MOUNTAIN WEST. Home Decor / Kitchen Decor, Decorative Tray, Souvenir, c. 1950s.
A black metal serving / bar tray with decorative tan trim frames a map of Montana, central to the theme. As part of the design, these trays also included miniature site illustrations, Montana’s showcasing an interesting mix of National Parks: Glacier in the north, Yellowstone in the south; a tip to the state’s mining history: the Lincoln Silver mine in Norris (part of a rich series of mines in the Rocky Mountain west); the most interesting inclusion of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation near the Canadian border; the “Custer Battlefield” (finally designated Little Bighorn in 1992 to include the vital scope of Indian history); the map otherwise full of place names: from Anaconda and Whitefish in the west, to Roundup and Plentywood in the state’s center and northeast corner. The detailed place name map is ringed by a colored decorative element: a Bitter Root flower. In near mint condition, this was in a lot of trays we discovered that were likely a long ago purchase for a souvenir shop that never found their way to the shelves. It is a second run of the series (the tray’s back all-black and not the speckled gold back of the original run), but is in very good condition with only a small “petrified” tape mark on its back … The combination of detailed state map and regional decoration was the pattern for this popular home decor / barware souvenir. Produced for tourist shop shelves, the series covered all 50 states (if often combining a few of the smaller ones) and came in black, white, and even the occasional cool green. The many series of these trays, with some also including low-depth snack bowls, is identifiable for the wave-like swirl detail decorating the rim. The original hand-painted series was produced in the 1950s by Nash Co. of New York, with the most notable line sporting a sharp speckled gold finish. However, there were other manufacturers such as Meldrums Manufacturing of St. Paul, Minnesota. All stuck close to the same design. These trays were found in popular roadside restaurant gift shops from the late 1950s into the 1970s, places such as Stuckey's (southern U.S., Midwest / Plains states), Howard Johnsons (starting in the Northeast, but having spread coast to coast by the 1960s), as well as in stand-alone souvenir shops, small local general stores, and even popular department stores all across America.
Condition: Used Very Good. Local / Regional Areas. Dimensions: 11" diameter x 0.5" deep / 8 oz
