Last year Driving For Deco concluded its history of Homer Laughlin’s famous dinnerware Fiesta. This year we begin Fiesta 201, looking at their other lines related to Fiesta.
Fiesta Kitchen Kraft
A nice addition to any Fiesta collection is its half sibling line Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. These big, bold, colorful pieces look great in any 1930s or 1940s vintage kitchen. Fiesta Kitchen Kraft’s life was a short six years, from the spring of 1938 to early 1944. It ended when Homer Laughlin discontinued their Fiesta red glaze. Because of the short life span, most these pieces fall into the hard to find category. And pieces in excellent condition usually sell for high prices.
Oven Serve
OvenServe back stamp. From the collection of Chris Arena.
By the early 1930s, Homer Laughlin, had become one of the United States leading producers of china. Expanding their business they introduced OvenServe in 1933. And as the name implies these pieces were durable enough to withstand the heat of an oven and yet nice enough to be placed on the dinner table.
OvenServe sticker. Image from laurelhollowpark.net
Most of the pieces featured floral embossing and decals over white or ivory ceramic. Pieces in the OvenServe line include, custard cups, pie plates, casseroles, cake server, spoon and fork, nappy bowl and platters.
OvenServe Daisy Chain covered casserole with the clematis decal and floral embossing typical of pieces from this line. From the collection of Chris Arena.
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- Royal OvenServe bowl. The embossing is typical of Oven Serve pieces. Clematis decal. From the collection of Chris Arena.
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- Underside of the Royal OvenServe bowl, showing the identifying ink stamp.
Only pieces with a platinum trim get the Royal OvenServe back stamp. On the bowl pictured above the trim is the thin stripe along bowl’s rim.
OvenServe pie plate and cake server decorated with the clematis decal. From the collection of Chris Arena.
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- Royal OvenServe oval vegetable bowl with platinum trim and clematis decal. From the collection of Chris Arena.
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- Underside of the oval vegetable bowl. Chris Arena collection.
Kitchen Kraft
Kitchen Kraft OvenServe back stamp. From the collection of Anthony L’Abbate.
Because of the success of OvenServe, Homer Laughlin designer Frederick H. Rhead expanded the line with new pieces and modification to others. Twenty pieces were modeled in March, April and May of 1937. Covered refrigerator bowls and a salad fork were new additions, while the remodeled pieces gave the line a fresh and modern look. Gone was the floral embossing, the new items would all have smooth surfaces. The only decorations on the Kitchen Kraft OvenServe pieces were two stepped rings under the rim of the bowls and casseroles and one ring on the cake plate and covered jars. Homer Laughlin introduced Kitchen Kraft at the New York Housewares show held between July 11 – July 17 at the Hotel Pennsylvania. The East Liverpool Ohio newspaper The Evening Review had this to say about the new line:
Homer Laughlin features Kitchen Kraft at the New York Housewares Show. The Evening Review, Pg. 3. July 9, 1937. Clipping from newspapers.com
Soon after the New York show, advertisement started appearing in magazines and newspapers. By autumn of ’37 Kitchen Kraft – OvenServe started selling in stores.
Advertisement for Smith Furniture Store announcing the arrival of Kitchen Kraft OvenServe pieces. Springville, New York. Springville Journal, October 7, 1937, Pg. 5. Clipping from newspapers.com.
These pieces were only available in white or ivory decorated with various decals.
Kitchen Kraft cake plate with Clematis decal. Chris Arena collection.
Set of the three sizes of Kitchen Kraft Oven Serve mixing bowls with the Clematis decal. From the collection of Chris Arena.
Kitchen Kraft cake plate in the Harmony (Deco Leaf) pattern. From the collection of Anthony L’Abbate.
A very popular series of decals featured Mexican themes, with Mexicana being the most popular. The bright colors of the decal matched well with the colors of Homer Laughlin’s most popular dinnerware Fiesta.
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- Large Kitchen Kraft Oven Serve covered jar with the Mexicana decal. From the collection of Anthony L’Abbate.
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- Showing the lid detail of the covered jar, featuring the Mexicana decal.
Medium and large mixing bowls with Mexican decal, showing stepped, two ring detail under the rim. From the Anthony L’Abbate collection.
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- Covered Kitchen Kraft jug with Mexicana decal. From the collection of Anthony L’Abbate.
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- Showing the Mexicana lid decal of the covered jug. From the Anthony L’Abbate collection.
Because of the immediate success of Kitchen Kraft, Homer Laughlin decided to create a subset line. The subset would be even more compatible to their best selling dinnerware. J.M. Wells, general manager of Homer Laughlin, decided to offer Kitchen Kraft glazed in four Fiesta colors (red, blue, green and yellow). These pieces would be inscribed with a new mark “Fiesta Kitchen Kraft”. The new line had its introduction at the January, 1938 Houseware shows in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Soon after stores began advertising its imminent arrival.
Donohue’s announcing the spring arrival of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. Delaware County Daily Times (Chester, Pa.). January 27, 1938. Pg. 8. Clipping from newspapers.com.
And starting in the spring of 1938 Fiesta Kitchen Kraft was on store shelves.
Beginning in part two, Driving For Deco will start to look at the individual pieces that made up the line.
The inscribed mark. From the collection of Chris Arena.
