Manufacturer: Syracuse China
User: Hotel Del Monte
Pattern Name: Sorrento
Date of plate: February 1930
From the Wikipedia: "The Hotel Del Monte was a large resort hotel in Monterey, California, from its opening in 1880 until 1942. It was one of the finest luxury hotels in North America. During World War II, it closed, and the building was leased to the United States Navy. It was first used by the Navy as a school where enlisted men spent the second, third, and fourth months of an eleven-month course being trained as electronic technicians. Later the Hotel Del Monte became the Naval Postgraduate School. Today, [2025] the building is called Herrmann Hall. It contains school administrative offices and the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, a hotel."
This Syracuse stock pattern is well-known as having been used at the Hotel del Monte, but very few examples carry the hotel's backstamp as this plate does: "Made expressly for Hotel del Monte." It is likely that pieces with the black line on the rim were used only at the hotel. Others, without the line, would not be considered to have seen use there. White body plate with a bold flowers-and-vines border pattern (Sorrento) in yellow gold, red, blue and green on the rim.
Source:
Wikipedia – history of the hotel
For additional info:
Del Monte Hotel, by Syracuse China
Del Monte Hotel 2, by Syracuse China
Del Monte Hotel 3, by Syracuse China
Del Monte Hotel 5, by Syracuse China
Contributors:
Susan Phillips: plate photos
Ed Phillips: author
