1903 Roger Williams Park Souvenir Milk Glass Plate Providence

This souvenir plate was meant to commemorate Roger Williams Park, in Providence, Rhode Island. It reads "Roger Williams Statue / Roger Williams Park / Providence, R.I." and shows a person standing before the statue. The edge is a ring of American eagles and the American Flag. The park was constructed in the 1880s, with many roads, bridges and sidewalks built by the WPA in the 1930s. Today the park contains the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, The RWP Botanical Center, Japanese Gardens, the Victorian Rose Gardens, the Roger Williams Park Casino, and other features.

This plate is made of milk glass and has a patent design number and September 8, 1903 date on the reverse. There is a speck of colored debris in the glass which forms a faint s-shaped curve across the front of the design. This is not a crack, just an as-made feature, and the glass sounds solid when you tap it. The edges feel rough, but that is because the glass squeezed out the seams on the eagles wings along the edge when pressed (see magnified view). There are a couple of flakes along the bottom base ring (see magnified view with penny), but these are slight and inconsequential. Overall the plate is in great condition, and seems to be uncommon or rare.