The Egg Plate That Started It All

Egg Plate 1.0

This is the egg plate that began my collection of over 100 egg plates!

My grandmother moved to California during the Great Depression. Although they owned farmland in the eastern part of Oklahoma and my grandfather was a representative for a tractor company, times were economically very hard.

They moved to California just prior to the start of World War II.

My grandmother worked for the railroad on the engines making the trip over the Tehachapi Mountains between Mojave and Bakersfield. Next she worked for the war effort in Supply Departments on Marine and Navy military bases.  She was one of the many women who were the “Rosie, the Riveter” workers.

She did not leave her job after WWII but continued in her job until retirement.  Working in this way was somewhat uncommon in her day, but she was an excellent role model.

Even though she worked out of the home, there was always great food for family gatherings and the dinner table always had potato salad and her white and gold egg plate full of deviled eggs.

It was my good fortune to be given the egg plate upon her death in the mid-1960’s.  This style of egg plate must have been very common in the south and mid-west.  I once saw a stack of 30 of this style in an antique store in South Dakota.

I have also seen this style in plain white milk glass, opalescent (in several shades), blue milk glass with gold rim, and clear glass.

I began to notice and buy egg plates in antique stores and soon my collection grew to include new and old styles.

Egg Plates Everywhere 1

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