American Christmas Tree™
American Christmas Tree™ – Pattern No. FA (?)
Introduced: 2002
Discontinued:
Produced on White Fiesta®, and can be found in the following pieces: oval bowl (0409), spoon rest (0439), ring handle mug (0453), medium oval platter (0457), large oval platter (0458), medium cereal bowl (0461), classic salad plate (0464), classic dinner plate (0466), vegetable bowl 30 oz. (0471), large disc pitcher (0484), sauceboat (0486), round candlestick (0488), individual creamer (0492), large teapot (0496), salt / pepper set (0497), individual covered sugar (0498).
- The illustration to the right is the Cuthbertson Import’s 2002 retail sales sheet for their American Christmas Tree™ design.
- Colors used in this pattern are: dark green Yellow, red, black, blue, and brown.
- Don’t get the American Christmas Tree™ version (as illustrated to the left) mixed up with the Original Christmas Tree™ version (as illustrated to the right).
- Note how the toys were changed at the base of the tree and less lines around the Star of Christmas.
- The American Christmas Tree™ has a red band around the plate where the Original Christmas Tree™ has a green band.
- Cuthbertson Imports also offered glassware to match as illustrated to the left.
- Glassware came in four sizes – goblet, DOF (double ole fashion), high ball and ice tea.
There is some great history behind this pattern.
“In 1922, Mr. Fred Cuthbertson of Greenwich, Connecticut, created the “Original Christmas Tree” pattern for fine dinnerware. To appeal to the American market, he designed a traditional American Christmas tree. Adorned with the traditional Star of Christmas on top and presents round the tree, with toys in keeping with the 1920’s. To complement the tree a trim of Christmas green was used to border the ware.
Mr. Cuthbertson owned the prestigious Plummer’s store in New York and retailed his new “Original Christmas Tree” design exclusively in his store under the Plummer’s backstamp. In the beginning, the pattern was produced in Ohio. Later the pattern was made in England where it is still produced today.
The pattern was continually produced throughout the 1920s and 1930s with the green band. For two years during World War II, Mr. Cuthbertson introduced a similar pattern using a red band and toys to reflect the times. Both the “Original Christmas Tree” and the new red band pattern were produced in the United States. After the war, production on this new pattern was discontinued and the “Original Christmas Tree” pattern was again produced in England.
In the 1950’s Mr. Cuthbertson’s sons offered the “Original Christmas Tree” pattern through a new company they named Cuthbertson House and for wholesale to other fine stores under the name Bertson House.
In the 1970’s both names were changed to Cuthbertson Imports. Cuthbertson Imports owns the design copyrights for the pattern in England, Canada, and the United States. Additionally, Cuthbertson owns the copyrights to the name “Original Christmas Tree” in all three countries.
Produced for over 92 years Cuthbertson’s Christmas Tree pattern is the original. Over the years many manufacturers have since marketed Christmas tree designs on ceramics and glassware but none, we feel, are equal in overall appeal to Cuthbertson’s “Original Christmas Tree”.” (2014 +/-) (cuthbertsondinnerware.com/story.html)
In 2002, a year after Cuthbertson Imports became a distributor of Fiesta®, Cuthbertson Imports commissioned HLC to produce on White Fiesta® their “American Christmas Tree™”.
- It’s sad to see this beautiful line of dinnerware now being produced in China.
Fun Fact –
- Fred Cuthbertson’s great granddaughter (Heidi Cuthbertson) noted on a YouTube video about the “Original Christmas Tree™” that Fred’s “second wife was from the Spode® family and he agreed to allow Spode® to create a similar pattern as long as they made some key changes to the design.”
- Note: Spode® did not produce their version of the Christmas Tree until 1938. That is 16 years after the “Original Christmas Tree™” design was first produced.