Vintage Breadboards

The earliest known breadboards today date from the 1830s, around the time the Corn Laws were in effect (1815-1846). Some correlate the popularity of bread boards to the imposition of these tariff laws which caused hardship by putting the price of bread beyond the reach of many thus making the boards a status symbol. Decorative ’bread-platters’ became hugely popular in Victorian times among the elite who commissioned custom-made items featuring their coats-of-arms and mottos. They were also used to commemorate royal ceremonies alongside other royal souvenirs. By the 1860s, enterprising workshops were producing bread-platters more cheaply with standardised carving for the mass market. The production centre until the 1950s was Sheffield, with skilled turners, carvers and metalworkers collaborating to produce matching sets of tableware. Today, vintage boards are widely collected. This book with 100 colour photographs is essential for collectors and an inspiration for today’s woodworkers. It also includes recipes.

Madeleine Neave runs the Antique Breadboard Museum from her home in Putney, She serves cream teas, and visitors are asked to choose which breadboard to have their scones and jam served on. Until recently, she was a teacher of French in London high schools.