Thursday, August 7, 2008

The ugliest plates.




I bought these at a Portland estate sale for $1 each. The woman whose estate it is/was is not dead; she just moved out of her house and her family was getting rid of a lot of her stuff. I was looking for plates to use as saucers under plants, but these aren't for that. I don't know what they're for. Donna thinks I should put them up in my bathroom. I think they're too scary. But I love them somehow. I love how they are immortalizing these anonymous homely Victorian women... I love the colors of old porcelain, the gold and the green... I love that they are portraits, and that they were probably given away free with purchase.

Each plate says at the bottom: HAMPTON'S FAVORITE TOILET CREAM FOR SALE AT ALL DRUGGISTS Prepared by J.B. HAMPTON, COLBY, KANSAS. I tried to find out something about them, about J.B. Hampton, and/or about Hampton's Favorite Toilet Cream, to no avail. Anyone inspired to research them, please let me know if you learn anything.

2 comments:

Jan Mendoza said...

I have one of these plates! My mom was just placed in a living facility and we were going through all of her nic nacs that she had for years in her hutch. The plate is an image of a man and woman sharing a hand muff and the back says the same thing as your plate. "Hampton's favorite Toilet Cream" Its a Dresdin China. She most likely got it in the 1950s. Not sure what its worth

Jan Mendoza said...

I have a plate from my mom that has the same writing on the back. HAMPTON'S FAVORITE TOILET CREAM FOR SALE AT ALL DRUGGISTS Prepared by J.B. HAMPTON, COLBY, KANSAS. It also says Dresdin China. However the image on the front is a man and woman sharing a hand muff. This drug store must have given away these plates with purchase or something. I have no idea what they are worth!