The Grill Plate Mystery - SOLVED!
Collectors of Carr China have likely run across the occasional grill plate. These divided plates were popular in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and often found in the cafeteria-style restaurants that flourished in urban areas.
Astute collectors have also been perplexed by the naming convention Carr (and others) used for their grill plates. The term "grill plate" really refers to a divided or multi-compartment plate. These plates were given unique names - based on popular cities - to distinguish their unique size and styling. Thanks to a site visitor and restaurantware collector, we now know the following attributes to distinquish the city name on the backstamp:
Oakland - a three-compartment plate measuring 9 1/4"
Detroit - a five-compartment plate measuring 9 1/2"
St. Louis - a three-compartment plate measuring 9 1/2"
New York - a three-compartment plate measuring 10"
Chicago - a three-compartment plate measuring 10 1/4"
Philadelphia - a three-compartment plate measuring 11"
The patterns which appear on the plates are not always identified separately, which I believe has likely contributed to the confusion that has existed. Now we know! Thanks, Bill!
