This Chicago Railroad Fair plate commemorates the 1949 industry gathering in Chicago. It is popular, but worth less than $50.
Two photos, Peter Smith
Q I have been given a nice dining-type plate commemorating the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair. It is cream-colored with red-brown single-color images of seven period locomotives (for example: Minnetonka, Tom Thumb, and Rocket), with railroad “flags” around the circumference. On the back it says: “made exclusively for Marshall Field & Company by Vernon Kilns U.S.A.” Can you tell me anything about it and maybe if it has any collector value? It is in perfect condition as far as I can see. — Peter Smith, London, England
A There were two plates, one with brown decoration and one with blue. As collector plates they might be worth more since they were made for the Chicago Railroad Fair, but overall I would say they would be worth between $25 to $35. Any Chicago Railroad Fair items are popular but not high priced. After peaking in 2003, the value of dining car china has declined as the number of collectors who remember the pre-Amtrak era dwindles. This also holds true for these collector plates. There are fewer collectors. — Rich Luckin, filmmaker, author: Dining on Rails: An Encyclopedia of Railroad China
