Manufacturer: Bauscher Brothers
User: Hotel Sherman
Distributor: Arthur Schiller and Son, Chicago
Date of plate: 1926
Notes: The first Sherman Hotel was built in Chicago, Ill. in 1844 and disappeared in the great conflagration of 1871. It was rebuilt, but by the turn of the century, the Hotel Sherman began to lose its luster and popularity and gained a reputation as the "Deadest Hotel" in town.
The hotel was acquired by Joseph Byfield, and by 1904, the new, improved Hotel Sherman and its famed restaurant were the talk of the town. He brought jazz to Chicago and for the next 30 years all the greats played "The College Inn!" Buoyed by the new business, Byfield invested several million dollars in new construction at the hotel.
In 1911, the main structure was rebuilt, followed by an additional $7 milllion, 23-story expansion in 1925, which brought the total room count to 1700. The great hotel closed in 1973, marking an end to the oldest, continuous operating hotel in Illinois. In 1980, the hotel was demolished and the site is now occupied by the Thompson Center, formerly the State of Illinois Center.
The Y in the Sherman logo is the symbol for the city of Chicago. It is taken from the three branches of the Chicago River where they join at Wolf Point. It is incorporated into many Chicago things, from bridge ornamentation to club logos, etc. Read more at Forgotten Chicago.
White bodied 9" plate with elaborate diamond rim and verge border design, broken by the Hotel Sherman Y logo and name. All designs in heavy coin gold. Bottom-marked Bauscher China Weiden Bavaria Arthur Schiller and Son Chicago Especially designed for the Hotel Sherman Chicago 1926.
For related info:
Sherman Chicago Hotel by Bauscher Brothers
Sherman Chicago Hotel 2 by Fraunfelter China
Sherman Chicago Hotel 4 by Syracuse
Sherman Hotel Well of the Sea by Shenango China
College Inn of the Hotel Sherman by Maddock Pottery Co.
Photos contributed by dbstoneware