This one had to be Ricky’s book, Dave Dawson with the Flying Tigers was one of a war adventure series by Robert Sidney Bowen known for his boys’ series books written during World War II, the Dave Dawson War Adventure Series and the Red Randall Series. It is missing its dust cover on the shelf.
Find it on eBay
A copy of this book can be seen on the bed headboard bookshelf on the Ricardo’s bedroom set, its easy to spot behind Lucy in the I Love Lucy episode where she has pregnancy cravings and eats pistachio ice cream with hot fudge and sardines – which in reality was substituted mash potatoes and gravy instead of the ice cream and fudge to make it easier for Lucille Ball.
Click Here to find it on eBay
Click here to Find it on Amazon
From Wikipedia:
Try and Stop Me (1944) was a best-selling book written by American publisher and writer Bennett Cerf and illustrated by artist Carl Rose. The first of a series of joke books compiled by Cerf, the founder of Random House publishers, Try and Stop Me sold over one million copies in the first two years of publication.
The book is mainly a compilation of anecdotes, urban legends, jokes, ghost stories, what Cerf calls “shaggy dog stories”, and profiles of news makers. Celebrities profiled by Cerf include Alexander Woollcott, Gertrude Stein, Robert Emmet Sherwood, Albert Einstein, Herbert Bayard Swope, Dorothy Thompson, Monty Woolley, George Gershwin, and Lucius Beebe.
Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Try_and_Stop_Me_(book)
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 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.
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.
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.
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
To see more pictures on the listing on eBay click here
More details here on the eBay listing
CLICK HERE to Find more like this on eBay
I have not seen examples of the lamp shade paired with it on the show. If you have information to share regarding the lampshade please comment below.
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.
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.
Click Here for Mantel Lusters currently available on eBay
Reference:
Peter has contributed the following information about a dish towel seen prominently in the kitchen of the I Love Lucy set:
Vintage Strawberry Tea Towels or Dish Cloths were made by a company called Cannon. These are often found on eBay and Etsy. Below are photos from ebay listings
“I have them in my home and they’re actually really nice. Made of linen and cotton.” Says Peter “It’s so awesome to be able to watch the show and see the same thing in the Ricardo’s home that’s in mine. ”
BEAUTIFUL Vtg Kitchen Dish Cloth CANNON 32X15 Strawberries
A lady also sells them on eBay as I Love Lucy Prop-A-Likes:
RARE Vintage Dish Towel seen on I Love Lucy Lucille Ball Collectible Prop Alike
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.
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.
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.
I see a Wilendur 6 Napkins Tablecloth Pink Dogwood Floral Cotton set on ebay pictured above similar to the one that Ethel brought over to the Ricardo’s apartment to set up the dinner table on the “Sentimental Anniversary” episode of I Love Lucy.
Tip: Use Oxyclean to clean vintage cotton tablecloths. Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover, 5 Pounds
Reference:
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.
A rare and easily recognized Asian figurine from the mantelpiece of the I love Lucy living room set appeared at a Premiere Props auction on Sept 28, 2013. It sold for $24,000. This statue was one of a pair that was seen on the mantelpiece throughout most of the series. Continue reading Lucy’s Pair of Chinese Statues
