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The Hawaiian Garden

Vernon Kilns " Aloha Don Blanding " Hawaiian Collection

During the late 1930's & well into the 1940's America had a fascination with tropical design & décor. During World War II, U.S. military families were stationed at Pearl Harbor. They bought Hawaiian furniture & fixtures, as it was too expensive to ship traditional heavy wooden furniture to Hawaii. Don Blanding was hired in 1936 by California-based Vernon Kilns to design Hawaiian styled patterns for a line of dinnerware.

Vernon Kilns " Hawaiian Flowers "
Vernon Kilns "Hawaiian Flowers" pattern by Don Blanding. Inspired by the profusion of magnificent flowers on the Hawaiian Islands. The backstamp shows the pattern name, along with the signature, "Aloha Don Blanding."
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 Vernonware  " Hawaiian Coral "
Vernonware's Hawaiian Coral dates back to 1952. It was produced in the San Marino shape and is a splattered pattern of brown, yellow and green on a cream background.
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 Vernon Kilns  " Coral Reef "

 Blanding's paintings often portray undersea views, flowers and branches. Underwater Scene,  from        c. 1927-30, demonstrates his use of sharp outlines and lack of shading. His ink drawings are a powerful part of his many literary publications. From 1938 to 1942, Don Blanding designed Hawaiian themed tableware for Vernon Kilns, near Los Angeles, California. The patterns he designed are Aquarium,        Coral Reef, Delight, Ecstasy, Glamour, Hawaii, Hawaiian Flowers, Hilo, Honolulu, and Lei Lani.

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Vernon Kilns " Lei Lani "
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     Vernon Kilns "Lei Lani" pattern by Don Blanding. Sometimes the history of tableware offers up the life stories of great characters; artist, poet, actor, and self-styled vagabond, Don Blanding (1894-1957), was one of them. The Lei Lani pattern by Vernon Kilns are essential representations of Blanding's life and career. Lei Lani was inspired by the profusion of magnificent flowers on the Hawaiian Islands. The backstamp shows the pattern name, along with the signature, "Aloha Don Blanding." (Later, in 1951, Blanding would write a Saturday column for the "Honolulu Star Bulletin" entitled, "Don Blanding Says 'Aloha'.")

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