Do other people think about this stuff?
Posted on October 1, 2007 in Personal thoughts by DM
Leigha’s post about her new dishes and Larry’s reference to dish night at mid-century movie theaters got me thinking the other day about dishes in general, and in my life. First of all, may I just admit up front that I am absolutely addicted to dishes… especially vintage dishes! I love to bring them home from thrift stores, auctions, even eBay.
A few of my favorites:
I have a wonderful (and large!) set of Royal China’s Currier & Ives pattern that my grandmother gave to me several years ago - these were the ones we used to use when we’d go to her house for holiday dinners. Because I recently purged a bunch of chipped plates and other miscellany from my kitchen cupboard, I moved these to the front of the line for use everyday. (Why should I wait or Christmas to enjoy them?) They were originally sold and/or given away as grocery store premiums beginning, I believe, in the 1940’s and ending in the 1970’s. I have often set a very pretty Christmas dinner table by pairing the casual blue-and-white dinner plates with a smaller, gold-rimmed white dessert plate.
When I married my husband, I registered at Younkers for a casual pattern called Franciscan Apple. It’s been around for decades; it’s a hand-painted pattern with a very autumn feel to it. We only received one piece for our wedding, but fortunately the giver chose wisely: probably noticing that no one else had purchased any of it, they opted to give us a serving platter. I can mix-and-match that with lots of other things and it fits right in.
I also love Depression Glass. These pieces, which today can be very expensive to buy, were originally made beginning in the early 1930’s and were made cheaply so they were affordable. They were often given away as premiums in grocery stores, movie theaters, or by mail. (Prior to the era of Depression Glass, similar cheaply-made tableware was called Early American Pattern Glass, or EAPG. I have a couple of pieces of this from my grandmother as well.) I have only a few pieces of Depression Glass, but they are beautiful.
Another favorite pattern is the perennial Old Country Roses by Royal Albert China. This beautiful floral set has gold leafing around the edges and comes from England. I only own one place setting in this pattern, but would love to own more as budget allows. (Sometimes a girl just has to choose: chrome for the motorcycle, or more dishes?)
What do you use for dinnerware? Have any heirloom pieces from the family? Have you been using the same stuff for years and no longer notice it? What patterns do you remember - or perhaps still use - from childhood?
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