Saturday Evening Girls/Paul Revere Pottery Cereal Bowl Set
Few pieces of American art pottery carry a story as compelling as the work of the Saturday Evening Girls. These ceramics, produced by young immigrant women in early 20th-century Boston, represent a remarkable intersection of social reform, artistic expression, and skilled craftsmanship. A cereal bowl set from the Saturday Evening Girls (S.E.G.) or its successor, the Paul Revere Pottery, is one of the most desirable items in American decorative arts collecting. These pieces are simultaneously beautiful objects, historical documents, and testaments to a progressive social experiment that was decades ahead of its time.
The Story of the Saturday Evening Girls
The Saturday Evening Girls began in 1899 as a reading and social club organized by librarian Edith Brown and philanthropist Helen Osborne Storrow at the North End branch of the Boston Public Library. The club served young immigrant women, primarily Italian and Jewish, from Boston's densely populated North End neighborhood. The goal was education and cultural enrichment for women who had limited opportunities in early 20th-century America.
Around 1906, the club began offering pottery classes as a way to provide vocational training and income for its members. What started as an educational activity quickly revealed genuine artistic talent among the young women. By 1908, the pottery operation had grown serious enough to require its own space, and it moved to a dedicated workshop at 18 Hull Street in the North End, near the Old North Church.
In 1915, the operation was incorporated as the Paul Revere Pottery (named for the neighborhood's most famous former resident) and eventually moved to a larger facility in Brighton, Massachusetts. Production continued until 1942, when wartime labor shortages and economic pressures forced the pottery to close.
What Makes These Pieces So Collectible
Several factors converge to make S.E.G. and Paul Revere Pottery pieces extraordinarily collectible:
Handmade artistry: Every piece was hand-thrown, hand-decorated, and signed by the individual artist. No two pieces are identical. The decorators developed distinctive personal styles while working within the pottery's aesthetic framework.
Social history: These pieces embody the Arts and Crafts movement's ideals of meaningful work and artistic integrity. They're artifacts of a progressive social program that empowered immigrant women through skilled creative labor.
Limited production: The pottery was always a small operation. Total lifetime production was modest compared to larger commercial potteries, and survival rates for delicate ceramics over 100+ years are inherently low.
Museum recognition: S.E.G. and Paul Revere Pottery pieces are held by major museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Smithsonian; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This institutional recognition validates the pieces' artistic and historical significance.
The Cereal Bowl Sets
Cereal bowl sets (sometimes called breakfast sets) were among the pottery's most charming products. A typical set might include a bowl, a plate, and a cup, though configurations varied. These sets were often made as children's breakfast sets and feature playful decorative motifs.
The most sought-after cereal bowl decoration patterns include:
The Chick Pattern: Panels depicting chicks in landscape settings, often with trees and stylized flowers. This is arguably the most recognizable S.E.G. pattern and commands the highest prices.
The Rabbit Pattern: Similar panel-style decoration featuring rabbits. Slightly less common than the chick pattern and equally desirable.
The Lotus Pattern: Stylized lotus flowers in repeating bands. A more mature, less whimsical design that appeals to collectors focused on the Art Nouveau aesthetic.
The Landscape Band: Continuous landscape scenes encircling the bowl, sometimes featuring trees, hills, and houses.
Monochrome Bands: Simpler pieces with single-color glazed bands. These are more affordable entry points for collectors.
Authentication: Marks and Signatures
Authenticating S.E.G. and Paul Revere Pottery pieces requires careful examination of several markers:
The S.E.G. Mark: Early pieces (roughly 1908 to 1915) are typically marked with "S.E.G." incised into the base. This mark indicates production during the Saturday Evening Girls period, and these pieces generally command higher prices than later Paul Revere Pottery marked pieces.
The Paul Revere Pottery Mark: After 1915, pieces carry either the Paul Revere stamp (a circular mark featuring a rider on horseback) or "P.R.P." incised into the base.
Date Marks: Many pieces include incised dates (month and year) on the base, allowing precise dating of production.
Decorator Initials: Individual decorators typically signed their work with initials. Known decorators include Sara Galner (S.G.), Fannie Levine (F.L.), Albina Mangini (A.M.), Ida Goldstein (I.G.), and Lili Shapiro (L.S.), among others. Pieces by well-documented decorators command premiums.
Paper Labels: Some pieces retain original paper labels. These are fragile and rare survivors that add value and provenance.
To authenticate a piece:
- Examine the base for incised marks under good lighting. Marks should be hand-incised (slightly irregular) rather than stamped.
- Check for decorator initials and date marks.
- Examine the clay body, which should be a smooth, fine-grained buff or cream color.
- Assess the glaze quality. S.E.G./Paul Revere glazes are typically matte or semi-matte with a satiny hand feel.
- Look for the unglazed foot ring typical of the pottery's production.
- Evaluate the decoration style against documented examples in reference books and museum collections.
Condition Assessment
Ceramics condition grading focuses on structural integrity and surface preservation:
Excellent/Museum Quality: No chips, cracks, or repairs. Glaze intact throughout. Decoration crisp and unfaded. Marks clearly legible. Surface shows only the gentlest wear consistent with age.
Very Good: Minimal wear. Perhaps one or two tiny edge nicks or minor glaze scratches. No cracks or structural issues. Decoration intact.
Good: Minor chips (small, not on primary decoration surface), light scratches, or minimal glaze loss. No cracks. Still displays beautifully.
Fair: Noticeable chips, possibly a hairline crack (stable), some glaze loss, or wear to decoration. Structurally sound but showing its age.
Poor/Damaged: Significant chips, cracks, or repairs. Major glaze loss or damage to decoration. Value primarily academic or as a study piece.
What's It Worth?
Values for S.E.G./Paul Revere Pottery cereal bowls and sets vary enormously based on pattern, decorator, period, and condition:
| Item / Condition | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Complete breakfast set (chick/rabbit pattern, S.E.G. mark, excellent) | $8,000 - $20,000+ |
| Single cereal bowl (chick/rabbit pattern, S.E.G. mark, excellent) | $3,000 - $8,000 |
| Complete breakfast set (landscape/floral, P.R.P. mark, excellent) | $3,000 - $8,000 |
| Single cereal bowl (landscape/floral, P.R.P. mark, very good) | $1,500 - $4,000 |
| Single cereal bowl (monochrome band, P.R.P. mark, good) | $400 - $1,200 |
| Damaged or repaired bowl (any pattern) | $100 - $800 |
The auction record for S.E.G. pottery continues to climb. Exceptional pieces, particularly large decorated vases and complete sets with the chick or rabbit patterns, have sold for well over $20,000 at major auction houses. The cereal bowl sets, with their charm and usability, are among the most actively traded forms.
Factors That Drive Premium Prices
S.E.G. mark vs. P.R.P. mark: Pieces with the earlier Saturday Evening Girls mark consistently command higher prices than equivalent Paul Revere Pottery marked pieces. The S.E.G. period represents the original social mission at its purest.
Figural decoration: Bowls with chicks, rabbits, or other figural motifs far outvalue geometric or floral designs.
Known decorators: Pieces by well-documented, highly skilled decorators like Sara Galner command significant premiums.
Provenance: Pieces with documented ownership history, especially those traceable to the original purchaser or to notable collections, add value.
Set completeness: Complete breakfast sets (bowl, plate, and cup matching in pattern and decoration) are worth considerably more than the sum of their individual parts.
What to Look For When Buying
Examine under strong light. Hold the piece up to a bright light source and look for cracks that might not be visible under normal conditions. Run your fingertip along the rim feeling for any irregularities.
Check for repairs. Professional ceramic repairs can be nearly invisible. A UV blacklight will cause most repair materials to fluoresce differently from the original glaze, revealing hidden restorations.
Compare to reference photos. The book "Saturday Evening Girls" by Nonie Gadsden and the various auction house catalogs provide extensive documentation of authentic pieces for comparison.
Ask about provenance. Where has the piece been? How long has the seller owned it? Is there any documentation? Pieces from established collections or with auction house provenance are safer purchases.
Buy from specialists. Dealers who specialize in American art pottery have the expertise to identify issues and the reputation to stand behind their attributions. Major auction houses (Rago, Skinner, Christie's) provide authentication as part of their cataloging process.
Start with what you love. If you're entering this collecting area, begin with a piece whose decoration speaks to you. Even a simple monochrome-band bowl from the Paul Revere Pottery carries the same remarkable social history as the most elaborate S.E.G. piece.
The Saturday Evening Girls pottery represents one of the most meaningful collecting areas in American decorative arts. Each bowl, plate, and cup was made by a young woman who was learning a skill, earning a living, and creating beauty during one of the most transformative periods in American social history. Collecting these pieces isn't just about aesthetics or investment. It's about preserving and honoring a remarkable story.
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