Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are dining al fresco at their home in Chatsworth Ranch in the early years. Below we take a closer look at the table setting.
The table is set with Franciscan Desert Rose Pottery and a co-ordinating rose pattern juice pitcher and glasses on top of a delightful retro floral rose print tablecloth. Just imagine how colorful the scene is!
On the table we notice it is set for breakfast with a small size tea/coffee pot, tea cups and saucers, and egg cups on a bread/side plate all in the Fransiscan Desert Rose pattern. A matching salt and pepper set, creamer and sugar bowl complete the picture.
When Lucy and Desi Arnaz got this set of Franciscan Desert Rose it was still new on the market launched in 1941. It was to become hugely popular. According to the desciption on Amazon “Desert Rose the largest selling pattern in the history of American dinnerware, made its debut in later 1941. It has enjoyed the world’s longest period of popularity of any dinnerware pattern produced by a single company. The Rose Rugosa, rugged wild rose of poem and song was a natural design selection. The character of the bloom with its simple delicate petals made it adaptable to hand painting. This beautiful handpainted pattern is still one of America’s favorite casual tableware patterns. In 1964 the sixty millionth piece had been produced and Desert Rose is now on display in the historical Smithsonian Museum. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy chose Franciscan Desert Rose for use in the White House. In Desert Rose, the irregularly scalloped edge of thorny vines creates a believable frame for the fully opened pink roses with their golden centers and soft green leaves. The softness of the design is further enhanced by its cream colored background”
It is now made in China but still close to the original pattern: https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Brothers-Desert-Rose-28-Piece/dp/B0009P9L9C
