The Anniversary line was introduced in 1953 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Red Wing pottery industry. Six patterns were produced in the Anniversary shape, and the hollow ware for each of them was a solid color with covers that matched the pattern. Collectors usually associate each pattern with one solid color. But price lists from 1956 and 1957 offered multiple colors for each pattern. Thus Anniversary pieces that may appear to be mismatched could very well have been sold that way. Features of the Anniversary shape included a crosshatch textured surface on plates and bowls, a basket weave texture on hollowware exteriors, thin handles with a distinctive curve, and “curlique” finials on the covers that resembled the top of a soft-serve ice cream cone. The background color for all Anniversary flatware was white. Trivets were made in 1958 and 1959 for the Anniversary patterns that were still in production during those years; Capistrano, Pink Spice and Driftwood in 1958 and Capistrano and Driftwood in 1959.
Capistrano Years: 1953-1961 Place settings only 1962-1965
A Capistrano brochure described the handpainted design as “depicting the graceful dip of a yellow-breasted, jet black bird into colorful, fruited foliage”. The name of the pattern implied the artwork represented the celebrated annual return of swallows to Capistrano. This pattern sold well for a number of years and was the most successful of the Anniversary patterns. Capistrano remains popular with collectors today. Hollow ware for Capistrano was sage green, although price lists also offered white or gray as options.
Country Garden Years: 1953-1957
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Country Garden’s design was a bright, colorful floral pattern. A 1953 brochure described the pattern as “an all-over bouquet painted in natural colors of vivid lavender, gray, blue, green, yellow and old rose.” Country Garden hollowware was gray; other options were sage green, white, and pink. Like Capistrano, it remains popular today.
Tweed Tex Years: 1953-1956
All Tweed Tex pieces were white; it was the only Anniversary pattern with no hand painted pieces. Tweed Tex can be difficult to find today, especially accessories such as teapots and pitchers. A unique ink stamp was created to mark Tweed Tex flatware. It was the standard 1950s pink wing-shaped mark but with the word “handpainted” removed. This mark was used only on Tweed Tex pieces. White was the standard color for Tweed Tex hollow ware, but a 1956 price list also included black as a color option.
Pink Spice Years: 1953 or 1954 – 1958
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Pink Spice was another bright, colorful pattern. It featured red and pink flowers, green and yellow leaves, and a yellow butterfly. Two different shades of pink were used for Pink Spice hollowware. Dawn Pink, a dark pink close to lavender, was found on a 1954 price list. The 1956 and 1957 price lists included both Dawn Pink and Shell Pink. Shell Pink is a brighter, lighter shade and is found more readily today than Dawn Pink. By 1958 Shell Pink was listed as the only color option.
Midnight Rose Years: 1953 or 1954 – 1955
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In contrast to the bright colors of the Country Garden and Pink Spice patterns, Midnight Rose was stark and formal. The design showed a rose, leaves and branches in varying shades of gray and black. The resulting artwork had the appearance of a pencil drawing. Most collectors think of black as the hollowware color for Midnight Rose. But initially the color was white, as stated on a January 1, 1954 price list. Because Midnight Rose was not included on the 1956 or 1957 price lists, the black hollowware must have been added later in 1954 or in 1955 and produced for only a brief period. While not a big seller back in the day, the stark artwork and unusual black hollow ware serve to create collector interest in Midnight Rose today.
Driftwood Years: 1955-1961 Place settings only 1962-1965
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As described in a Driftwood brochure, the pattern depicted “cool, blue petals clinging here and there to a wandering bough of driftwood”. Red Wing’s descriptions were always fanciful and often exaggerated. The design included no sea or water as implied by “wandering bough”, only a wooden branch and blue petals. It was simple but effective. Like Midnight Rose, Driftwood hollowware was initially offered only in white. Turquoise was added January 1957, and by July 1957 it was the only color option listed.
