Category Archives: 50s Retro

50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Vacuum Cleaners, Vintage Electrical Appliances, Westinghouse

Handy Dandy Vacuum Cleaner

Westinghouse T-4 Vacuum Cleaner

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:

  • http://www.50slucy.com/lucys-handy-dandy-westinghouse-vacuum-cleaner.html
  • http://www.50slucy.com/lucys-handy-dandy-westinghouse-vacuum-cleaner-ad.html

    See more like this on eBay

    • 50s Retro, Lucille Ball, Recipes, Stork Club

    Inspiration: Lucy and Desi at The Stork Club


    Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz liked to visit The Stork Club in Manhattan, New York City, which was a celebrity hotspot during its heyday from 1929 to 1965.

    Here are some interesting original Stork Club collectibles you can use to recreate your own Stork Club themed table for a special evening.

        1. The Stork Club Pitcher
          This original black tilt water pitcher matches the one seen on Lucy and Desi’s table in the above photo. Marked Shenango New Castle China  on the base.  One sold  recently for $275 on eBay.  Hall China also made their version of the same pitcher for the Stork Club.  Shenango tilt pitchers were sold in a variety of colors for the general market and the Hall China  ball pitcher came a range of colours as well.
        2. The Stork Club Stork Centerpiece
          The Stork Club figural bud vase can be seen on  Lucy and Desi’s  table and this iconic piece is frequently seen on the table  in old photos of celebrities at the famous club.  I see two of them on eBay this week .
        3. The Stork Club AshtrayThis Stork Club Ashtray is more easly found.  The example above is made by Hall China. I see one or two offered on eBay this week.
        4. The Stork Club cookbook and Bar book
          The Stork Club Bar Book Lucius Beebe 1946 First Edition

          The STORK CLUB cookbook  by Sherman Billingsley (Signed) Seen on eBay
        5. The Stork Club Perfume

          The owner of The Stork Club, Sherman Billingsley, liked to give extravagant gifts to the famous patrons. In front of Lucille Ball on her table is a box of Sortilège perfume by Le Galion, which became known as the “fragrance of the Stork Club”. The box may contain a stork figure holding a vial of the perfume as pictured below.
        6. The Stork Club Table Ware
          Following are  examples of the table setting used at The Stork Club – and a recipe for the popular Stork Club Coconut Snowball dessert:

          For dessert serve The Stork Club Snowball. Pour chocolate sauce over a large ball of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

          An example of  dinnerware used in The Stork Club is seen in the ad above.  The black banded plates look like Shenango New Castle China restaurant ware. One of Shenango’s  main lines was Incaware restaurant china. The floral banded dinner plate is in a similar style to dinner plates made by Shenango China.

          The Stork Club Table Setting

          The Stork Club Place setting with banded Reataurant ware.

          Shenango also produced dinnerware for presidents and serving dishes for the White House.

        7. The Stork Club Cocktail

      Complete your meal with a Stork Club Cocktail

    2. Stork Club Suspenders
      Desi Arnaz and his gift of Stork Club red suspenders

      Lucille Ball holds her souvenir perfume gift while admiring Desi’s Stork Club souvenir red suspenders.
      Get yours at http://storkclub.com/product/stork-club-red-suspenders/

    Reference:

     

    1950s Furniture, 50s Retro, Mid Century Lamps, Mid-century

    Feud, Bette and Joan: Oriental Figural Lamp


    While watching an episode of Feud: Bette and Joan an Oriental Figural lamp in Miss Crawford’s bedroom caught my eye. Where had I seen one before?

    In the LA episodes of I Love Lucy we can spot a similar lamp in their LA apartment.

    I can just imagine an episode where Lucy brings back this “souvenir” from the movie star’s home.

    More details of the lamp in previous post : http://www.50slucy.com/la-at-last-table-lamp.html

    50s Retro, Coffee Grinder, Kitchen

    Coffee Grinder similar to Lucy’s


    There is a vintage coffee grinder like Lucy’s on eBay but painted differently at http://www.ebay.com/itm/B-O-Garantie-COFFEE-GRINDER-Mill-80T-Czechoslovakia-Vintage-Wood-Green-WORKS-/222409060237.
    See previous post on repainting one with an added ivy motif to match the coffee mill on the show: http://www.50slucy.com/restoration-project-i-love-lucy-inspired-coffee-grinder.html

    50s Retro, Ben Seibel, The Long Long Trailer

    The Long Long Trailer: Brass Bookends


    In the behind the scenes photo from the set of The Long Long Trailer Desi makes a romantic gesture by presenting a giant “ring” to Lucy. The ring is a Ben Seibel bookend turned upside down. Ben Seibel Orb Bookends for Jenfred Ware can be found in brass metal and are sought after mid-century pieces.


    Detail of the Ben Seibel bookend .

     

     

     

     

     

    Example of Ben Seibel bookends on eBay at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ben-Seibel-Bookends-MCM-Decor-/302216724101

    See more like this:
    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ben+seibel+bookends&_sop=10&_frs=1

    50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Mid Century Lamps

    Lucy’s Kitchen: Nautical Lamp Shade

    Ships Pilot Wheel Wooden Wall Lamp on I Love Lucy Kitchen Set

    In a previous post we looked at Lucy Ricardo’s nautical style wall lamp in the kitchen. This time we take a closer look at the lamp shade.  It is rare to get a close look at the design in the on screen scenes but the picture above gives an idea what to look for. The shade is a clip-on shade made of paper with a novelty printed nautical theme.

    I found a few examples in different colorways so we can try to guess which color might have been used in the kitchen. The first one below is a blue version, followed by the same pattern in orange and lastly a green one.

    The green is certainly a possible choice for the show since we know that the color green is used on several other items in the kitchen – such as the ivy patterned dinnerware and the ivy cruet on the wall rack beneath the lamp.  Green elements set off Lucille Ball’s hair color for the studio audience. The orange would also be possble as a compliment to the greens. Perhaps the blue one is the least likely as it would have clashed with the green of the cruet below it.

    The shade is a clip-on novelty print paper shade – similar vintage shades can be found on eBay.com that date to the 40’s and 50’s.

    Here is a link I use to search for similar shades:

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/Lamps-Lighting/1404/i.html?_sop=1&_nkw=lamp%20shade%20%28nautical%2Cship%29&LH_PrefLoc=2&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo&_udhi=30

    50s Retro, Art, Framed Prints

    I Love Lucy: Framed Ballet Prints


    LUCY VISITS GRAUMAN’S #128 S5, 10.3.55
    After Lucy gets her foot caught in the pail of cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, she hides from Ricky over at the Mertz’s hotel room. On the back wall above Fred and Ethel’s beds we see two framed ballerina prints.
    They are done by painter Cydney Grossman, entitled, “Between the Acts” on the left and “Curtain Call” on the right.

    Ref:

    RICKY SELLS THE CAR #131 S5, 10.24.55
    When Lucy tries to switch back her train tickets while Fred is sleeping in his hotel room, we now see two different ballerina prints over Fred and Ethel’s beds. They are done by painter Pal Fried.

    http://www.blouinartinfo.com/artists/pal-fried-4033

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fried-Pal-Print-framed-artwork/322376880288

    50s Retro, Books on I Love Lucy, Little Ricky, Ricardo's Bookshelf

    Ricardo’s Bookshelf: Little Ricky’s Golden Book “The Great Big Car and Truck”

    Little_Golden_Books
    Goolden Books The Great Big Car and Truck on the sofa beside Little Ricky
    ct2
    Little Ricky played by Keith Thibodeaux was credited as Richard Keith

    In the 1956  I Love Lucy episode The Ricardos Visit Cuba, Little Ricky is seen reading a 1951 Golden Book entitled “The Great Big Car and Truck”. It is a larger size than the Little Golden Books and measures about 12 3/4″ by 9 5/8″. The copy I see on eBay pictured here is a twelfth printing from 1951 with art work by Richard Scarry.

    1951 BIG GOLDEN BOOK CAR AND TRUCK RICHARD SCARRY VINTAGE CHILDRENS LARGE BOOK cartrukbiggoldenbook

    See it on eBay 1951 BIG GOLDEN BOOK CAR AND TRUCK RICHARD SCARRY VINTAGE CHILDRENS LARGE BOOK

    The current version of the book is available for Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Scarrys-Trucks-Little-Golden-ebook/dp/B01M5C66X2/
    Reference :

     

    50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Mirror

    Florentine Rococo Giltwood Mirror

    Gilt wood carved oval mirror seen on eBay
    Gilt wood carved oval mirror seen on eBay

    This is a carved oval giltwood framed mirror about 10″ tall that is similar in style but a little smaller than the one seen on the mantel of the Ricardo’s apartment on I Love Lucy. These italian carved frames are commonly seen on KPM porcelain plaques which tend to be very expensive. The vanity mirror seen on Lucy’s mantel was around 12-14″ tall and was free standing. This mirror on eBay is the closest I’ve seen recently to anything that looks like the one on the show. It would need a stand added to recreate the look.

    Related post :http://www.50slucy.com/lucys-gilt-mantel-mirror.html