Franciscan China

About Franciscan

Franciscan dinnerware was first made in 1934 by Gladding, McBean and Company at its plant in Glendale, Los Angeles. Its cheerful hand-painted earthenware became an icon of California style, above all Apple (1940), Desert Rose (1941) and Ivy (1948). Wedgwood bought Franciscan in 1979 and closed the Los Angeles plant in 1984, moving production abroad. American-made Franciscan pieces, marked with the California backstamp, remain highly collected.