During the week of July 8, the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library experienced the theft of a large antique porcelain plate from its historic reading room.
In a witness statement to the Connecticut State Police, which is investigating the theft, the library’s director said she gave a tour of the library on July 7 and remembers seeing the serving plate in its place, mounted above the fireplace in the reading room. The following day, she gave another tour and this time noticed the plate was missing.
Approximately 14 inches in diameter, the plate is blue around its outside edge with flowers of gold leaf and red, hand painted. The antique plate, part of what is known as the MacCurdy-Salisbury China Collection, was donated to the library in 1976 and has been displayed above the fireplace since then. According to the library, the Florence Griswold Museum and Old Lyme Historical Society received a large portion of the collection and other pieces were sold at auction in the early 1980s.
Library staff and cleaning crew were interviewed regarding the plate’s disappearance. The library has a monitored alarm system.
Anyone having information as to the plate’s whereabouts or having seen the piece for sale at auction or for appraisal should contact Sal Milardo of the Connecticut State Police at 860-399-6221, referencing case no. CFS08-00327273.
