As a lifelong lover of shopping, I assumed I knew the names of most popular department stores in this country. While researching old department store tea rooms, however, I have learned there were far more of these stores than I ever dreamed possible, and to learn about them is to learn something new about the history of America. One store I'd never heard of at all was Emery, Bird, Thayer in Kansas City, Missouri, which once held tea parties for children and their dolls. This bright orange miniature cup and saucer was a souvenir from one of these parties. When I bought it, it was actually described as coming from Emery Bird "Chayer," but I can see why.
Since acquiring this cup and saucer with a cat on it (beneath the word "Bird," ironically enough!), I've also seen photos of the same design of orange cup and saucer featuring an elephant and a teddy bear. Do you suppose the little girls got to choose which animal they wanted? It sure beats a Happy Meal toy, doesn't it! The design of this set is interesting because it is scratched into the color. I learned this technique is called "sgraffito." When I first read that word, I thought, "Bless their hearts, they don't know how to spell 'graffiti,' do they?" But then I learned "sgraffito" is correct and comes from the Italian word meaning "to scratch."
The set was made by the Germany company Erphila, and though I don't know the date, other designs of Dolls Tea Party sets from Emery, Bird, Thayer date to the early 1900s, so perhaps this one does as well. (And if not, maybe it got to be in the store when its most famous employee, the future actress Joan Crawford, worked there!) Part of the store lives on in Kansas City today, in the form of the
EBT Restaurant whose design incorporates artifacts from the old store. If I'm ever in Kansas City, I definitely will pay a visit! I'd love to know more about Emery, Bird, Thayer – especially about its former tea room – so if any Missourians are reading today I'd dearly love to hear from you via the e-mail button at right!
As a lifelong lover of shopping, I assumed I knew the names of most popular department stores in this country. While researching old department store tea rooms, however, I have learned there were far more of these stores than I ever dreamed possible, and to learn about them is to learn something new about the history of America. One store I'd never heard of at all was Emery, Bird, Thayer in Kansas City, Missouri, which once held tea parties for children and their dolls. This bright orange miniature cup and saucer was a souvenir from one of these parties. When I bought it, it was actually described as coming from Emery Bird "Chayer," but I can see why.
Since acquiring this cup and saucer with a cat on it (beneath the word "Bird," ironically enough!), I've also seen photos of the same design of orange cup and saucer featuring an elephant and a teddy bear. Do you suppose the little girls got to choose which animal they wanted? It sure beats a Happy Meal toy, doesn't it! The design of this set is interesting because it is scratched into the color. I learned this technique is called "sgraffito." When I first read that word, I thought, "Bless their hearts, they don't know how to spell 'graffiti,' do they?" But then I learned "sgraffito" is correct and comes from the Italian word meaning "to scratch."
The set was made by the Germany company Erphila, and though I don't know the date, other designs of Dolls Tea Party sets from Emery, Bird, Thayer date to the early 1900s, so perhaps this one does as well. (And if not, maybe it got to be in the store when its most famous employee, the future actress Joan Crawford, worked there!) Part of the store lives on in Kansas City today, in the form of the EBT Restaurant whose design incorporates artifacts from the old store. If I'm ever in Kansas City, I definitely will pay a visit! I'd love to know more about Emery, Bird, Thayer – especially about its former tea room – so if any Missourians are reading today I'd dearly love to hear from you via the e-mail button at right!
8 comments:
this information is so so so interesting. I thank you for sharing it, Angela! I also thank you for your comments on my blog today, what a treat.
So pretty and what a wonderful treat that must have been for each young girl.
Very fascinating! I thought I knew most of the department store names too, but this is one I have never heard of.
What a cute teacup!!! And a lovely little piece of KC history. I'm not a Missourian, and it was before my time in the area, but the department store used to be on Petticoat Lane (11th St.) and then it moved to the Plaza. The EBT restaurant still exists, right next to St Joseph hospital.
Thank your sharing the teacup from EBT. I grew up in Kansas City, MO, shopped many a time at the department store. As I recall, it had many floors.
My class senior pictures were done at the Emery, Bird, Thayer department store--1967.
Stop by for a visit sometime: www.teatimeconsultants.blogspot
Hello, Angela...love the design on that teacup!
Spending several years in Missouri, I'm sorry to say I was never in that store, BUT, Kansas City, Missouri is a lovely, lovely city - well worth visiting:
Especially at Christmastime!
They light up 'The Plaza' area & there are carriage rides and beautiful 'store windows' to gaze at...and of course, you could probably take a tour of the Hallmark Card Company. Very nice folks too - I highly recommend it!
I always enjoy your site, Joanie
EBT was a beautiful store. They had a fantastic tearoom and once a year little girls brought their dolls. They left with souvenir cups. I cannot find mine but wish I could. My mother took my grandmother to the tearoom after the war and they had a woman who read your tea leaves.
My dad worked there from 1949 to 1968
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