I Love Lucy Popularized This Iconic '40s Dishware That's Still Collected Today

"I Love Lucy" pioneered many trends during its six years on CBS. The sitcom was the first to cast a Hispanic co-lead and the first to include a star's real-life pregnancy as a plot point. "I Love Lucy" also popularized many home design trends, including the now-iconic Ivy dish pattern from the Franciscan Ware line produced by pottery company Gladding, McBean, & Co.

Since "I Love Lucy" was primarily set inside Lucy and Ricky's New York City apartment (except for classic scenes like Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate shop), Lucy's home decor made a big impression on viewers. This included her choice in dishware, which often appeared in scenes in the Ricardo kitchen. Soon, Franciscan's Ivy pattern dishware became synonymous with "I Love Lucy." 

The Ivy pattern featured a border of sprawling green ivy on an ivory background. Although the green wasn't visible on the black-and-white sitcom, the dish pattern was still front and center during many "I Love Lucy" scenes, and it is easy to picture Lucille Ball consuming all the foods and drinks she loved off the Ivy dishes. 

Vintage dish collectors will now pay inflated prices for authentic Franciscan Ivy dishware.You can find limited stock on sites like Etsy and eBay. And it's definitely one of the vintage dishware items you should always pick up if you spot it at a thrift store. Or, if you want to see the real thing, you can also visit the Hollywood Museum to see the Franciscan Ivy dishware used on the show.  

The Ivy pattern was first produced in 1948, only a few years before it appeared on "I Love Lucy."  Dishware from the California-based ceramics company Gladding, McBean, & Co soon became an iconic symbol of American success and later appeared on other popular sitcoms like "Bewitched." Even Jacqueline Kennedy sought them out when she was selecting dishware for Air Force One, with Gladding's head designer Otto Lund creating custom china dishes with the Presidential Seal for the First Lady.

The Franciscan brand was sold to Wedgwood in 1979, after which production moved from California to England. You can figure out the source of your Franciscan Ivy dishware by looking at the bottom of your dish. If it says "Made in England," you will know it is a later edition, and if it says "Franciscan" or "Made in California," you will know it is an older edition that could have been produced at the same factory that produced the dishes you see on "I Love Lucy."