Ships Pilot Wheel Wooden Wall Lamp on I Love Lucy Kitchen Set
After the Ricardo’s move to the bigger apartment we can see a wooden nautical style ships pilot wheel lamp in the kitchen next to the door. I saw a very similar one on eBay and discovered that the arm of the lamp rotates so it can also stand independently as a table lamp with the wheel at it’s base.
The lamp pictured below is marked “Leviton”on the metal section
Similar Ships Pilot Wheel Wooden Wall Lamp – swivels to convert to a desk lamp
I love Lucy props: Charleton Mantel Lustres on the Piano
Peter writes :
The pair of mantle lusters or lustres are found on top of the piano. As you know they are seen practically from the beginning and up until the Ricardos move to the country. I actually was able to purchase a set identical to the ones used on the show, so I’m selling the other set I have. The only difference is the color. Here’s the listing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161471370240
The ones on the show were a green color with silver painted ovals on the crown and base. Attached is a photo of what the real ones looked like. Also, one of them has a sticker on the inside that says Charleton.
What little research I’ve done on these is that they were often found in homes of high society. Almost like a status symbol, which is interesting because they made it appear as though the Ricardo’s were just average Joes. Of course some lusters are way more extravagant, whereas these are fairly plain. They are often referred to as “mantle lusters” because they can usually be found on top of the fireplace mantle to reflect the light from the hanging crystals.”
Peter is offering these similar Mantel Lusters on eBay
Thanks again to Peter for sharing a great find with us.
The Charleton line of decorated ceramics was produced by Abels, Wasserberg & Co. (AWCO) from the 1940’s. They
purchased undecorated items (blanks), from various glass and ceramic manufacturers and employed a team of decorators who hand decorated the pieces with designs of flowers, fruit,
landscapes, and other patterns and also decorated china and glass items for Fenton and other lines. To identify the Charleton range, an embossed label when present indicates “Charleton Hand Decorated” plus a hand written serial/stock number, and in print the letters AWCO as seen in the example pictured above.
A photo from an exhibit you can see to the right a glimpse of a mantel luster prop like the one on “I Love Lucy” but with shorter crystals. Update: The luster in the picture from Flickr is an actual original prop from “I Love Lucy” per comment below.
Above is a screen grab of Lucy and little Ricky seated at the kitchen table, set with a leaf print Calaprint tablecloth and Franciscan Ivy breakfast set. One of the easiest ways to add a touch of instant vintage to your table setting is to throw on a genuine vintage print tablecloth. Luckily there are lots to be found on eBay and Etsy and other vintage re-sellers online and possibly at your local garage sales.
Wilendur tablecloth on Love Lucy episode “Sentimental Anniversary”
In the Love Lucy episode “Sentimental Anniversary” the Wilendur Dogwood print tablecloth takes center stage when the Mertzes decide to throw a surprise party for Lucy and Ricky’s wedding anniversary. Wilendur is a popular vintage brand of tablecloth that is easily found on eBay.
Example of the Calaprint leaf design
The Calaprint ( a D.B. Fuller & Co. brand) design has been seen in different color schemes apart from the green and pink above. The Wilendur dogwood print designed by John Stanley Madsen for Weil & Durrse is also seen in seen in various colors.
Wilendur Doogwood print vintage tablecloth and napkins
Comparison of recently sold prop to I love lucy screenshot of same item.
Here we have an interesting side by side comparison of a photo of the Asian statue prop that was sold at auction last year for $24,000, next to a screen capture from an I Love Lucy episode showing the Asian statue prop in use in that episode.
The auction picture is from the Premier Props auction and shows the recent condition of the figurine with obvious staining and markings.
At first glance the painting of face and the cursive black details on the borders of the kimono appear to be a match although the b/w screen capture is blurred, this is significant because each statue was hand painted and therefore slightly different. Continue reading Another look at Lucy’s Asian Statue→
I have a pair of Asian man and woman statues similar to the pair of Asian statues on the mantelpiece of I love Lucy, however the colors are quite different from the pair on the show. I decided to try to repaint them to look like the I love Lucy set. I could use a special paint for use on porcelain that I saw at Dick Blick’s, and which can be baked on. However I decided on an ordinary acrylic paint because it will get the look I want and can be scrubbed off again to preserve the original statues as they were. Here is how they looked.
The I Love Lucy kitchen had several sets of salt and pepper shakers. You many have already noticed the ivy shaped shakers that belong to the Francisan Ivy dinnerware set. Today we are looking are a plastic set by The Plas-Tex Corporation, Los Angeles,. Calif., that were patented by the same company -see patent figure below. Following are examples Continue reading Lucy’s Plastic Salt and Pepper Shakers→
In the episode of I Love Lucy entitled Fred And Ethel Fight
Lucy and Ricky try to patch up the Mertzes’ quarrel by inviting each to dinner without the others knowledge. On the dinner table we see a fancy lace tablecloth of a type that was very popular in the 1950s. This is a Quaker Lace tablecloth model no 4161. It has a pretty floral design with baskets of daffodils around the edge and a distintive oval motif in the center. It is a cotton machine lace tablecloth measuring 65″ by 80″.
Quaker Lace Tablecloth like the one on I Love Lucy – seen on eBayModel Number of Tablecloth
Usually you can remove stains from vintage Quaker Lace tablecloths using Oxyclean, the one I wanted had several stains and I had to use a whole box of Oxyclean, and spot clean the worst spots with scoops of Oxyclean and hot water. but the result was well worth it.
Important: never use chlorine bleach on vintage Quaker Lace.
This week on eBay there is a rare Chinese statue that will no doubt be familiar to I Love Lucy fans because it is just like one seen on the mantelpiece in most of the episodes, I did not know much about this statue until I saw the listing of a similar one on eBay Click here for details. See also picture below. It is a seated figure of a man with what could be a bundle of Taro and holding a scythe in his left hand. This statue was made in the 30’s – 40’s and seems to be quite rare. It is a well made porcelain statue from the Jingdezhen region of China that was known for fine ceramics for centuries. This one listed as Famille Rose period that takes its name from the opaque paint used in made for export porcelain items from China.
Chinese Famille Rose Porcelain Man Figurine on eBay
The ones on the show were a green color with silver painted ovals on the crown and base. Attached is a photo of what the real ones looked like. Also, one of them has a sticker on the inside that says Charleton.
