Franciscan Hand-Decorated Embossed DinnerwareCalifornia based Gladding, McBean & Co. began producing Franciscan dinnerware in the 1930s. Their introduction of Franciscan Apple in 1940 heralded a new product line featuring heavily sculpted, embossed dinnerware hand decorated in brilliant colors. Desert Rose, introduced a year later, became the top selling dinnerware pattern in the world. Many additional patterns were produced through 1984, when the Franciscan plant in Glendale, California was