Sunday, January 21, 2007
Collectors spend hours trying to finish sets, collect hard to find pieces, and "match" their items.
Unless you are seriously avoiding serving food and focused on artware, the hunt in gathering the plates- in their many varieties- is part of the fun.
GMcB created literally hundreds of patterns over the years, on perhaps a hundred various style forms. Their standard setting, however, remained fairly consistant over time, even if the names of the plates did not. Photo 1: Padua Bread and Butter 6.5" & Padua Luncheon 10.5"
Starting with their first dinnerware line, "El Patio", (known to collectors as "the never ending hobby" for it's diverse shapes, colors, and service ware), a general tone and basic 'place setting' was created that lasted through the years. The GMcB corporation, creating dinnerware as GMcB, Tropico, Catalina, and eventually their signature "Franciscan" lines, offered the same sized plates in most patterns over more than 60 years of operations.Photo 2: Padua Bread and Butter 6.5" next to a Lunning Special desert 7.5"
Dining pieces ranging from tea and coffee saucers through platters were available in almost every color and pattern created, tho often not in *all* the possible sizes for every pattern. It makes collecting "Fran" exciting as well as challenging.
Photo 3: Lilac Rose Experimental Lunchon 9.5" & Lilac Rose Experimental Large Coffee Saucer
Those first starting to collect the various patterns should be aware that the shapes and colors often make plates appear to be sized differently, even when they are not.
Photo 4 : EMHP (Embossed Hand Painted) Lunchon and Padua Luncheon. Both are 9.5" in diameter.
PLATES
Saucer, Tea Cup El Patio El Patio Nuevo Coronado Montecito Padua Rancho Del Mar Del Oro
Saucer, Coffee Cup El Patio Nuevo
Saucer, Jumbo Coffee Cup Coronado
Saucer, Creme Soup El Patio Nuevo Montecito Rancho Del Oro
Ramekin Cocinero
Salt & Pepper Dish Del Oro
After Dinner Saucer Montecito Del Oro
Bread & Butter 6.5" El Patio El Patio Nuevo Coronado Montecito Padua Rancho Del Mar Del Oro
Fluted Bread & Butter 6.5" Rancho
Desert 7.5" El Patio Coronado Montecito Padua (coupe) Del Mar Del Oro
Snack Plate w/Cup well El Patio Nuevo
Salad 8.5" El Patio Coronado Montecito Padua Rancho Del Mar Del Oro
Luncheon 9.5" El Patio El Patio Nuevo Coronado Montecito Padua Rancho Del Mar Del Oro
Dinner 10.5" El Patio El Patio Nuevo Coronado Montecito Padua Rancho Del Mar Del Oro
Dinner (S-27) Padua
Fruit Dish Coronado
Serving Plate 12" El Patio Nuevo
Serving Plate 12.5" El Patio
Chop 12" El Patio Padua Rancho
Chop 12.5" Coronado Montecito
Chop 12.3/8" Padua Del Mar Del Oro
Sandwhich platter (coupe) 14" El Patio
Chop 14" El Patio Nuevo Coronado Padua Rancho Del Oro
Chop 14.5" Montecito
Chop 16" Rancho
Chop 17" Rancho
Buffet Supper 17.5" El Patio
Oval Platter 10X13" El Patio Coronado Rancho
Med Oval Platter 12X24? Coronado
Large Oval Platter 15.25X11.5" Coronado
Hexigon Platter 13" Long Montecito Del Oro
Hexigon Platter 17" long Montecito Del Oro
Large Sandwhich 16" El Patio El Patio Nuevo
C-232/233/234 Plates AuroraWare
Casserole Plate Rancho
