The Souvenir China Exhibit was on display in the "60's Wing" of the museum (the room you are in upon entry from the parking lot) starting in May, 2018. It occupied 4 of our main display cases, and included a display table at the center of the room as you entered the museum. The exhibit culminated with Betty Moore's presentation in November, 2018, describing the various china pieces in the exhibit and their history.
Hampton Souvenir China Exhibit
Souvenir china was popular at the turn of the 20th century. With
advances in transportation, people traveled more, and souvenir
china provided a way for them to remember where they'd visited. It was
also a time when people felt strongly about their communities, and
souvenir china depicted places people took pride in.
It was a time
when people were collecting knick-knacks and displaying them in china
cabinets and on plate rails. Photography had developed, so pictures were
available for the basis of the designs and engravings. The Columbian
Exposition in Chicago in 1893 really kicked off the souvenir china craze.
Collection committee leader Betty Moore had been doing an inventory project at the HHS
Collection and Research Center when volunteer Kathy McLaughlin suggested an exhibit
of the souvenir china pieces, so they decided to showcase the
pieces that have been collected over the years. This exhibit was the result.
Hampton souvenir china is a window into Hampton's history. The pretty pieces, some of which are quite unique, show what people favored - their churches, schools, local businesses and, of course, Hampton Beach!
Entry Table
A small table was setup at the front of the main entrance to the museum. It was set with souvenir china from the Hampton Beach Casino built in 1899. The Casino was built by the Amesbury Hampton and Exeter Street Railway, and you can see their imprint on the china. The restaurant was located on the second floor of the Casino and was known for its open fireplace built with sea stones and shells.
All of the Casino's china was very similar in pattern. Click anywhere in the image below or click here to see a more detailed view of a large plate (use your browser's BACK arrow to come back here).
The 2 signs read:
DISPLAY CASES
There were 4 display cases in the exhibit. This web version will break things down by display case too. Scroll down to see an overall full view of each display case. Each display case in turn has a detailed view and description of each item in it which you can reach by clicking the display case's full view image (below).
Display Case 1
Click the display case image to view a page detailing each item in that case.
Display Case 2
Click the display case image to view a page detailing each item in that case.
Display Case 3
Click the display case image to view a page detailing each item in that case.
Display Case 4
Click the display case image to view a page detailing each item in that case.
The 2 signs read: