My life-long friend, Sandy, not only enjoys going to tea parties with me, she likes going antiquing with me too. Last May when we attended the Victorian Festival in Romeo, Michigan, we went to Kane's Town Hall [an antique mall in the same city] where I spotted a teapot that was similar to the everyday dishes my mother used when I was growing up. My mom got the dishes at A & P grocery store. The teapot was inexpensive so I purchased it.
The teapot is the Colonial Homestead pattern series manufactured by Royal China USA. The pattern my mother had was the Old Curiosity Shop series also made by Royal China. The transferware patterns are easily interchangeable, and since the dishes have no markings, they are sometimes confused with each other. The dishes are durable and pottery-like, rather than delicate and china-like.
Now fast forward to this past November when Sandy and I visited Jeffrey's Antique Mall in Findlay, Ohio. I saw a creamer and sugar bowl in the Old Curiosity Shop pattern, and debated about getting it, but then passed it by.
When Sandy and I got together last Saturday to attend the Chinese New Year's tea, she gave me my birthday present which was the sugar and creamer.
Now I have a three-some, and will be looking for a couple of cups and saucers to go with it, and will stop my collection there.
It took me awhile to track down the patterns, as well as the history of Royal China USA, which is no longer in business. The company was started in 1934 in Sebring, Ohio, with the intent of producing dinnerware premiums for grocery stores and gas stations, as well as souvenir items. The dinnerware patterns were in groups called "series," which varied from year to year. Currier and Ives was the most popular of their many patterns.
Colonial Homestead was introduced in the early 1950's and was still being sold by Sears catalog in the late 1960's. Old Curiosity Shop was sold primarily during the 1950's.
While I'm not collecting the complete set, it is fun having a few pieces like the dishes used when I was growing up. It's reminds me of a sign I once saw - "Nostalgia sells!" ;-) Anyone else grow up with these dishes??
OH BOY IS THIS EVER FAMILIAR. We had them in the kitchen. I can still remember them in the 60's and mostly I remember plates with a spinning wheel on them. As a teenager in the 60's I did not like them. We had sofas with Colonial fabrics and I remember "colonial" style was popular. Of course, I was a teenager and this is typical that teens usually don't like what is familiar. My Mom is 85 now and I think I saw a couple pieces in the kitchen last time I was there.
ReplyDeleteWe had these as a child. It was only plate I would eat out of. I called them gun plates for the gun above the fireplace I now have several pieces of my own jut for memories
DeleteI don't think I have ever seen these before, but I do like them. And how nice that you found the affordable teapot. Even nicer to have the cream and sugar as a gift! I hope you can find a plate or two and a couple of teacups so you can enjoy using them together and thinking of good times growing up.
ReplyDeleteI also remember this: my grandmother worked at the A & P Grocery Store and then she worked at the Colonial Store. Maybe that's why we had the dishes? I remember going in there - I was maybe 6 years old and there was no conveyer belt where you put your groceries to pay for them. There was a board she would pull to move them forward. When those conveyer belt came out - that was really progressive! Ha!!!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! This brought back memories. An aunt had that set...hadn't thought about the pattern for years. How fun!
ReplyDeleteRuth
No I didn't grow up with these dishes, but they do look familiar. I do like finding teaware made in the US, so these would be a treat.
ReplyDeleteI have an entire set of these dishes serving bowls, teapots butter dish etc.
DeleteHow fun for you to find dishes you grew up with. My mother only ever used a Brown Betty teapot and I can't remember the dishes we ate from although I'm sure they were a collection of patterns.
ReplyDeleteJudith
I didn't grow up with these dishes, but I do see this pattern every once in a while and have been very drawn to it!
ReplyDeleteI'm having trouble finding any information as to the years the different series were made. I am particularly interested in the 'Colonial Homestead Spinning Wheel" dinner set.
ReplyDeleteI have a good collection of the colonial homestead by Royal made in USA circa dishes stamped on back. I have some matching dishes that do not have anything on the back. Don't know why. I have several really cool serving dishes that say God Bless our home on side. However it doesn't say colonial homestead on back. Do you know how to determine if they are just replicas if not stamped on bottom.
ReplyDelete