Antique Hotel Victoria Silverplate Serving Tray

Built as a railroad hotel in the city center of Bradford, West Yorkshire England, the ‘Victoria’, as it was originally called, was built in 1867 during a time in which Bradford reigned as an international center of textile manufacture. Considered the "wool capital of the world" with clever monikers like "Woolopolis" and "Wool City," it has been said that ⁵/₆ of the wool consumed in the United Kingdom passed through its factories at some stage in production and marketing.

Against this burgeoning background, the Hotel Victoria Bradford was constructed at a cost of £30,000 through a company chaired by dyeworks magnate Henry Ripley. With a prime location across from Exchange Station, serviced by the Great Northern Railway and the Lancashire & Yorkshire, it served as a landmark destination for industry leaders and those seeking a luxurious break. The hotel remains in operation to this day.

Resplendent with grand balustrades, high ceilings, oak-paneled corridors, romantic mirrors and luxurious hallways, its richly appointed 57 guestrooms exude a timeless beauty. Purchased by the Great Northern Railway in 1892 to join its hotel portfolio and renamed the Great Northern Victoria, for the greater part of a century the Victoria was a destination for the rich and famous. Its guests have included five prime ministers, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Charlie Chaplin and the Harlem Globetrotters among many others.

Produced exclusively for the Hotel Victoria Bradford, this gleaming Antique Silverplate Serving Tray was recently found in Sheffield, very close to its former home. With all the graciousness of a time gone by, having served day travellers, textile barons and celebrities, this lovely tray is stamped with the hotel name 'Hotel Victoria Bradford' within a belt and buckle crest on the upper rim. Produced in Birmingham by the fine silversmiths as Boardman & Glossop, the oval tray's perimeter is encircled by an opulent beaded border which adds a lovely refinement and sophisticated glamor.

With its unique provenance from a historic hotel built during the bustling decades of the late 19th century's Industrial Revolution, this magnificent tray promises to become a lively conversation piece and storied addition to your silver or serveware collection. 

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good condition with signs of heavy hotel use around the beaded border commensurate with age. Measures 18.25" at widest point.