Alfretta Ronemus Tea Set   Save
Ohio History Connection
Description: Alfretta Ronemus and her mother took home this engraved tea set as a prize in a baby contest in 1854. It was valued at $300 in 1854, which would be equivalent to approximately $6,000 today. The set consists of eight items, four of which are included here. Many of the items bear the inscription "Presented to ___ by the Clark County Agricultural Society as Premium for being the Finest Baby shown at the Annual Fair - 1854 - ." The first image shows a teapot that measures 18 by 12 inches (46 by 30 cm). The second image shows a cream pitcher that measures 18 by 12 inches (46 by 30 cm). The third image shows a coffee urn that measures 18 by 12 inches (46 by 30 cm). The final image shows a serving tray that measures 11 by 1 inches (27 by 2.5 cm). The first baby contest in the United States took place in Springfield, Ohio at the second annual Clark County Fair on October 5, 1854. The 10-month-old winner, Alfretta Ronemus of South Vienna, Ohio, was picked out of a crowd to enter the contest. Her mother protested that Alfretta was not dressed in suitable clothes for the occasion, but the organizer insisted that she enter the child. Alfretta may have won the first prize because she was dressed in a simple white dress with a black silk jacket, while the other children were decked out in fancy "furbelows." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1490_1534010_001
Subjects: Daily Life; Arts and Entertainment; Teapots; Contests; Prizes
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)