![]() The line name and design is still owned by the Fiesta Tableware Company formerly called the Homer Laughlin China Company of Newell, West Virginia, which was the original company that produced and marketed it. Today, vintage Fiesta trades briskly on auction websites and at other antique/vintage product sales venues. The dinnerware became something of a status symbol for late 1930s and pre-war 1940s middle-class households. From its first introduction in 1936 and for over a decade, Fiesta products were a widespread fad. The popularity of Fiesta was due to its bright colors, durable construction, stylized art deco shapes and designs, and its promotion through mass marketing. Overall sales of the more typical place-setting pieces of Fiesta remained strong and reportedly peaked around 1948. Over the next four years, the more unusual serving pieces were discontinued, and by 1946, the line's variety of items had been reduced by nearly one third. Beginning in 1942, the number and variety of items in the Fiesta line began to be reduced. With World War II and the need for manufacturers to focus on production for that effort, non-war related production and public demand declined. In addition, it offered several unique promotional items for one dollar each, available only in a predetermined glaze color. At its most numerous, the Fiesta line comprised approximately 64 different items, including flower vases in three sizes, divided plates, water tumblers, carafes, teapots in two sizes, five part relish trays, and large chop plates in fifteen-inch and thirteen-inch diameters. In the years up to 1940, the line was expanded by the production of more new items. During this period some items were modified, and several items were eliminated, including the covered onion soup bowl, and the mixing bowl covers. The Homer Laughlin Company quickly added several additional items to the line. Plates of one color, Cream Soups of another, contrasting Cups and Saucers. " and it went on to say, "It gives the hostess the opportunity to create her own table effects. Īs an early Homer Laughlin Company brochure said: But, the promotion and presentation of Fiesta from the start was as a line of open-stock items from which the individual purchaser could choose to combine serving and place pieces by personal preference and need. The company sold basic table service sets for four, six and eight persons, made up of the usual dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, and cup and saucer. A set of seven nested mixing bowls ranged in size, from the smallest at five inches in diameter up to a nearly twelve-inch diameter. At introduction, the Fiesta line of dinnerware comprised some 37 different pieces, including such occasional pieces as candle holders in two designs, a bud vase, and an ash tray. The forms and surfaces expressed an Art Deco influence. With its solid color glazes and mix-and-match concept, Fiesta represented something radically new to the general public. When it was introduced, the decoration of dinnerware and kitchenware ceramics was still inspired by the Victorian era, based on full, predetermined sets of dinnerware, all decorated with the same decal designs. Manufacturer's advertisement introducing Fiesta, February 1936 In 2002, The New York Times called Fiesta "the most collected brand of china in the United States". Īccording to the Smithsonian Institution Press, Fiesta's appeal lies in its colors, design, and affordability. Notably, certain early glazes resulted in pieces that were slightly radioactive. Since its inception, Fiesta has been sold in sets or from "open stock," where customers can select, mix and match pieces from the entire color range. Parry, who became Homer Laughlin's art director in 1984. Several of the original shapes had to be modified due to this change in material and other new shapes were added by Jonathan O. Fiesta products before 1986 were semi-vitreous pottery, and after 1986 were vitreous china allowing marketing it for food service applications. įiesta's original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942. HLCC in turn rebranded itself as the Fiesta Tableware Company, retaining its retail division, prominent Fiesta line, factories and headquarters in Newell, West Virginia. The company was known as the Homer Laughlin China Company (HLCC) until 2020, when it sold its food service divisions, along with the Homer Laughlin name, to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer. Fiesta is noted for its Art Deco styling and its range of often bold, solid colors. Contemporary Fiesta - 5 pieces for $45 in 2012įiesta is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia since its introduction in 1936, with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985.
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