| Fiestaware was designed by Frederick Hurton | | | | The company hired Frederick Rhead, a highly |
| Rhead in 1936, and is among the most | | | | regarded Englishman, as the artistic |
| collected china products in the world. It is | | | | director, and he created streamlined Art Deco |
| shill manufactured as originally designed, | | | | designs which immediately resonated with the |
| with art deco styling and comes a wide array | | | | public as Fiesta introduced about 1936. In |
| of bold & bright colors. The product was | | | | keeping with the Art Deco design aesthetic, |
| discontinued in 1973 reissued in 1986 with | | | | the simplicity of the geometric shapes and |
| new contemporary fashion colors to mark its | | | | the use of bold colors were welcomed after |
| 50th anniversary. | | | | the excesses of the Victorian and Art Nouveau |
| | | | periods. Furthermore, Fiesta was introduced |
| The Homer Laughlin China Company of Newell, | | | | at a price that made such design affordable |
| West Virginia manufactured Fiesta dinnerware | | | | to the mass market. The production included |
| from the middle of the 1930s until 1973. | | | | over 30 items including plates, bowls, |
| After a hiatus of about 12 years, Fiesta was | | | | teapots, cups and saucers, trays, etc. |
| once again produced and is still being | | | | Additional and more specialty items were |
| produced today in the colors which have | | | | added soon thereafter such as egg cups and |
| become so popular and with the durability for | | | | vases. |
| which Fiesta is known. Homer Laughlin began | | | | |
| as Laughlin Brothers pottery in East | | | | Fiestaware was marketed by playing on the |
| Liverpool, Ohio in 1871. They were first | | | | images of Mexican "fiestas" and the phrase |
| known for making "whiteware", a type of | | | | "The dinnerware that turns your table into a |
| pottery which turned a brilliant white when | | | | celebration" was born as a marketing slogan. |
| fired and for which the local Ohio clay was | | | | Eleven different Fiesta colors were |
| particularly well suited. This dinnerware was | | | | introduced between 1936 and 1959, starting |
| sold primarily to restaurants and hotels as | | | | with red (made from depleted uranium oxide), |
| an inexpensive but attractive substitute for | | | | medium green, cobalt blue, yellow, and ivory |
| more expensive china. The Homer Laughlin | | | | and, followed by turquoise in 1938, gray and |
| China Company was incorporated in 1886 | | | | light green in 1943, and forest green, |
| although Homer left the company very soon | | | | chartreuse, and rose in 1951. While new |
| thereafter and turned management over to | | | | colors were added thereafter and some colors |
| others. | | | | were retired, Fiesta remained very consistent |
| | | | in both styling and in the bold use of color. |