A China Pattern for Church Ladies

Gladding, McBean & Co., was founded in 1875 to produce sewer tile for the rapidly developing American West, but their fame began with production of Franciscan dinnerware in 1934 at their plant in Glendale, California. The name Franciscan is an allusion to Franciscan monks and reflected the simple, informal style of Mexican folk pottery. The most famous of this period, Franciscan Apple first produced in 1940 and Franciscan Desert Rose first produced in 1941, are still produced today although early pieces are what collectors seek. It has been observed that Desert rose is the most popular American dinnerware of all time, a claim that even if not true accurately reflects its sustained popularity from continuous production since the inception of the design.(source)