Featured Artifact of the Week

Commemorative Plate

Majolica (glazed earthenware) plate was made by the still in operation Villeroy & Boch at the Schaumburg subsidiary, which operated from 1882 to 1912. The company itself was founded by Francois Boch in 1748 in the Holy Roman Empire, now Germany, and still exists today. This plate has maker’s mark “V&B S” within a circle, and mold number “682 7.” While our plate is green, common colors for the style also included yellow, blue, white, and purple. The image at the center is likely Queen Victoria.

The plate was donated to the museum in 1989 by Westford resident Gordon Seavey (1905 – 1996). Seavey was a WWII veteran, a reporter, and one of the founding members of the Westford Museum. As an active local historian, he often wrote about the town’s history.

W.1989.7.6