Some of the earliest Bread Trays are recorded in the manufacturer's
catalogues and shape books. Bell's Bread tray was registered in 1848 and was
produced as early as 1861. Pugin, the arcitect responsible for the Houses of
Parliament, was a freind of Minton and designed one of the best known Bread
Trays in about 1850. It had a pattern of wheat with with leaves and
geometrical motifs with the rim inscribed with the words, 'Waste not, want
not.' An example of this sold at Christies in London for £1,210. In late 1867
Wedgewood registered a design for The Sickle Bread Tray, which by 1879 had
been made in nine different versions.
In the Pottery Gazette of the 1880's and the Crockery and Glass Journal many
of the manufacturers always list Bread Trays amongst their range of products.
Typically they were classed as 'Flatware' The vast majority of manufacturers
were situated in and around Stoke-upon-Trent, but there were others around the
country, on the Continent and in America. In 1907 the Army and Navy stores had
a plain ivory tray for sale at 2 shillings and 4 pence (12p) and a gilt edged
version for 3 shillings(15p).There were hundreds of small potteries in
Staffordshire in the latter half of the 19th century most of which disappeared
many years ago and their records with them. Many different moulds were made
and each one printed with a variety of designs. For the collector this is good
news, as there appears to be an almost unendind supply of different designs.
If you want to be more selective it is possible just to collect trays
commemorating Royal occasions, presents from seaside towns, certain subjects
such as birds or Majlica, if you have deep pockets.
Bread Trays were never intended to cut the bread on although many examples
show such signs of misuse. In polite society the cutting would have been done
on a wooden board either in the kitchen or on a side table and the transferred
to the tray.
They were produced in vast quantities and in the 1980's it was fairly easy to
find them in antique shops and at car boot sales. Today they are are more
difficult to find and you have to pay considerably more for them, but with a
lot of searching you can still be lucky. The best place to start your search
would be at one of the many large antique fairs.
Many firms produced Bread Trays in Majolica and these are generally of much
better quality and consequently much more expensive than the general
earthenware ones. The big surge in interest in Majolica ware has forced prices
up. A recent search of American Internet site came up with lots of Majolica
trays for sale, most of them English, the prices ranging from £300 to £1000.
Majolica is not cheap. It is nice to have a few peices in your collection but
for the more modest colector the are plenty of beautiful and affordable trays.
These have quite a wide price range and as a rough guide expect to pay between
£20 and £40. If you are lucky you can still find them for £5! but be
prepared to pay £100 for something special.
Most Bread Trays are highly decorative and generally have a transfer printed
design in the middle representing flowers or a rural scene perhaps. Floral
designs were undoubtedly the most popular but there were many other subjects.
Often around the edges are embossed some words usually, 'Give us this day our
daily bread' but also 'Where reason rules the appetite obeys' or 'Eat thy
bread with thankfulness.'
The real joy of Bread Trays is that they are so easy to display. They look
perfect at the back of a cabinet or on a Welsh dresser. They can also have a
plate wire put on and be hung on the wall. We have all our hung in rows above
the picture rail, ideal if you are lucky enough to live in an older house.
Like all nice things grouped together they take on a co0llective identity. We
have so many now that we have them colour co-ordinated to match individual
rooms.
Strangely very litle has been written about Bread Trays although I know of
several collectors. The dealers seem to be able to sell them very quickly as
long as they ask sensible prices. They appear to be an item that has been
overlooked, or neglected in the shadow of the more illustrious Majolica.
Several books do mention Bread Trays and give an example of one and maybe a
price guide. There is an American book, 'Bread Plates and Platters' by Anna
maude Stuart 1965 but this is purely about American pressed glass plates and
platters. Bread Trays still represent a good buying and collecting opportunity
but this situation will not last for long. Prices are going up steadily and
they are becoming scarcer.
Most Bread Trays do have a mark on the back and with a little research can be
dated. They can also be roughly dated by looking at the design and the mould.
The Victorian moulds were much thicker and deeper than later ones. Prior to
1884 pottery marks were impressed and few companies did so after this date.
After 1910 'Made in England' was transferred on to the back. This had to be
put on for export purposes and most companies did so as a matter of course.
Condition is important and many are badly worn. Commonly they are scratched
and chipped and you should bargain for a good price. Some that have been in
regular use have had their patterns all but worn away and any gold lustre
might have completely disappeared. Avoid such examples. On the other hand many
people never used them and they survive in perfect condition. Having aquired
such examples look after them well. Never wast them with anything abrasive or
scrub them. It is best to soak them in warm soapy water and lightly wipe. As a
last resort badly stained examples can be soaked in bleach or denture cleaner.
