Once again, another great find at Goodwill. This time, I found a gorgeous casserole among a pile of pots and pans. I wasn't curious at first. I just wanted to pull it from underneath so it wouldn't get crushed. I had a big surprise when I retrieved it. It was a well made ceramic casserole with a pretty matching lid. It was in mint condition and had a company mark on the bottom.
I was very happy to get it for $3.99 to add to my kitchen collection and I made a note to check out the mark.
The story a mark can tell!! It turned out that this casserole was made by John B. Taylor Company, a well known ceramic maker in Louisville, Kentucky. The company has been around since 1815 and was sold to Louisville Stoneware in 1970. The company is still in operation, and most of the vintage designs are still in production today.
The mark on the casserole indicated that this was a piece that was made sometime between 1960 and 1970. Here are some clues (learned from Googling):
- The John B. Taylor mark indicated that this casserole was produced before the company was sold to Louisville Stoneware, so it predated 1970.
- "Made in the U.S.A." was added after 1954. If you see a JB Taylor ceramic without it, then you know it is an old piece.
- The pattern "Harvest" was introduced in 1954 - mine said "Harvest".
- The pattern title was added to the mark in the 1960s, so mine was produced during the 60s. Geez, it's as old as me!!
Isn't this cool? This is why I love rummaging in thrift stores. I never know what history lessons I will learn from the things I pick up.
Intrigued? Visit your local thrift stores and check out the stuff. Some of them may have a story to tell you.
Happy thrifting!!
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