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Overland Trail Museum curator Kay Rich holds up a piece from her fiesta dinnerware collection during the museum's History Café program Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

China and glassware from Overland Trail Museum's collection, as well as a few belonging to museum curator Kay Rich and museum staff member Zach Pomeroy were on display at the museum's History Café program Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

China and glassware from Overland Trail Museum's collection, as well as a few belonging to museum curator Kay Rich and museum staff member Zach Pomeroy were on display at the museum's History Café program Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

Items you might find on your dinner table have changed over the years as dining has moved from a fine dining experience to a more casual experience. Overland Trail Museum took a look at some of the china and glassware of the past at its History Café program Wednesday.

Curator Kay Rich started the program talking about how china and glassware has evolved. In the 1930s spaghetti sets, corn on the cob sets and deviled egg plates were all introduced and by the late 1930s holiday dishes became popular. In 1938, the first Christmas dinnerware set was sold.

It was during this era that Homer Laughlin’s brightly colored fiesta dinnerware came around. Frederick Hurten Rhead, the company’s art director, developed an art deco design with concentric circles that made it look as if the pieces had been formed by hand. This china was mass produced and sold in high design stores.

In the 1940s the formal table setting continued, but in the 1950s it became more causal. During the 50s, more causal get-togethers became popular with neighbors and friends often hosting each other, which led to the invention of the chip and dip set.

By the 1970s fondue dinners became popular.

The most expensive china is Flora Danica, which celebrated its 230th anniversary in 2020. It remains one of the world’s most prestigious and luxurious porcelain collections, which each piece created and painted by hand, just as it was in the 1700s. The cost for a five piece plate setting set is $4,000 and a new Royal Copenhagen soup tureen is $42,000.

Rich also spoke about the difference between bone china verses fine china. Bone china has cow bone ash mixed in the ceramic material; the cow bone was used to give it a unique color and tone. The bone china is more translucent and will let more light shine through.

Additionally, she provided some information about the White House China Room, which opened in 1918 during the Woodrow Wilson Administration. First Lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson was the first to display the china in the room in 1917 and today every president is represented in the room, though not all designed and purchased a state service during their administration.

In 1845, it was determined that new china should be ordered during the Polk Administration. The dinner service ordered in 1846 and the cost for 400 pieces was $979.40. The dinner service included a plain white design with gold trim, which made it a popular service for different administrations to use through the years, while the dessert was a soft green border with polychrome flowers.

First Lady Carline Harrison wanted new china that would be symbolic and meaningful to Americans. An artist herself, the first lady placed the coat of arms of the United States in the center of the plate and designed a golden rod and corn motif etched in gold around the white bamboo border. There were also 44 gold stars, one for each state at the time.

Harrison directed a large remodeling of the White House and added a china closet to display all of the past presidential china services. Unfortunately, she was not able to use the china she ordered, because she died before it was delivered to the White House in Dec. 1892.

The Lincoln china is the first service that was chosen entirely by a first lady. Mary Todd Lincoln felt that it was important to maintain the proper appearance in the White House, so that borders would perceive America as strong and her husband’s administration as in control.

First Lady Edith Wilson preferred American made china, so the Wilson’s pattern was designed by Lenox’s chief designer, Frank Holmes, who chose a restrained theme. It was designed by an American artist, made by American pottery and decorated by American workmen.

By 1933, the Wilson’s service had become depleted and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt promoted new china during a very difficult economic times to keep American workers employed. The Roosevelt’s ordered Lenox china from an American store in Oct. 1934; the pattern included a border of 48 gold stars, one for every state, and the presidential seal.

First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson worked very closely with a designer at Tiffany and Company, in New York City and her china as made by Castleton China. Johnson integrated her main cause as first lady, which was beautification. Her dinner pieces featured the Eagle first designed by the Monroe Administration and the border was decorated with over 40 different wild flowers found throughout the United States, while the dessert plates featured the state flower of every state.

The flowers were hand painted, which delayed the completion of the china until the summer of 1972, four years into the Nixon Administration.

Rich also showed some of the china and glassware from her personnel collection and the museum’s collection, which can mostly be found in the Johnson Room, though there are pieces scattered throughout the museum as well. Some of the china was packed away carefully and brought on covered wagons, some was given as wedding gifts but unfortunately the museum does not have the back story for most of the pieces.

Dinnerware items she showed included a brass crumber, salt cellar, a silver caster set over 130 years old, mustard jar, pickle dish, powdered sugar shaker, butter dish, soup tureen and a toothpick holder.

Rich also showed several different kinds of glassware from the museum’s collection, as well as museum staff member Zach Pomeroy’s collection, including carnival glass, Depression glass, goofus glass and milk glass.

Some of the unique pieces in the museum’s collection include a 1953 Howdy Doody glass, a uranium glass jar, a very tiny cup and saucer, and a baby plate. Plus, there is a water pitcher from the 1904 St. Louis World Fair and dinnerware from around the world including Ireland, Japan and Germany.

Along with the pieces Richs showed, on guests tables there was Polish pottery loaned to the museum by The Old Library Mercantile, as well as pieces from Rich’s personnel collection. Plus, several guests also brought their own pieces to show off.

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