Grateful thanks to Brenda Barr, for very kindly giving us permission to publish this picture of her lovely May tureen.
Grateful thanks to Claudia Valencia, who has very kindly given us permission to publish this picture of one of her lovely May plates. Claudia acquired the plates from her grandmother who passed in 1998 at the age of 92. Her grandmother told her that these plates were used in her home as a child and that her mother had passed them down to her. Interestingly, Claudia's grandmother lived in Oruro, Bolivia for most of her life and she was given several of the place settings upon her mother’s passing. Claudia's great grandmother married a Spaniard which was somewhat unusual at that time in Bolivia. Her grandmother grew up near a part of Bolivia where there are many mines. Several major English mining companies came to Bolivia to mine the silver, tin and the other natural resources of the country. Claudia wonders whether this is the reason that these plates were available in the area as she believes that these would be quite rare to find in such a rural part of South America.
What a fascinating story! Thank you for sharing it with us, Claudia!