PARADE by Laurel

On the market by 1950.  Nothing found yet to confirm earlier than 1950.  Simple couple flatware with foot. Big bowled cups with ribbon handles, (Same ribbon observed on Mariposa/Hacienda ribbon variant).  Flatware (7", 10", and 12" plates) and bowl of cup molds used in later lines, LIVING, SeaSide, and other less known products. 2 sizes of shoulder rimmed bowls are unique to Parade, evidently.  A difficult to read photo of Parade in a an advertisment from Dec. 1950 shows what appears to be a sugar and creamer and shakers (?*) unique tp Parade (or at least not reused in the "big" lines).  22pc Set retail 7.95. (Dist. in eastern USA by Atlas CHina Company in New York.)

I've never found a piece marked - actually backstamped with "Parade",  so identification comes with familiarizing yourself with Laurel shapes.  Laurel Company did us no favor in leaving so many of their wares either unmarked or generically marked "Laurel"or such.  One long term employee interviewed also mentioned that even ware normally marked, was often rushed through production skipping the back-stamping process.

4 colors:  "Avocado Green",  "Desert Lime", "California Burgundy", and "Oyster Grey".  These are colors found on Brutsche-become-Bauer Brusche, Knowles Accent, Hollydale Malibu Modern, Santa Anita California Modern, Vernon Kilns Ultra California,  late 40's lines, Metlox Tiempo (1950), Salem lines, to metnion a few, and these colors were continued into early fifties...so not entirely improbable that Parade was available perhaps a little bit before the ad I have for it in Dec. 1950.  On the other hand, it uses shapes utilized in  LIVING, aka California Living, a considerably more "Important" line for Laurel, (with an array of several shapes), and which was officially introduced in 1950.

Laurel was up with trends.  Ornament was passé for trendy buyers; so we see this very simple line.  Charles Scarpino claims to have designed it, at least he said so in interviews in 2002.  (See discussion of his role in the design in LIVING.)

Not a durable ware.  We suspect this was a less extensive set, without some of the greater variety of shapes available in LIVNG.

As mentioned in some of these guides I had a tremendous loss of good photos in a computer disaster, including alas, additional pictures of Parade.  I wish I could have at least shown you a close up of the bowls.

(*shakers shape same as Living??)