Antique Headland Hotel Crescent Salad Plates circa 1912-1950s - Set of Four

The Prince was due to arrive at the Headland Hotel at 8:45 pm...

 

{HISTORY}

That little snippet above was from a newspaper article announcing the Prince of Wales arrival at The Headland Hotel in Newquay on May 27, 1921, as printed in the Newquay Guardian and Cornwall County Chronicle. It's just one little moment of excitement in this historic hotel’s long history of hospitality.

Receiving its first guest in 1900, The Headland sits above a bluff looking out over Fistral Beach, one of England's best surfing spots. Designed to impress from the very beginning, this Victorian hotel was determined to make Cornwall the destination for lavish and luxurious overnight accommodations. 

As with most relics that have survived a century, the hotel has seen the most glorious of times and the most challenging, but still it remains, through luck and stewardship a convivial vacation spot where guests can enjoy a warm welcome on a unique slice of British coastline.

These antique salad plates with their large crescent shape and stylized pattern represent the hotel's history during the early part of the 20th century, back when it was the epitome of glamour and good times. The backstamp firmly dates the plates to the years between 1912 and 1950, but with their art deco stripes to one side, their black edging, and historic crest, we'd pinpoint these plates to the 1920s era specifically. 

Made by Minton Pottery in Staffordshire, England, these porcelain plates are especially delightful for their shape, which is similar to antique bone dishes but much larger. They are also wonderfully shabby in appearance, stalwart testaments to good times had by many during their run at Headland. Now very rare and hard to find, these dishes are ambassadors of England’s prestigious hotel history and the warm hospitality that always simmers just below the surface. 

Time travelers from a century ago, their orange and black color palette and dignified crest, lend an elegance to any contemporary table that seeks a bit of storytelling in its atmosphere. Did the Prince of Wales dine from these very dishes? Perhaps. And maybe countless other celebrities of their day and time. In our world, here In The Vintage Kitchen, it's not so much the person behind the plate that makes it special but the plate itself and all that dazzling history it holds firmly in its presence.

Photos of Headland Hotel courtesy of historichotelsthenandnow.com and Steve Daniels. Antique newspaper article courtesy of Newquay Guardian and Cornwall County Chronicle, May 27 1921. Historic dining room photo courtesy of headlandhotel.co.uk

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Matching set of four
• Each plate contains the hotel crest on the front and the Minton mark on the back
• Colors include orange, black, and bright white
  

{CONDITION}

In well-loved vintage condition, each plate is free of chips, cracks, spots, and staining. The Headland Hotel mark is crisp and clear on all plates. The striping and black edge around each plate show wear. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Each plate measures 8.25" inches (length) x 5" inches (width) and weighs 11 oz.