What was I Love Lucy’s Bedspread Color?

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My photoshop rendering with known colors of the Desilu prop bedspreads .

Above is my impression of a couple of contenders for the color of the hobnail chenile bedspreads on I Love Lucy. Previously we identified the make as Morgan Jones “Minuet”. Ads from the 1950’s era give us an idea of the color range but now thanks to an instagram comment from johndalessio we have more clues. Desiu props were re-used over the years and some identical bedspreads have turned up in Bonanza and on The Andy Griffith Show in color. There is a brown color that we saw on Andy Griffith that corresponds to “Sandalwood” in a contemporary ad. And a light green color version of the same bedspread as seen on the screen capture from Bonanza, S2 E33 “Elizabeth, My Love”,  near the end of the episode.  Either of the bedspreads could have originated in the I Love Lucy series.  Those series were made on Desilu sets and used Desilu props. The green version would have been a good choice to set off Lucy’s red hair, dont you think?

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The Green version of the same bedspread on Bonanza

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The brown color version on Andy Griffith


Many thanks to johndalessio for providing the research through my my Instagram page

Desilu Andy Griffith Show: Margo Alexander Print

Margo Alexander Print on Andy Griffith Show
Margo Alexander Print on Andy Griffith Show

Thanks to comments by johndalessio on my Instagram who recognized re-use of Desilu props on The Andy Griffith Show, filmed at Desilu Studios, we have sightings of probable I Love Lucy items on some color episodes. Above from Season 6 is a Margo Alexander print we looked at on I Love Lucy in an earlier post.
Margo Alexander Studio Print

Also seen on I Love Lucy
Also seen on I Love Lucy

And a vintage print of the same picture on eBay HERE

Lucy’s Gilt Vanity Mirror


An ornate gilt standing mirror is often seen on the mantel in the I Love Lucy living room. The easel mirror has a gilt finished scrolled style similar to the one below. The mirror is occasionally used as a prop when Lucy checks her out her new hat etc. In an early episode a different  mirror was used when Lucy tried ro read  the imprint of  note  Ricky had written.

This mirror is larger than the one on the show but in a similar style.

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Also seen in the photo is the Bolstad print and mid-century statue we looked at previously  –  picture from my instagram page.

Look for gilt easel mirrors on eBay

Ricky Ricardo’s Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster

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Ricky serves coffee to Orspn Welles at his club.

Ricky Ricardo and Orson Welles meet at Ricky’s Babalu Club for rehersals on the I Love Lucy episode Lucy Meets Orson Welles. Ricky serves the coffee in a Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster.

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Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster on eBay
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Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster Manual

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Lucy Shops for Skin Diving Gear

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Lucy Shops for Diving Gear
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Lucy Meets Orson Wells

In the I Love Lucy episode Lucy Meets Orson Welles she goes shopping with Ethel for her trip to Florida. In the department store sports department she sees skin-diving gear and decides to try it on.

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Full Face Rubber Dive Mask

When Orson Welles appears at the store  Ethel calls for Lucy who rushes out from the changing  room  to meet him wearing a full face rubber dive mask.
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Voit Swim Fins on eBay

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Lucy Plays the Washboard

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Lucy plays the Brass King Washboard

In the episode, “Tennessee Ernie Hangs On” (S3, 5/10/54), the Ricardos and the Mertzes join Ernie on Milikan’s Chicken-Mash Hour. Lucy plays a wooden and brass washboard.
Manufactured by the National Washboard Co., it is trademarked The Brass King. Lucy is playing the brass parts and we can see
that this side is labelled “Top Notch, Soap Saving Sanitary Front Drain, Do Not Rub Hard, The Board Will Do The Work! It appears that the prop department painted out the trademarked logo on the left, upper side.

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1939 Ad for the Brass King washboard
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Brass King Washboard seen on Etsy

See More like this on eBay

See More like this on Etsy

Lucy Edits her Home Movie

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Lucy Edits her western movie using a Bell & Howell / B&H 75-175-A Editor film Type AN-1

In the episode “Home Movies” S3, 3/1/54 Lucy, Ethel and Fred film their own western home movie. Lucy uses  a Bell & Howell 200 movie camera. It appears that when Lucy later edits her film, it is a Bell & Howell / B&H 75-175-A Editor film Type AN-1.

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Bell & Howell / B&H 75-175-A Editor film Type AN-1

Source: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bell-Howell-B-H-AN-1-Film-Editor-/262273085101Bell-&-Howell-editor
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Lucy’s Stove Top Percolator

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In the episode Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums there is a stove top aluminum coffe percolator on view in the I Love Lucy kitchen.
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A closer look at the coffee pot shows the distinctive shaped handle and the slightly curved lid with glass knob. The vintage coffee pots with glass knob are still popular for camping,
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A good match for the  shape of the handle  is seen on Comet Coffee pots like the one below. The Comet 6 cup Coffee Pot Aluminum Percolator with Glass Knob looks very similar to the one on the show.


Look for similar ones on eBay

50's Lucy Fan