Vigo County Historical Society

Dishes designed to encourage eating, learning the ABCs

Children’s feeding dishes were designed to encourage children to eat. Used as long ago as Green and Roman times, most dishes found today are from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Designed for strength and durability, the dishes are thick-rimmed and somewhat heavy. Some had compartments that held hot water below the dish to ensure warm food. Some plates had sections for different foods.

Plate decorations included animals, children at play, religious maxims, nursery rhymes, historic events, characters from literature such as Kate Greenaway, Sunbonnet Babies, Disney animals and comic strip characters.

Many of these dishes do not have factory marks but do indicate the country of origin, such as Germany or Czechoslovakia. However, Germany’s Royal Bayreuth pottery did mark its china and was famous for the Sunbonnet Baby series. The Staffordshire potteries of England produced many ABC plates in the mid 19th century.

American companies also responded to the demand for baby feeding dishes. The Rosewille Co. in Ohio made more than 25 children’s items such as egg cups, pitchers, cereal sets, mugs and the basic feeding dish. The Buffalo Pottery produced the famous "Campbell Kids" series and "Chessie," the sleeping cat, to stimulate interest in the comfort of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Companies in East Liverpool, Ohio, produced many plates from 1900 to 1920.

The early ABC plates made from 1780 to 1860 were teaching aids to children learning to read. These English-made plates had an ABC border and a center picture of a landmark, literary character or a hero.

The plate and cup pictured may be seen in the toy shop on the second floor of the museum.