Manufacturers: Maddock Pottery, and Grindley Hotel Ware, England
User: Maxim's, New York City
Distributor: O'Beirne Bros., New York; Higgins & Seiter, New York City
Date of examples: 1908 – 1920
Notes: The May 23, 1908, New York Times contains an article about how Georges Everard, who once owned Maxim's in Paris, planned to open a Maxim's in New York City. He must have been successful because the Jan. 1, 1909, issue of The Evening World contains an article that mentions the New Year's Eve party at Maxim's.
The New York Maxim's was located at 110 West 38th Street. It was a five-story building on a 40-foot-wide lot. It was known as an "after-the-theater resort," where sometimes the partying ended up in a fist fight.
Jules Conn was the proprietor of Maxim's until 1911, when he left to lease the Cafe Royal, on Broadway. In 1912, Walter Carroll was the manager at Maxim's. An indication of how popular Maxim's was in 1912 was the $4,000 per year price of the contract to handle the coat check department.
In 1914, a lunch at Maxim's cost 60¢, and dinner was $1.25 that included a cabaret show and dancing. New Year's Eve was always a major event. At 11:55 p.m. on Dec 31, 1913, for example, 10 heralds in ancient Germanic costumes entered the dining room with trumpet fanfare to announce the approach of the new year. Father Time appeared. At midnight, all lights were extinguished. When they went back on, a little girl representing the new year began descending a rope ladder from the dome of the room. She carried a large cornucopia of flowers, which she tossed at the guests. Every guest was then presented with a small statue of a pair of tango dancer, as favors to take with them.
Maxim's was licensed to operate as a cabaret and paid $50 for a dance hall license, plus $1,500 for an excise license. In 1915, they got in trouble with License Commissioner Bell because he claimed they exceeded their cabaret license when performers changed costumes, which made it a theatrical performance. A theater license cost $500 at that time, and that license prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. Jules Keller, who was then the proprietor, was arraigned for these legal problems. His attorney argued that Maxim's was not giving theatrical performances because it did not have a stage, had no curtain, and no fixed seats with an aisle. In 1916, the case was closed when the judge sided with Maxim's.
In 1915, the addition of "Cafe" appeared in newspaper advertisements.
In 1917, the price for a dinner deluxe was $1.50, but that still included a revue show.
Prohibition was the downfall of Maxim's as it was for many restaurants. On July 25, 1920, proprietor Julius Keller was arrested for violation of the Volstead law because he was caught serving liquor. Maxim's Hotel & Restaurant Co. filed for bankruptcy in July 1921. On February 7, 1922, an auction was held at 108-110 W. 38th Street of all the Maxim's equipment including china, glassware, crockery, and silverware.
Maddock Pottery produced Lamberton China service plates for Maxim's. The decal border, with floral sprays within a series of four gray line panels flank decal illustrations. At the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions are a group of musical instruments. On some of these plates there is a dancing lady with castanets at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions. On others there is a green bottle at the 6 o'clock position.
The center of the well contains a gray framed circle with "MAXIM'S" above a music bar. Two mythological Pan figures flank the circle. A jester peeks over the top. A champagne bucket with bottle is in an oval at the bottom.
Maddock used this border for other customers, with variations on the center illustration.
The plate with the champagne bottle at 6 o'clock was distributed by O'Beirne Brothers.
Smaller pieces of Maxim's china contain a green and red center-of-the-well crest with some of the elements of the service plate's crest within a green scroll frame. This china has green, black and tan ornaments spaced around the rim, with a green line and red pin line at the rim, and a red connecting pin line at the verge. This china service was made by Grindley Hotel Ware of England and was supplied by Higgins & Seiter.
For more info:
Maxim's – Kenyon Hotel – Salt Lake City, unrelated venue with similar pattern by Maddock Pottery
Sources:
New York Times, May 23, 1908 – plans to open
Evening World, Jan. 1, 1909 – New Year's Eve party
Evening World, Jan. 13, 1911 – fight at Maxim's
New York Herald, Jan. 14, 1911 – Jules Conn
New York Tribune, June 12, 1912 – Walter Carroll
New York Times, June 30, 1912 – coat check contract
New York Times, Jan. 1, 1914 – New Year's Eve party
New York Times, April 19, 1914 – ad with prices
New York Times, Dec. 6, 1914 – ad
Evening World, June 3, 1915 – Cafe Maxim ad
Evening World, Dec. 7, 1915 – cabaret license
New York Herald, Dec. 18, 1915 – theater law
Evening World, June 6, 1916 – license case closed
The Sun, March 4, 1917 – ad
Syracuse Herald, July 25, 1920 – Keller arrested
New York Times, July 16, 1921 – bankruptcy
New York Times, Feb. 7, 1922 – auction sale
Jan Whitaker's restaurant-ingthrough history.com – Maxim's article
CardCow.com – postcards
Contributor:
Larry Paul: author