Welcome to the 895th Tablescape Thursday! Elena’s husband was the inspiration for the table setting I’m sharing with you today. Elena said, “My husband thought this one up sometime ago. He looked at me and said, “Why don’t you try setting a 1940s vintage Thanksgiving table? You have all the stuff for it!” Of course, I immediately thought about “A Christmas Story,” but you never see a set table because the neighbor’s dogs ate the turkey, and they went out for Chinese food!”
Elena continued, “That got me researching what a Thanksgiving dinner table would have looked like around 1940, and I found some interesting information online. In 1940, the country was coming off the great depression, but had not entered World War II yet. The table started with a plain white or off white tablecloth. In all the photos I looked at online, I saw no napkin rings or fancy folded napkins. Most showed no napkins or a simple fold in the center of the place setting, which is how I set my table.”
“As I never saw a charger plate, I looked into that as well. Seems that charger plates have been around since medieval times, but were used as platters only. The trend to use them under dinner plates started in the late 1980s—early 1990s. (My Mom loved that since it kept the tablecloth cleaner!) Of course, the “good” dishes were used, but almost ALL the photos showed the dinner plates stacked at the head of the table with the Turkey on a platter ready for carving.
While Elena was researching how Thanksgiving-holiday table settings looked during the 1940s and 1950s, she noticed a lot of silver and silverplate, along with lots of candles. Elena said, “Many posts mentioned that Amber glass was popular. Most of the photos show plain glassware, and as my Amber glasses are Prescut from the late 1950s, I used my grandmother’s pink glassware instead. Unfortunately, not even Replacements Limited knows the manufacturer or pattern!”
Elena said, “Servers were on the table to pass around the side dishes, and the centerpieces invariably were fresh fruit in baskets or a carved-out melon.
“Cornucopias were popular with both ceramic and glass manufacturers like Hull and Fostoria.”
“I used my traditional cornucopia basket.”
The china Elena chose for her 1940s vintage style tablescape was Enoch Woods and Sons, English Scenery in pink. Elena said, “This was produced for decades, from 1900 into the 1960s. The newer services are scalloped edge, mine Replacements calls older, smooth edge. The flatware is International Silver Burgundy pattern from 1937. The tablecloth and napkins are damask, appropriate to the time period. I have a wonderful off-white one I wanted to use, but it was about 6 inches too short. I overlapped two white ones.”
Did you know that it was customary to stack the dinner plates at the end of the table back during the 1940s-1950s time period? I was so surprised to see it done this way, but I guess this was a very practical, efficient way to serve the turkey to all the dinner guests. Love Elena’s beautiful Enoch Woods and Sons, English Scenery china!
Thanks so much to Elena for sharing this beautiful Thanksgiving holiday table setting! Her buffet in the background looks so pretty, too!
Looking forward to the beautiful tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
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Such a nostalgic & inviting table!
Thank You Merri Jo! The black and white photos I found online were SO wonderful, a time long gone by!
Well done – a lovely, classic table setting! Elaborate table decor is fun, but for real life, I much prefer the simplicity, practicality and elegance of this tablescape, which keeps the focus on the guests and the delicious meal.
So glad you appreciate it Wendy! I loved looking at the old black and white photos online, so nostalgic !!!!!!
My MIL also placed the dinner plates at the head of the table for FIL to carve. And UGH!…..I am so sorry I just gave away my cornucopia! Drat.
Have you looked for cornucopias lately ? I wanted a few to make for someone but prices are all over the place.
I bought the basket on eBay years ago………I just fill it with fruit, fake flowers and leaves every year.
HA! I’ve had mine since my kids were little! Some of the photos online showed large water melons carved out and used as a basket for the fruit……….wonderful memories!!
Elena, I am not sure which I love better, the cornucopia or the beautiful china. I have look at so many cornucopias lately between Pinterest and online and the prices are ridiculous. That is a beautiful cornucopia with fruit and contrasting colors with fall leaves on a white tablecloth. Elena’s husband- great idea. My mother would have approved. Happy Thanksgiving.
The amber glass mentioned was probably Iris and Herringbone that some called Carnival Class. My mother loved it.
Oh you are probably right……….Carnival glass never dawned on me!!!!!
Very fun to hear the history behind this lovely tablescape. Than you for sharing this.
It was a true joy to put it together! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a beautiful table!! I would LOVE to have those red and white dishes. 🙂 Thank you for hosting, Susan, and have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Denise at Forest Manor
Love this table setting. Love going back to the 1940’s.
Looking at all the black and white photos on line was fun but mage me nostalgic for simpler times!!!!
Love those pink goblets! When I used Google AI and uploaded a screen shot of the pink goblet, this was the result from an Etsy shop:
Rare find
Price:$98.00
Vintage Tiffin-Franciscan Rambler Rose Pink Water Goblets- Set of 6- Gold Encrusted Floral Band w/ Floral- Depression Era Glassware
But sometimes AI gets it wrong.
Thank you Gail, I will have to look! I have purchased a few pieces on eBay over the years but no one ever knew what pattern it was!
I don’t remember the 40’s at all so I certainly appreciate the research. What I do remember is dad at the head of the table (with the plates) asking if we preferred dark or white meat then carving the preference and portion we requested. We did it that way throughout the 60s until mom decided it was more efficient to carve in the kitchen and pass the platter.
When I was young my mother and Aunts all served the food buffet style, you would make your own plate and then sit at the dinner table. Everyday meals the plates were made at the kitchen counter and my mom would bring them to the table. When I got a little older I would help serve and clear the table. I guess everyone does it a little differently, but it makes for fond memories all around!
Oh, so sweet. I love the colors and plate design especially. Great idea to research the 40s for the extra effort for authenticity.
I totally enjoyed researching what it was like in those days!!! The photos were amazing, but hard to share since I do not know what is copyrighted!!!!
This was such an interesting post and so beautiful. I love the simplicity and those pink, gold rimmed glasses took my breath away. Thank you Elena and thank you Susan for sharing! Happy Thanksgiving.