Object ID
2011.7.172
Object Name
Dish
Object Collection
Alex's Candy Shop (is part of)
Date Created
1920 – 1940
Material
Ceramic
Object Entities
Object Description
The top of this small white ceramic dish has a very simple design. There are three green lines. The thickest runs along the plate closest to the outer edge. Directly inside of that is a thinner green line, about the width of a pen line. The third line is around the very inside of the bowl, it is also a pen line width. There are marks of wear along the edges of the dish from age and use. There are also several littler marks along on the inside of the plate at random intervals. The plate iteslf is a glossy white color everywhere that the green is not.

The back of the plate is completely plain except for the makers mark on the flat part of the base. It reads "Jackson Company" curving downward. Below that, strait across it says "Edward Don and Company Chicago, Illinois Distributors." There is a litte green spot above the words that is probably from the machine dripping ink. There are orange stains on the back that also have a rougher texture because they have worn away the finish. They are larger than the ones on the front but are fewer in number.
Origin
Paulina Franks' grandfather, John Rassogianis, came to Chicago in the 1890s. He began his life in the new city by peddling fruits and later, with the help of his sons Alex and George, would open a candy store. In the 1920s Paulina Franks' father Constantine became a part of the family business and the store was able to prosper. When the second business closed Paulina Rassogianis chose to hold as many of the candy store's items as possible and, later, donate them to the National Hellenic Museum.

The Rassogianis family began their candy business in Chicago proper, working out of their own shop named "St. Louis Ice Cream Parlor." Eventually, the shop was closed and the Rassogianis' chose to continue their candy store venture in Berwyn, Illinois. The new shop they chose to open was named Alex's Sweet Shop.

Paulina Franks' father was a key contributor to the success of the Rassogianis candy stores. While Constantine Rassogianis was a noteworthy entrepeneur, he also had many other accomplishments. Among these was his four years of involvment in the Greek national military during World War I wherein he obtained the rank of sergeant. Also, he was a published author and poet, an experienced mandolin player, a church officer and had extensive knowledge of psalti.

The maker of these plates was Jackson China Co. which operated out of Falls Creek Pennsylvania. The company is known for making hotel, restaurant, and fine china for 72 years.

Harry William Jackson was born in Strattfordshire, England in 1880, then becoming a United States citizen in 1902. In 1914 he moved to DuBois, Pennsylvania and formed Jackson China Co. sharing full partnership with E.A. Fischel who owned Bohemian Art Pottery. All of the existing employees were offered jobs at Jackson, an option which many of them took. In 1916 they started using a new type of kiln which changed the way they made the products and the name of the company to Jackson Vitrified China. On November 26, 1924 the company took a hit when Jackson was murdered by John Succoub who Jackson had hired as a designer. He was mad because they would not pay him an additional $500 for his work and so he shot Jackson, one other man, and himself.

1951 was the first year they used a standardized number and dating system on all their pieces. The highest sought after pieces throughout the history of the company were the ones with airbrushed designs and are therefore also the most expensive. In 1976 Jackson China was bought out by Newman Industries in England. Later in September 1985 all operations ceased at Jackson China Co in Falls Creek PA because the cost to clean the lead contamination in the sludge pits and sewage discharging to adjoining wetlands was too high. In October 1989 a fire of suspicious origins destroyed the facility.

The other name on the label was for Edward Don and Company which was the distributor who shipped these pieces. Since 1921, Edward Don & Company has been the world's leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies. There is a saying that Don delivers everything but the food itself.

Originally in 1921, the Don family formed a janitorial supply company in Chicago but it since then, it has grown from a small family business to the world's leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies. Edward Don & Company serves over 70,000 customers throughout the world and employs over 1200 people. In 2013 the base of operations moved to Woodridge, Illinois since it provides easy access to the entire Chicagoland region, as well as being close to the highways so it can reach further cities. The headquarters was the first building constructed in Woodridge's Union Point business park.

These plates were the basic restaurant ware that was common in many restaurants during the time. Made simply they were able to appeal to a lot of different types of businesses, some of which are still used due to their long lasting ceramic material. They were vitrified which is when they are fired twice at a higher temperature so that the finish becomes a glossy, slippery one and the item is more durable and long lasting.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Dish, 1920 – 1940, Alex's Candy Shop, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/8671. Accessed 04/16/24.