History of Fiesta®

More interesting information about Fiesta®. . .


FIESTA®, America’s favorite dinnerware, was introduced by The Homer Laughlin China Company with great fanfare at the Pittsburgh China & Glass Show in January, 1936.

FIESTA® was the creation of Frederick Hurten Rhead, a second generation Stoke-on-Trent potter who had become Homer Laughlin’s design director in 1927.

FIESTA® was an immediate hit with the public and, by it’s second year of production, more than one million pieces were produced.

The original five colors were Red, Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Green and Ivory. Turquoise was added early in 1937. The shapes of FIESTA® were created in an Art Deco style with concentric circles highlighting the bright colors.

The first six colors were produced through the 1930’s and 40’s until a change in fashion direction dictated a change to a softer palette of pastel colors at the beginning of the 1950’s. Color trends moved back to brighter colors in the early 1960’s and FIESTA® moved with the trend. By the late 60’s earthtones were in vogue and the dinnerware industry turned in that direction. Popularity of these colors proved to be short-lived and sales began to fall. At the end of 1972, FIESTA® was retired after 37 years of production.

The retired dinnerware line soon became popular with collectors, especially those who had childhood memories of this brightly colored dinnerware. As years passed, the value of the original FIESTA® colors and pieces grew as more people became avid collectors.

In 1985, officials of Bloomingdale’s, the prestigious retailer in New York City approached Homer Laughlin about reproducing a dinnerware line from the past. Soon the two companies agreed that FIESTA® had the greatest chance for commercial success.

In early 1986, Bloomingdale’s introduced a new line of FIESTA® with a new color palette and with improvements to the body and glaze. Homer Laughlin was the country’s leading producer of restaurant china and it was determined that the new FIESTA® should be made of the same durable, restaurant- quality china body as the company’s other products. The ceramic glaze would be lead-free, a comparatively new innovation in the china industry. This new version of FIESTA® was an instant success and a new generation of consumers became converts to FIESTA’s popularity.

Over the next twenty years, new colors have been introduced and FIESTA® has become a trendsetter of color for the housewares industry. In the seventy years since FIESTA® was first produced, there have been a total of 38 colors in the line. Today, Homer Laughlin introduces one new color each year and FIESTA® has become the leading dinnerware brand in casual tabletop, as well as a consistent leader in bridal registries across America. All the while, collectors have continued to add to the dinnerware to which they were first introduced by their mothers and grandmothers.

Today, FIESTA® dinnerware is the most collected dinnerware in the history of the tabletop industry with well over one half billion pieces produced.

New fiesta Colors

Here is something else I found of interest. This was published in Home Furnishing News on 5/11/09:

FiestaWare

1. Scarlet
2. Sunflower
3. Ivory
4. Cobalt
5. Tangerine

Consumers like their Fiestaware bright and bold, as in Scarlet, the brand’s best-selling dinnerware color for several years straight. Ivory, which was only introduced last June, made it to number three in six months’ time, replacing Evergreen. Fiesta’s newest color is Lemongrass, and its newest shape is square (which will be available in eight colors

HLC History

Something else I found that was of interest to me. An interesting historical perspective, but a little self-serving - typical of HLC.

Best known for the classic and timeless Fiesta®, The Homer Laughlin China Company manufactures china products in shapes, designs and patterns that continue to delight and satisfy customers. Visitors to The Homer Laughlin China Company and Retail Outlet can expect to find unsurpassed craftmanship, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and the timeless quality of enduring products.

The Homer Laughlin China Company owes its origin to a two kiln pottery on the banks of the Ohio River in East Liverpool, Ohio. Built in 1871 by Homer Laughlin and his brother Shakespeare, the Laughlin Brothers Pottery was one of the first whiteware plants in the country.

In 1897, Mr. Laughlin sold his interest in the pottery to William Edwin Wells and Louis I. Aaron. Since then, successive generations of the two families have continued to manage the company. In 1907, the headquarters and a new 30 kiln plant were built across the Ohio River in Newell, WV, the present manufacturing and headquarters location.

The turning point in the artistic focus of the company came in 1927 with the addition of noted ceramist Frederick Hurton Rhead. His design vision would culminate in the 1936 introduction of Fiesta®, Homer Laughlin's best selling line, and today one of the most collected china products in the world.

With the introduction of fully vitrified china in 1959, Homer Laughlin was able to participate in the restaurant/hotel markets. Homer Laughlin concentrated its efforts on the food service market and continued to add new shapes, patterns and decorating techniques throughout the 60's and 70's. The reintroduction of Fiesta® in 1986 as a high-fire, fully vitrified, lead free product redefined the standard for both food service and retail china products.

The Homer Laughlin China Company has produced an estimated 25,000 china patterns throughout its 133 year history. A heritage rich in American tradition and innovation has given Homer Laughlin China the fortitude to look to the next century with anticipation of meeting greater challenges

FIESTA® Color Timeline

I found this timeline and thought it would be of interest - it was to me:


Red
1936 - 1943 & 1959 - 1972

Blue (Cobalt)
1936 - 1951

Green (Light)
1936 - 1951

Yellow
1936 - 1969

Old Ivory
1936 - 1951

Turquoise
1937 - 1969

Forest Green
1951 - 1959

Rose
1951 - 1959

Chartreuse
1951 - 1959

Gray
1951 - 1959

Medium Green
1959 - 1969

Antique Gold
1969 - 1972

Turf Green
1969 - 1972



No Fiesta® Production
1972 - 1985

White
1986 -

Black
1986 -

Apricot
1986 - 1998

Rose
1986 - 2005

Cobalt Blue
1986 -

Yellow
1987 - 2002

Turquoise
1988 -

Periwinkle Blue
1989 - 2006

Sea Mist Green
1991 - 2005

Lilac (Limited 2-year run)
1993 - 1995

Persimmon
1995 - 2008

Sapphire (Limited to a few Months)
1996 - 1997

Chartreuse (limited 2 year run)
1997 - 1999

Pearl Gray
1999 - 2001

Juniper
1999 - 2001

Cinnabar
2000 -

Sunflower
2001 -

Plum
2002 -

Shamrock
2002 -

Tangerine
2003 -

Scarlet
2004 -

Peacock
2005 -

Heather
2006 - 2009

Evergreen
2007 -

Ivory
2008 -

Chocolate
2008 -

Lemongrass Comparison

The latest pictures I have seen show a comparison between the new Fiesta Lemongrass, Post '86 Chartreuse and Vintage Chartreuse. The new Lemongrass, appears to have alot more yellow in it than the Chartreuse versions (the Post '86 has the most green, then the Vintage Chartreuse, then the Lemongrass). In my opinion, it is a color that has the most potential to be a hit in the most recently released regular production colors.

Lemongrass Update

Our sources tell us that the initial run of Lemongrass will include the following items: 4pc & 5pc place settings, dinner plate, salad plate, soup/cereal bowl, cereal bowl, mug, fruit dish, luncheon plate, mini disc pitcher, large disc pitcher, salt & pepper (small), java mug, large oval platter, gusto bowl, serving bowl, individual oval platter, companion set and ramekin. The balance of the Lemongrass items are scheduled for release in the fall. The initial pieces will be shipping on approximately July 1, 2009.

Marigold

In anticipation of the 75th Anniversary of Fiesta® Dinnerware in 2011, last year Homer Laughlin unveiled the first of three collections --the baking bowl set -- in a limited anniversary year color, Marigold.

The baking bowl set is available in Marigold, as well as seven of Fiesta's standard contemporary colors: Scarlet, Cobalt, Tangerine, Sunflower, Peacock, Shamrock, White and Evergreen.

Availability of the baking bowl set in the anniversary color is limited to 75 weeks -April 1, 2008 thru Sept. 1, 2009. On September 2, 2009, the baking bowls, in Marigold only, will officially retire.

The 3-piece baking bowls, ranging in size from 6-1/2 to 2-1/2 quarts. They created a new back-stamp celebrating the 75th anniversary and has modified retail packaging to acknowledge the company's landmark year and limited availability collections. The bottoms of the baking bowls in the remaining glazes feature the signature Fiesta stamp or embossment.

Dinnerware and accessories in Marigold will follow, to be introduced April 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010, and 75 weeks later, each will officially retire and will no longer be in production.