Category Archives: Toleware

Lucy’s Antique Tole Tea Tins

tea-tins
Lucy’s Tole Tea Caddy’s in her Early American Connecticut Kitchen

Lucy’s pair of Victorian style toleware tea tins can be seen on the kitchen window ledge in her Early American Connecticut home. They are cylindrical tin tole painted tea caddys. Shabby antique tea tins can still be found  in the characteristic toleware hand painted  style on black laquered tin. Lucy’s set are quite shabby and are in keeping with the Early American style of the Ricardo’s new home in the country.

tole-tea-tin
Vintage Tole Tea Caddy on eBay – click picture to view the listing on eBay

I Love Lucy style Bread Box and Canister set

Nesco Breadbox and Canisters restoration - Just like Lucy Ricardo's Set
Nesco Breadbox and Canisters restoration – Just like Lucy Ricardo’s Set

A fine Nesco  breadbox and canister set expertly restored  to look like the set in the Ricardo’s kitchen on I Love Lucy – pictured above- submitted by a contributor to this blog  who was inspired by the previous blog posts.  “With the help of my dad, who sandblasted, painted and clear coated everything and a friend who helped with the graphics, I too now have those Nesco canisters that are used in my kitchen every day!”


Read more about the original Nesco design in this post.

RESTORATION PROJECT: LUCY RICARDO’S BREADBOX PART 3

Nesco Breadbox and Canister Set Restored
Nesco Breadbox and Canister Set Restored

This is a follow up to my previous post about restoring a Nesco bread box to share with you a very fine restoration by a visitor to this blog , pictured above , of a vintage set of Nesco  Breadbox and canisters Continue reading RESTORATION PROJECT: LUCY RICARDO’S BREADBOX PART 3

RESTORATION PROJECT: LUCY RICARDO’S BREADBOX Part 2

This is a follow up to my previous post about restoring an old shabby Nesco Bread Box to look like the one seen in the kitchen of “I love Lucy” starring Lucille Ball.

My Nesco Breadbox Re-painted and ready for the decals
My Nesco Breadbox Re-painted and ready for the decals

Here is the Nesco Bread Box and a couple of the Nesco canisters after cleaning and repainting. Also in the photo you can see some paper printouts of my version of the original decal as seen on Lucy Ricardo’s breadbox on the tv show. Continue reading RESTORATION PROJECT: LUCY RICARDO’S BREADBOX Part 2

Restoration Project: Lucy Ricardo’s Breadbox

New update here: RESTORATION PROJECT: LUCY RICARDO’S BREADBOX Part 2

Before: Shabby Nesco Breadbox/Pie Safe
Before: Shabby Nesco Breadbox/Pie Safe

I found a vintage Nesco breadbox (above) in shabby rusty condition to restore. This one is the same type as you see in the Kitchen set of “I love Lucy”, except it was white and had a “garden girl” decal which is barely visible in its current condition. It will take a bit of work to restore it to anything close to original condition, and I have never done anything like this before so its a learning experience for me. Continue reading Restoration Project: Lucy Ricardo’s Breadbox

I Love Lucy Ricardo’s Canister Set

lucyscanistersetLucy Ricardo’s Canister Set in the “I Love Lucy”  was one of the latest on the market in 1951 when the series launched. Made by Nesco, you can see them in the kitchen scenes of the “I love Lucy” set of the apartment in 623 East 68th St. in New York City, for the entire series until the Ricardo’s moved to Connecticut. In the screencaps here you will notice the kitchen props included  four nesting canisters and a matching bread box  plus a pair of cylindrical salt and pepper shakers. Continue reading I Love Lucy Ricardo’s Canister Set

‘I Love Lucy’ Kitchen Trivia: The Moving Bread Box

The Kitchen set of  the “I Love Lucy” New York apartment featured a distinctive square breadbox with matching canister set made by Nesco.

Nesco bread box in same design seen on the "I love Lucy" show starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Nesco bread box in same design seen on the “I love Lucy” show starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Lucy's Bread Box right way up
Season 1: Lucy’s Bread Box right way up

The door of the breadbox  was a pull down style with a handle at the top.  By the third season, the bread box had to be turned on its side to keep the door from falling open, which happened on screen in one episode when Ricky walked into the kitchen, Continue reading ‘I Love Lucy’ Kitchen Trivia: The Moving Bread Box