AMOR PATRIAE DUCIT ... (THE MOTTO OF THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB, WHICH MEANS LOVE OF COUNTRY LEADS) 

{HISTORY}

If ever there was a batch of serving dishes that promoted peace, understanding and community, it would be these six  - a collection of elegant gold and white bread plates made especially for the Union League Club. Like so many vintage restaurant ware and hotelware serving pieces, these plates tell four stories in one - the history of the maker (Warwick China), the history of the distributor (Wright, Tyndale & Van Roden), the year they were manufactured (1937) and the history of the esteemed establishment for which they were made (The Union League Club).

The oldest story of the four starts with the distributor, Founded in 1842, under the name Steele Bros., Wright, Tyndale and van Roden officially changed names in 1844. They grew to become the preeminent retailer of glassware and china in the Mid-Atlantic region and boasted a reputation for providing an exemplary shopping experience.  A glamorous staple in the city where shoppers could always expect beautiful serving ware displayed in a beautiful environment, shopping at W.T.vR. was a creative, stylish, and artistic affair. Displayed over multiple floors, their distinctive dishware was imported from the finest pottery makers in Europe and customers could rely on finding luxury brands, exquisite craftsmanship and unique designs.  

Like Wright, Tyndale and Van Roden, Warwick China was also founded in the 1800s. Based in Wheeling, West Virginia, Warwick produced dishware from the 1880s to 1951, supplying households, restaurants, and hotels with beautiful dishes in a variety of sophisticated patterns and shapes. The thin gold stripes and the shimmery gold monogram of the Union League Club are just one example of the elegant style that Warwick produced for various dining establishments around the US. 

The Union League Club was first established in New York City in 1862 by a few prominent and successful Manhattan businessmen who were upset by the pro-slavery sentiments that were dividing the country during the Civil War.  Initially, they wanted to express support for the Union Army's fight to end slavery in the United States and to promote peace, prosperity, and understanding for all citizens across the country. Using their own pool of financial resources, the Club focused on projects that would promote the betterment of the country for everyone not just certain classes or ethnicities. Projects included funding the first Union Army African American regiment during the Civil War,  offering a supportive role in the founding of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, raising funds for the erection and permanent display of the Statue of Liberty, and establishing the U.S Sanitary Commission (the precursor to the American Red Cross). Such noble deeds orchestrated amongst the country's most philanthropic donors led the Union League to set up clubs in various cities around the United States - one being in Philadelphia, which opened in 1862 and is still in operation today with over 4000 members.

The Union League of Philadelphia is housed in a beautiful c.1865 French Renaissance-style building in the historic district of downtown Philadelphia. In the 1930s, the building underwent various improvements to the kitchen and dining rooms and in 1937, these dishes joined the serving collection of the newly refurbished dining spaces.

There was lots to talk about over meals served at the club that year. 1937 was full of interesting headlines. Of Mice and Men was published. Howard Hughes was setting cross-country flight records. The United Auto Workers Union was on strike. William Henry Hastie was elected as the first African American judge. The Golden Gate Bridge opened to car and pedestrian traffic. Amelia Earhart disappeared while en route from New Guinea to Howland Island. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs debuted at the movie theater. And the Lincoln Tunnel opened, offering an additional transportation route between Philadelphia and NYC. 

It's fun to imagine the types of conversations these dishes would have been a part of, not only in 1937 but all the other years they were in service after that too. Now a hard-to-find collection of dishes from a club aimed at improving life in all ways, these plates are a lovely symbol of our country's integrity and the people that stood behind it. 

Photos of the Union League of Philadelphia included here date from 1909 and 2017 courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Union League of Philadelphia.  

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Hard to find pattern

- Union League Club monogram

- Each plate is stamped on the back with the Warwick mark. One plate contains the Wright, Tyndale and van Roden mark. And one plate contains the date stamp of 1937. 

{CONDITION}

In good vintage condition, these plates contain no chips, cracks or staining. The gold stripes around the rim are wearing on all plates giving them a shabby chic aesthetic befitting of their 90 years of life. The gold monograms of the Union League Club are in very good condition with crisp and clear lines and little to no wear. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Each plate measures 6.25" inches (diameter) and weighs between 9-10 oz.

{FOR COLLECTORS}

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