice sets that can be found in very good condition. They were made and distributed by Griffith Laboratories Inc., Chicago, Illinois, from the 1930’s – 1950’s. Click here to see similar Griffith spice racks on eBay.

50s Retro, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen

Lucy’s Pyrex Mixing Bowls

November 15, 2014 Patricia

Lucy's Pyrex colored nesting bowls — Lucy’s Pyrex colored nesting bowls

Lucy’s Pyrex Mixing Bowls were a nesting set in bright colors which we only see in grayscale on the show, but we can see the original colors in the original vintage sets that are still available for collectors. See this set on eBay today:

Vintage set of 4 Pyrex nesting bowls on eBay

Find more like this on eBay
Vintage borosilicate Pryex dishes made by Corning are more heat resistant and shatter proof than present day products bearing the Pyrex label which are made from inferior glass. However they have to be more than 25 years old to be sure they are indeed Corning dishes. (Read more at http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp)

Lucy and Desi at home in the kitchen - see similar bowl on the left. — Lucy and Desi at home in the kitchen – see similar bowl on the left.

Tip for Collectors:
Do not put your vintage Pyrex in the dishwasher.
FAQ for Pyrex collectors at: http://www.pyrexlove.com/faq/

50s Retro, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Vintage Electrical Appliances

Lucy’s Westinghouse Commander Super-Corox Range

November 14, 2014 Patricia

Kitchen Range on I Love Lucy — A 1950 Westinghouse Kitchen Range seen on I Love Lucy

Here we are looking at two different models of the Westinghouse Commander Range seen on the show.

1954 Westinghouse Commander Stove also seen on I Love Lucy — 1954 Westinghouse Commander Stove was seen on a later season of I Love Lucy

A 1954 Westinghouse Commander Stove Model was seen on a later season of I Love Lucy, it looks similar to the 1950 model but the controls have a different layout.

1954 Westinghouse Commander Range offered on eBay

There is a working 1954 Westinghouse Commander Stove Model BD-74 offered on eBay this week like the model that was seen in a later season of I Love Lucy. Click HERE to see details.
Continue reading Lucy’s Westinghouse Commander Super-Corox Range →

50s Retro, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Vintage Electrical Appliances

Lucy’s Westinghouse Mixer

November 14, 2014 Patricia

Lucy’s mixer is a Westinghouse Model #FM-511 Food Crafter with separately sold juicer attachment

westinghouse mixer l love lucy — Westinghouse mixer like the one on l love Lucy

Continue reading →

Cruet, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Olde Thompson

Lucy’s Kitchen Cruet Set

November 8, 2014 Patricia

cruetset
Another consistent element of the I Love Lucy kitchen decor is a wall mounted cruet set in a wooden stand. Many sets of this type were imported from Japan in the post WW2 years, examples of which can frequently be seen on eBay.

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

The Cruet set on the show consists of a hand painted ceramic double neck oil and vinegar bottle with a matching ceramic handled wooden salad serving fork and spoon plus a funnel to decant the oil and vinegar into the separate compartments of the decorative bottle, all of which fit on a wall mounted wooden stand.

Thompson Pottery Ivy Cruet in the same design as seen on I Love Lucy with label ‘OLDE THOMPSON South Pasadena California’

The set on I love Lucy has a hand painted Ivy design. An identical cruet was sold by George S. Thompson of Pasadena with a label with label ‘OLDE THOMPSON South Pasadena California’. Their hand painted ivy range named “Imperial Ivy” used on salt and pepper sets , salad sets and dining accessories, was marketed to co-ordinate with popular ivy patterned dinnerware from other manufacturers such as the Metlox California Ivy range.

cruetsetonwall — In a later episode you can see that the original funnel is missing and the ceramic handled wooden serving fork and spoon have been replaced with metal ones.

As time went on we see the cruet set on the I Love Lucy has signs that pieces of the salad set went missing, the funnel was lost and the wood serving fork and spoon were replaced by metal ones.

Seen above is a similar salad cruet set that was listed on ebay recently although with a difference painted design.

Here is another set – missing the funnel- currently listed on eBay as I write this.

George C. Thompson Co Imperial Ivy Design — Other items from George S. Thompson Co in the Imperial Ivy Design

"Olde Thompson" Imperial Ivy Pepper Mill and Salt Shaker set promotional photo with Mexlox Califormia Ivy dishes. — “Olde Thompson” Imperial Ivy Pepper Mill and Salt Shaker set – 1949 promotional photo with Mexlox Califormia Ivy dishes.

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