The “Godey Ladies” of Florence Ceramics
Q: Does this Florence Ceramics “Meg” have any value?
Florence Ceramics “Meg” 1952 – Blue dress
A: Florence of California, also known as Florence Ceramics, had its headquarters in Pasadena, California. The founder, Florence Ward, lost one of her children to a blood disease in 1939. To help cope with her loss, she took a class at the Franklin School for Pottery.
Florence was already a skilled sketch artist. After taking the ceramics class, she began producing semi-porcelain figurines in her garage. She proved to be a talented ceramicist, offering her pieces through a local studio. When the studio manager saw her work, he offered her an assistant position. She used the experience to learn all she could about the craft.
In 1942, her husband went to Utah for government service, and her other son was given a Marine posting. To stave off her loneliness, she dedicated her time to honing her craft, and Florence Ceramics was born. She was determined to ensure that every aspect of her work was historically correct. She studied works of art and periods of history—creating details such as lace accents, accessories, and historically accurate hairstyles—even painting copies of great works of art in museums to ensure that the costumes she created for her figurines were meticulously faithful to the period.
Ceramic mark: Meg – Florence Ceramics
The company moved to a modern 10,000-square-foot factory in Pasadena in 1949. Florence Ceramics had very high standards for quality, and soon, Western European companies sent representatives to learn Florence’s techniques. Along with the Victorian “Godey Ladies,” a nickname given to the 19th-century female figurines, Florence Ceramics created boxes, candle holders, various figurines, and other items for the gift shop trade. Unfortunately, the popular pieces were soon copied by mass producers, and an influx of substandard items flooded the market. The inability to compete and the loss of her husband led to the sale of the production plant (but not the Florence figurine copyrights) to Scripto in 1964. That company closed in 1977.
Many rarer Florence Ceramic figurines, such as this Lee Ann figurine (recently sold on eBay after what appears to be a spirited auction), can fetch over $1,000. This particular piece sold for $1,791,85.
This figurine by Florence Ward, entitled “Lee Ann,” sold on eBay at auction for $1,791.85. With her
intricately detailed lace top, auburn curls, white dress, and gold detailed purse, she is a rare find.
A review of recent eBay and WorthPoint sold listings for the “Meg” figurine reveals average prices of $50 – $100. The pricing likely depends on the rarity of the dress color. Listings over the past year seem to point to the coral dress as being one of the most popular versions.
Still, your Meg is a lovely example of the finely detailed work of Florence Ward. Her artware has been called a “labor of love” by her family and former employees, and Meg is a fine testament to the skill and talent of Florence Ceramics.
If you’d like to learn more about Florence Ceramics, there are two very good resource books available: The Complete Book of Florence Ceramics and Florence Collectibles: An Era of Elegance.
By Kele Johnson
Kele Johnson is the Digital Content Editor for Kovels Antique Trader. She has just enough domain knowledge about a wide variety of antiques to be dangerous. She teeters precariously between collector and hoarder of swung vases, Tiki mugs, and MCM everything. She can be reached at kelejohnson@aimmedia.com.
Postwar Silver Streak Iron made out of Pyrex.