No Cardholder Lefton Behind

I found these Lefton Christmas card holders at separate garage sales, but they go well together.

Admittedly, they're a little "cuter" than the pieces I normally collect, but I couldn't leave them behind for the price they were marked (under $1 each).  Based on the manufacturer labels, they date anywhere from the 1960's to '70's.

George Lefton established the Lefton Company, producers of fine porcelain, in Chicago in 1941.  After Pearl Harbor, Japanese-owned businesses in Chicago (and elsewhere) were targeted for looting and vandalism.  Lefton made a friend in a Japanese-American named Nunome when he helped him board up his shop.  When the war ended, Nunome was vital in helping Lefton establish a relationship with businesses in occupied Japan where he set up pottery and porcelain manufacturing plants.  Lefton was known for their quality pieces which are highly collectible today. George Lefton died in 1996 and his company was sold in 2001.