You’ve probably seen them at a local estate sale or tucked away in the back of your grandmother’s hutch. Maybe they had those soft, buttery pastel colors or a weirdly cool atomic starburst from the 1950s. Most people just call them "old dishes" and move on. But if you flip one over and see those three letters—TS&T—you’re looking at a piece of American history that literally helped build the middle-class kitchen.
Taylor Smith china patterns aren't just relics. They were the "Target style" of the mid-20th century—affordable, stylish, and built to survive a busy family dinner.
Honestly, the Taylor, Smith & Taylor Company (TS&T) doesn't get the same "main character" energy that companies like Fiesta or Lenox do. That’s a mistake. While everyone else was obsessing over primary colors, TS&T was out here inventing the modern aesthetic with muted pastels and sleek, architectural shapes that still look incredible on a 2026 dining table.
The Wild History of the Chester Pottery
Back in 1899, two brothers named William and Charles Smith decided to build a pottery in Chester, West Virginia. They didn't just want to make plates; they wanted to take advantage of the brand-new suspension bridge connecting their town to East Liverpool, Ohio. That bridge was the lifeline for the industry.
The company started as Taylor, Lee & Smith, but Joseph Lee bailed pretty quickly in 1901. That’s when it became Taylor, Smith & Taylor. They didn’t just survive the Great Depression; they thrived by making "semi-vitreous" dinnerware. This is a fancy way of saying it’s ceramic that’s been fired enough to be durable but isn’t quite as translucent or expensive as fine bone china.
It was the everyman’s plate.
Lu-Ray Pastels: The Pattern That Changed Everything
If you only know one thing about Taylor Smith china patterns, it has to be Lu-Ray Pastels. Launched in 1938, these were the ultimate "cool girl" dishes of the late Depression era.
While the Homer Laughlin China Company was winning with the bold, saturated colors of Fiesta, TS&T went the opposite direction. They released five signature colors that looked like they belonged in a Wes Anderson movie:
- Persian Cream (a soft, warm yellow)
- Sharon Pink (the quintessential 1940s rosy hue)
- Surf Green (a pale, minty seafoam)
- Windsor Blue (a light, airy sky blue)
- Chatham Gray (introduced later and much harder to find)
Lu-Ray wasn't just about the colors. It was about the Empire shape, designed by J. Palin Thorley. It had these subtle concentric rings and a delicate feel that made a 15-cent plate feel like a luxury item. People collected them by the thousands. You could buy them at hardware stores, five-and-dimes, or through mail-order catalogs. They were everywhere.
How to Identify Your Taylor Smith China
Kinda confusingly, the backstamps on these pieces changed a lot over the eighty years the factory was open. You aren't always going to see the full name.
Usually, you’ll find a griffin or a star mark on the older stuff. By the middle of the century, the mark often just said "TS&T" inside a circle or a crest. If you see "Ever Yours" or "Versatile," those aren't just descriptions—they are the names of the specific shapes (the "blanks") that the patterns were applied to.
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The Secret Date Code
Here is a pro tip most casual collectors miss: TS&T often included a date code on the bottom of their pieces. It’s usually a series of numbers like "5 54" or "10 49."
- The first number is the month.
- The second two numbers are the year.
So, a plate marked "7 52" was born in July 1952. Simple, right? But it makes dating your collection a lot easier than guessing based on the floral design.
The Atomic Age and the "Conversation" Line
By the 1950s, the world was changing. People didn't want grandma's roses anymore. They wanted rockets, starbursts, and abstract squiggles.
TS&T brought in heavy-hitting designers like Walter Dorwin Teague. He created the Conversation shape, which is basically the holy grail for Mid-Century Modern (MCM) enthusiasts. These pieces are often sleek, with asymmetrical handles and patterns that feel "space-age."
One of the most sought-after patterns from this era is Cathay. It features these blue and green atomic starbursts that look like something straight out of The Jetsons. If you find a Cathay soup bowl at a thrift store for five bucks, grab it. They sell for way more than that online because the MCM crowd is obsessed with them.
Why Some Patterns Are Worth More Than Others
Not all Taylor Smith china patterns are created equal. You’ve got your "bread and butter" patterns—the ones with generic pink flowers or gold filigree—that are basically worth what someone will pay for a dinner plate ($5 to $10).
But then you have the rarities.
- Vistosa: This was TS&T's answer to Fiesta. It came in bright, solid colors like Cobalt Blue, Mango Red, and Yellow. Because it was only made for a short window in the late 1930s, it’s much rarer than Lu-Ray.
- Timbercraft: This was a weird, cool hybrid. TS&T actually owned a woodworking company that made walnut lids and handles for their ceramic casseroles and serving pieces.
- Boutonniere: Part of the "Ever Yours" line, this blue floral pattern is a favorite for the "Grandmillennial" or cottagecore aesthetic. It’s charming, sturdy, and actually holds its value well because people still use it for daily dining.
The Sad End of the Chester Factory
The 1970s were rough on American potteries. Cheap imports started flooding the market, and the old-school kilns in West Virginia couldn't compete. Anchor Hocking bought the company in 1972, trying to keep the lights on, but it didn't last.
The factory closed its doors for good in 1981.
It sat empty for decades, a crumbling ghost of the Ohio River Valley’s industrial past, until it was finally demolished in 2012. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it means that every piece of Taylor Smith china left in the world is a finite resource. They aren't making any more.
How to Actually Use and Care for Your Pieces
If you've inherited a set or just bought one, you need to be careful.
Don't put them in the dishwasher. I know, it sucks. But the harsh detergents and high heat will eventually dull the glaze and eat away at any gold trim. Also, most of these patterns were made long before "microwave safe" was a thing. If a plate has a gold or platinum rim, putting it in the microwave will result in a literal light show (and a ruined plate).
Lead content is another thing people worry about with vintage dishes. While TS&T followed the standards of their time, older glazes (especially the bright oranges and yellows of the 1930s) can contain lead. Most experts suggest using these for display or occasional use rather than as your primary "every meal" dishes, especially for kids.
What to Do Next with Your Collection
If you’re sitting on a pile of TS&T and don't know what to do, start by identifying the shape. Look for names like Versatile, Vogue, or Paramount. Once you know the shape, you can narrow down the pattern using a site like Replacements, Ltd. or by checking the "TST" archives at Laurel Hollow Park, which is basically the digital Bible for West Virginia pottery.
- Check for Crazing: These are the tiny spiderweb cracks in the glaze. It doesn't mean the plate is broken, but it does mean it's porous and can soak up food oils and bacteria.
- Look for "Luray" Markings: If you have pastels, make sure they are actually Lu-Ray. Other companies made similar colors, but the specific TS&T "Empire" ring pattern is unmistakable.
- Mix and Match: The best part about collecting these is that the colors were designed to play well together. A Surf Green dinner plate looks amazing under a Persian Cream salad plate.
Taylor Smith china patterns represent a time when American manufacturing was at its peak and even a simple dinner plate was a work of art. Whether you're hunting for atomic starbursts or soft 1940s pastels, you're preserving a piece of the "Pottery Capital of the World."
Actionable Next Steps:
To verify the value of your specific pattern, first locate the three-digit pattern number usually found near the backstamp. Cross-reference this number with the Schiffer Publishing guide Taylor, Smith & Taylor Dinnerware by Mark Gonzalez, which remains the definitive resource for collectors. If the glaze shows significant crazing, transition those pieces to wall decor using wire hangers rather than using them for food service to prevent staining.