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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Roosevelt Coat of Arms Plate
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Roosevelt Coat of Arms Plate

Artifact IDMO 2020.1
Object Type Plate, Dinner
Maker (American, 1935 - 1943)
Dateca. 1940
MediumCeramic, Paint
Dimensionsoverall Diam 9 3/8 in (23.8 cm )
Physical DescriptionA white, glazed pottery plate with a color rendition of the Roosevelt coat of arms at the center. The coat of arms consists of the Roosevelt family shield with a rosebush, bearing three red roses, on a mound of green set against a background of silver with a crest consisting of a visored helmet and three ostrich plumes in silver and red. The family's Latin motto, "Qui Plantavit Curabit" (translated to "The one who planted it will take care of it" or "He who will plant will cultivate") is on a banner underneath the shield, with "Roosevelt" below that.

On the reverse of the plate, the manufacturer's information is stamped in black: N.Y.A. Pottery / Solvay, N.Y. Also on the reverse is a round sticker with printed and written text that reads: No. 537 / COLLECTION OF / • PRESIDENT & MRS • FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.
Historical NoteThis plate was part of a set of 12 plates adorned with the Roosevelt coat of arms that formed lot number 537 in the Exhibition and Sale of the Collection of the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt that took place at the Hammer Galleries in New York, NY, November 12 to December 3, 1951.

The plates in that lot may be the ones that were presented to Eleanor Roosevelt when she visited the NYA (National Youth Administration) pottery project in Solvay, NY in October 1940. The NYA (1935-1943) was a New Deal agency that aided young adults (ages 16 to 25) during the Great Depression. It provided vocational training and work-study assistance for high school, college, and graduate students.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDonated to the FDR Library by Scott Simmons in 2020.
Credit LineGift of Scott Simmons
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPersonal Possessions of the Roosevelt Family (National Archives Identifier 782689)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view