Colorful Histories: Fiesta® Dinnerware
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Fiestaware (Fiesta® Dinnerware) has been brightening up dinner tables since they first introduced their color saturated dinnerware, during the drab days of the depression. Created by the Homer Laughlin China Company of Newell, West Virginia, since 1936 (with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985), Fiestaware was started "with the intent of giving people who were having a real miserable time something that wasn't expensive, that could brighten up their table, make their live a little cheerier," says president Joe Wells III in an quote from a recent article in the Oregonian, and they did it using color.
Fiestaware's signature solid colored Art Deco style was designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, and first launched in a brilliant red.
Today, rare pieces and colors can be worth thousands, like the covered onion soup bowl in turquoise which was only produced for one year in 1973, which is valued at $8,000.
Fiestaware has bee produced in 40 colors with at least one new shade being added each year since 2000. The latest color was inspired by Michelle Obama's inauguration dress, a yellow-green hue named lemongrass.
Color Time line
The colors added or that were available during that year.
1936Red (orange red), Blue (cobalt), Green (light green), Yellow (deep golden), and Old Ivory (yellowish cream) |
1938Turquoise (robin's egg blue) |
1950Rose (pinkish brown), Gray (medium), Forest (dark green), and Chartreuse (bright yellowish green)) |
1959Red (original orange red), Green (new Medium green), Yellow (original golden), and Turquoise (original robin's egg blue) |
1969Mango Red, Turf Green (avocado), Antique Gold (brownish yellow) |
1986Rose (true pink), Black (slightly chocolate under bright light), Cobalt (dark navy), White (bright stark white), and Apricot (pale pinkish tan) |
TodayYellow (pale custard), Turquoise (more greenish than vintage Turquoise), Periwinkle (slightly lavender blue), Sea Mist (slightly bluish pale green), Lilac, Persimmon (brownish orange), Sapphire (medium bright blue like faded denim), Chartreuse (brighter and greener than vintage Chartreuse), Pearl Gray (warm light gray), Juniper (dark blue green), Cinnabar (maroon), Sunflower (bright yellow), Plum (dark purple), Shamrock (bright deep green), Tangerine (soft light orange), Scarlet (deep true red), Peacock (bright blue), Heather (light violet), Evergreen (Christmas green), Ivory, and Lemongrass |
Special EditionsLilac (1993-1995), Chartreuse (1997-1999) , Juniper (1999-2001), Chocolate, Sapphire, and the 75th anniversary color, Marigold (2011) |
Great collection at happyheidi.com.
Sources: Fiesta®, wikipedia & The Oregonian.
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