Franciscan Ceramics
The Franciscan brand became part of a group of companies known as WWRD, an acronym for "Wedgwood Waterford Royal Doulton."
Beginning in 1875, as a partnership between Charles Gladding, Peter McGill McBean, and George Chambers, Gladding, McBean & Co. would expand from one factory in Lincoln, California to multiple manufacturing plants throughout the Pacific West Coast producing clay products from sewer pipe to architectural terracotta.
Gladding, McBean & Co. retained ceramic engineer Max Compton from the former Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company's plant in Santa Monica California.
To offset the loss of revenues from the sales of ceramic building materials, the company began the manufacture of earthenware dinnerware and art ware in 1933 in the former Tropico Potteries factory.
[1] The company agreed to have Mary Grant style the pottery lines of tableware and art ware; however at this time she would not hold an official position.
By using the Malinite and adjusting the kiln temperature for a one fire process, the company solved the crazing problem in their own product.
The Prouty tunnel kiln patents were acquired in the purchase of the West Coast holdings of the American Encaustic Tiling Company in 1933.
Thus the plant “combined mills, jiggering units, conveyors, dryers and kilns into a model of straight line output.”[2] After the successful introduction of Franciscan Ware to Gladding, McBean & Co.’s products, Mary K. Grant in 1936 became a paid employee as Lead Stylist and Manager of the Glendale plant’s design department.
Later deciding the word “pottery” denoted an inferior product, the company changed the trade name to Franciscan Ware.
In an article for Popular Ceramics, Norris Leap wrote, “He produced glazes for art ware that possibly never could have been equaled by either moderns or ancients … One of them is an oxblood red used on large decorative bowls and vases.
Production of Catalina pottery was moved to the Glendale plant with the shapes being integrated into the company's art ware and dinnerware lines.
In 1940, the Gladding, McBean & Co. introduced their first hand-painted embossed earthenware dinnerware line Franciscan Apple, and shortly thereafter in 1941, Desert Rose.
From garages to industrial plant facilities, pottery was being made to satisfy demand from the decline of imports from Europe and Japan.
Encanto, in a clear glaze without banding, was chosen for The Museum of Modern Art 1951 Good Design Exhibition in New York.
Also in the fall of 1952, Frederic and Mary Grant resigned from Gladding, McBean & Co. With a new president and chairman of the board, the company reorganized.
A. Lee Bennett became vice president of the newly formed research and development division at the Glendale plant carrying out the company policy of product diversification to maintain its trade position.
Gladding, McBean & Co. continued to produce their trademarked Franciscan Hermosa tile products at the Glendale plant.
George T. James, an Alfred University graduate hired by Gladding, McBean & Co. in 1950 as a ceramic engineer was promoted to the design department.
The Modern Americana promotion included a group of seven new patterns on three different shapes, to complement Franciscan’s popular hand-painted embossed dinnerware lines; Apple, Desert Rose, and Ivy.
Three Franciscan Contours bud vases were chosen for the Pasadena Art Museum's second California Design Exhibition in 1956.
Hired on a contract basis for designing tile were ceramists Dora De Larios, Harrison McIntosh, and Jerry Rothman.
Hired on a contract basis for designing dinnerware were ceramists Richard Petterson and Helen Richter Watson.
Hired full-time as dinnerware designers were Rupert J. Deese, and Francis Chun, joining Mary Jane Winans and Otto Lund.
Major ceramic tile wall murals completed and still in existence include: Jules Stein Eye Institute outpatient clinic at UCLA, donated by Walt Disney and designed by Mary Blair (1966); North and South facades of the Honolulu Hilton Rainbow hotel, designed by Millard Sheets (1968); Disney World Contemporary Resort, Grand Canyon Concourse fourth floor lobby, designed by Mary Blair (1970); and Los Angeles City Hall East Family of Man[8] West and East facades, designed by Millard Sheets (1972).
[9] Expanding Franciscan ware to the European market, Interpace bought the Alfred Meakin company of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England and Myott, Son & Co. Ltd.
"[10] In 1976 Interpace sold Alfred Meakin to a group of investors and the former Gladding, McBean Lincoln plant to Pacific Coast Building Products.
Mary Jane Winans and Otto J. Lund retired, and George T. James and Mineo Mizuno resigned in 1977.
In 1984, Wedgwood closed the Franciscan Ceramics division, what was the former Gladding, McBean & Co.'s Glendale plant in Los Angeles.
The production of the Franciscan patterns Desert Rose, Apple, and Fresh Fruit were moved to the Johnson Brothers division of Wedgwood in England.
In March 2009, KPS Capital Partners announced that it had acquired group assets in a range of countries, including the UK, US and Indonesia, would invest €100m, and move a jobs to Asia to cut costs and return the firm to profitability.
