Revisiting Liberty Blue
I’m so excited about America’s Semiquincentennial that I thought I’d revisit a popular old story. (And BTW, I spelled that without looking it up! I’ve had practice — I’ll explain at the bottom of this post).
Of all the tear-jerking, laugh-aloud, and deeply personal stories I’ve shared over the years, there’s one that everyone always asks about—the story of my casual everyday dishes, Liberty Blue.
The post got sucked up by the internet, and now people from all over the world contact me to ask if I want to sell my collection or buy theirs. (No, and no thank you!)
So… here we go again, just in time for Independence Day 2026!
This collection was created by Staffordshire for the Bicentennial and given away by a Bank in the Northeast, which made them very rare and difficult to find in our southern region. I have a book with all the exact details – somewhere around here, but the internet is full of information if you need more.
Collecting them became a serendipitous event after a neighbor gave me a large platter with George Washington Crossing The Delaware. Each bowl, plate, teapot, and serving dish depicts a different scene from American history.
Mobile Bay Magazine contributor, Jill Clair Gentry, mentioned my collection in a 2021 story about Southern Ladies and their pretty table settings.
The covered vegetable bowl with the Boston Tea Party is a favorite, as is the oval bowl with the father grabbing his gun and rushing out the door to join the other Minutemen.
They’re storytelling dishes — maybe that’s why I love them!
When I started collecting Liberty Blue, it was very affordable, and I even found a few pieces in thrift stores for around $10. I mean, who in their right mind would want Betsy Ross fruit bowls besides me?
Friends like Harriet Outlaw have given me pieces they’ve found as a “surcee,” and I now have enough in my collection that I was able to feed 22 people for a sit-down dinner. The dishes matched, the chairs didn’t.
Years ago, when he was about 11 years old, My son, Joseph, rode his bicycle downtown, to the Antiques Store and bought this butter dish for me. It shows the Marquis de Lafayette at West Point during the Revolutionary War,
Could I love a little boy any more?
AND . . . This is how I know how to spell “Semiquincentennial.” I was honored and very excited to design the Fairhope Yacht Club Christmas Ornament for the second year. Our Auxiliary raises money to teach water safety to children and help with other scholarship and boating safety projects. The 2026 ornament features our city’s pier and will be available in a month or so for $25. We sold out of last year’s ornament, and you can reserve this year’s edition for $25 (plus shipping if you are out of the area,) by calling the FYC at 251-928-3276.
I love a beautifully set table and have not seen these lovely dishes anywhere. Years ago, my sons decided that my plates were too small and bought me 32 restaurant meat platters. My granddaughters also liked them because they don’t like their food to touch. They are extremely heavy and virtually impossible to break so I am stuck with them. Ah well, soon I’ll be moving to the land of paper plates where water is a precious commodity.
I’ve heard that when some people move into old houses, their new modern dishes are too large for the cabinet! It’s a compliment your sons want to eat so much of your good food! – thanks Karen.