1914 Original Woman Suffrage Luncheon Plate from Alva Belmont’s R. I. Conference

Description

Original 1914 Alva Belmont woman suffrage luncheon plate. It is inscribed in blue with the traditional phrase “Votes for Women” on its rim and measures approximately 9” in diameter. It is in near fine condition with no chips or cracks, and it contains on its reverse the maker’s mark of John Maddock.
Probably the most famous of all American suffragist china were these pieces ordered by Alva Belmont, head of the Political Equality Association, for her Conference of Great Women held at her Newport Estate in Rhode Island on July 8-9, 1914. They were made by John Maddock of England and also used on that date to celebrate the return of Belmont’s daughter, Consuelo, the Duchess of Marlborough, from England. It was at this conference that Alice Paul announced the creation of the National Woman’s Party out of the ashes of her Congressional Union.  Belmont also used this china as luncheon ware at her party’s headquarters in New York City, where individual pieces were available for purchase. Original items from this set are still on display at Marble House, part of Belmont’s estate in Newport. A wonderful addition to any collection of suffragist or suffragette memorabilia. If you are interested in suffrage memorabilia, you might want to take a look at my book on the subject,
Women’s Suffrage Memorabilia,
which I have listed elsewhere on eBay.