It's a store designed to be interesting, to be useful, to be hospitable; to assemble the rare and unusual in merchandise... (Wanamaker's Ad, 1932)

{HISTORY}

This large floral restaurant ware chop plate was made by Syracuse China sometime between 1927-1949. The name of the pattern, Old Haarlem, was first created in 1920 and consists of random sprays of cottage-style flowers including roses, tulips, buttercups, and daisies all accented by a blue stripe.  Possibly named after the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, this Old Haarlem pattern and several variations of it were made for Wanamaker's Department Store in NYC (see photo included here) at least through the 1940s.

Established as the first Department store in Philadelphia, PA in 1876, Wanamaker's expanded to New York City in 1896, where it became one of the leading department stores of its time offering a range of products and services geared towards luxury and convenience. 

Whether Wanamaker's used this dish in one of their several cafes located inside the department store or it was part of the dishware they sold in their china department is uncertain.  But either way, it was designed and destined for restaurant or hotel use somewhere in the city, which makes it fun to imagine the metropolitan life this country-style plate could have lived. 

Chop plates aren't the most elegant name for food that primarily served large cuts of meat, poultry, and seafood, but their big size is fantastic for serving all sorts of hefty foods from cakes to family-style meals meant to be shared among the table.

This pattern features an ivory-colored background known as Old Ivory which refers to ivory-colored clay used in the manufacturing process. Stamped with the O.P.Co mark on back, which stands for the Onondaga Pottery Company - the original name of Syracuse China) this chop plate represents all sorts of history from the pottery's long-standing successful career producing dishware for the restaurant, hotel, and railroad industries as well as being a part of the history of Wanamaker's and the dining scene in New York City. That's the beauty of vintage restaurant ware - one plate but many stories!

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Hard-to-find-Old Haarlem pattern

- Made between 1927-1949

- Stamped on back with maker's mark

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. Contains no chips or cracks. Some very light utensil marks can be seen only when the plate is held at an angle towards a light source.

{SIZE}

Measures 12.5" inches in diameter and weighs 2lbs. 12 oz

{FOR COLLECTORS}

Looking for more vintage restaurant and hotel ware? Find it here!