Syracuse China collection at Onondaga Historical Association

In 2009, when the Syracuse China plant closed its doors for good on Court Street, it was then owned by Libby Glass. OHA negotiated with Libby for the entire historical collection, as well as all the archival collection from Syracuse, China. And that came to us in six tractor-trailer loads, those big 44-foot-long tractor-trailers. Well, this is an amazing collection of an American-made china, and really the company that was the first company to make fine china in America. Starting in the 1890s, Syracuse China, then known as Onondaga Pottery, began making really what was known as the best china in the world. It had all of the qualities of the finest china, the Haviland china from France and the Bone china from England, but it was actually much more durable. And it started because of a guy named James Pass, who got his degree in analytical chemistry from Syracuse University. So what you're looking at here is blue plum. This is probably the most collectible china of Syracuse, China. It's made with the same formula that Imperial Ghetto was made. That was the very first fine china made by Syracuse, China, the one that won all the awards in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition. Blue plum was made available only to Syracuse, China employees, and they came out with a new piece every year at holiday time. It was discontinued in the 1930s, and so this probably is the most collectible china made by Syracuse, China.