Ricky seems to be enjoying doing the ironing on the Season 2, Job Switching episode of I Love Lucy. He uses a non-steam iron hence the need for a separate laundry water sprinkler bottle to dampen the clothes while ironing. It appears to be a CLOSPRAY—Plas-Tex-Corp Laundry Sprinkler bottle. In the pre-steam iron era laundry sprinkler bottles were available in all sorts of shapes and designs and are now collector items.
Continue reading Ricky does the Ironing
Profiles in History auction catalog for their December 11th Hollywood Auction 96 lists an original wall art from I Love Lucy. Fans of the show will recognize the landscape that appears on the back wall of the Ricardo’s living room (it replaced the Utrillo print when Lucy got her new furniture). It is a lithograph print by Frank Serratoni. The illustration above is taken from the auction catalog.
More details at the auction site:
https://profilesinhistory.com/auctions/hollywood-auction-96/
A similar unmarked porcelain Condiment Set with caddy in an ivy leaf pattern was sold on eBay in 2016 with the following description:
“The overall length of the caddy is 6 1/4 inches and is nearly 5 1/4 inches tall and just over 3 inches wide. I do not think they have ever been used. The one spoon is broken form storage, but it looks like all the pieces are there. The jar opening is 2 inches and almost 2 inches deep.”
It is similar to George S. Thompson Company (est 1944 and later bought out by Olde Thompson) hand painted Imperial Ivy pattern, pictured below, and goes well with the Franciscan Ivy pieces used on set and Lucy’s Olde Thompson wall mounted salad set.
Lucy’s 1951 Westinghouse Frost Free refrigerator appears on several episodes from that year. The Westinghouse Frost Free Fridge was widely promoted in print publications and on TV during 1951 and with prominent positioning in the kitchen of I Love Lucy.
The focus of this blog in on items that are similar to, or match screen used items on I Love Lucy and not on original props. If you are looking for original props with COA I recommend reading the following article before making a decision to purchase:
In the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour, season 1, episode 5 “Lucy Goes To Sun Valley”, Ethel can be seen with a box camera in various parts of the episode. thanks to contributor Jamie, we have the ID of her camera: It is a Kodak Duaflex IV, which was manufactured from 1955 to 1960, as seen the following screenshots from the episode.
I see several models on Etsy this week Click Here to view a current selection on Etsy
Following is a selection from eBay.com :
[phpbay keywords=”Kodak Duaflex IV” num=”8″ siteid=”1″ category=”625″ sortorder=”PricePlusShippingHighest” templatename=”columns” columns=”2″ itemsperpage=”10″ paging=”true”]
In time for Halloween I spotted these I Love Lucy inspired handmade wigs on Etsy:
Click Here for more I Love Lucy inspired costume ideas on Etsy
Many thanks to Jamie for the following research on the Paper Mate pen prop seen on I Love Lucy. Says Jamie: “Lucy and Ricky as seen using a pen with a shiny top end and black lower end. I have identified this is a Paper Mate Deluxe pen, which came out in 1951 and pretty much revolutionized the ballpoint pen world. There is a great history page here: http://penshotsandthoughts.blogspot.com/2015/06/early-history-of-paper-mate-part-2.html
You can see on that page that it was even advertised by George Burns, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Gracie Allen!”
They are difficult to come by on ebay with the gold top, but there is one offered on eBay this week:
Vintage Early Model Paper Mate Ballpoint Pen – Black and Gold – Click here to see it on eBay
Following are various captures showing the pen in use on the show.
In I Love Lucy Series 6, episode 18, “Lucy Gets Chummy With The Neighbors” we see Lucy’s handy flip up telephone index. In the pre-digital era this type of mechanical index could be found on office desks and in the home next to the telephone.
A closer look at the detail makes it easier to identify thanks to a Jamie who has indeed located one just like it on eBay. It is a List Finder / Telephone Number Organiser marked “Made in USA” on the back but no brand name is seen. Says Jamie ” I know these were initially made by a company called “Bates” and called the “List Finder” back in the mid 30s and continued all the way into the 60s. There was also another company that made a different style called the Zephyr Autodex.
The particular one from this episode doesn’t appear to be made by either, but I did find one of the episodes style on ebay. The only markings on it are “made in USA”. , but it definitely is the one!”
More details and pictures on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/401124154834
Thanks again to Jamie for a great find!
See it on eBay
This statue is similar – although not an exact match – to the one usually seen on the right of the living room mantelpiece on the set of I Love Lucy.
