The one big reason that we have a dining car department is because we want to be hospitable to our patrons in all respects - to make them feel the comfort, convenience and homelike atmosphere of our accommodations as soon as they step on our trains.  E. V. Baugh, Manager of the Dining Car and Commissary Department, B & O Railroad, 1920s

{HISTORY}

You might as well call this vintage celery dish a book  - not for its physical appearance or its size or dimension but for the amount of exciting stories that it contains. Made by Sterling Lamberton China for the Baltimore and Ohio (B & O) Railroad, the oldest train line in America, this dish pattern was created for use in the train line dining cars to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary (1827-1927). Designed by B & O employee, Olive Dennis in 1926, after an 1800's English Staffordshire pattern, this pattern was known as Colonial but later would come to be referred to also as Centenary by collectors. Olive, a college graduate who majored in Engineering, was so instrumental in the design of this centennial celebration project she was even involved in planning the overall dining car aesthetic aboard the trains. 

Connecting Eastern cities to the midwest, life aboard the B & O was an elegant affair, especially when it came to the dining cars where passengers could enjoy full meals complete with numerous courses. When this celebratory blue dishware came into production, it featured notable scenes of a variety of vistas and points of interest viewed along the train routes. In the 1930s, much to the delight of travelers, these dishes were such a beloved part of the train experience that B & O also offered them for sale, so that passengers could purchase a memento from their adventuresome trip.

This celery dish, also known as a celery trough, features the Cumberland Narrows, an Allegheny Mountains bridge built over the Potomac River in Cumberland, Maryland that sits close to Lover's Leap, the birthplace of many romantic legends. Originally when first produced in the 1920s, this scene was relegated only to platters, but in the 1950s when this specific piece was made, it was applied to celery dishes also. 

The celery dish in the 1930s was one of the more expensive pieces of dishware offered for purchase ($2.35 each).  It was not quite as expensive as an extra-large platter ($3.45) but not as economical as an oatmeal bowl ($0.70) which we think is a fun fact because it tells how much people enjoyed their celery during the early years of the 20th century.

In all practicality, celery dishes weren't used specifically just for the long green crunchers though. Back in the early 20th century, they also served up watermelon slices, onions and grapefruit. Nowadays we are not ones to give celery that much attention to yield a specific dish all their own, but this little worker of the dish world offers lots of modern potential especially when it comes to hors d'oeuvres hour or serving dips, nuts, cheese, olives or other similar nibbles for a petite affair.

Highly prized by railroad enthusiasts and travel collectors, it is fun to think how this now hard-to-find dish can tell so many different aspects of history. There's the story of transportation in America, the story of rail travel in the early 20th century,  the story of dish design and decadent dining while in motion, and the story of American geography and how it played a part in history as trains chugged their way across the country. All that wrapped up in one piece of pretty blue and white restaurant ware. In the beginning, this humble dish may have just served celery, but now it serves up so much more!

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Hard to find piece in the Colonial pattern

- Marked on back with the following info... 1827-1927 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad  Sterling Lamberton China 

{CONDITION}

In beautiful condition. Shiny glaze. No cracks, chips, or utensil marks. Because the original 1920s design plates were continued to be used through the 1950s, the imagery became more and blurry from use with each passing decade. This is a natural occurrence of the manufacturing process and this dish reflects that time-worn patina. 

{SIZE}

Measures 10" inches (length) x 4.75" inches (width) x 1.25"inches (height) and measures and weighs 1.02lbs.

{FOR THE COLLECTOR}

Let your eating adventures continue! Find more vintage railroad dishware here!