John Braat & Company, formerly Braat Trading Company, was started in 1949 by my grandfather, John Braat. John Braat was raised in Delft, Holland and grew up with the beauty of Delft Blue Birth Plates decorating shelves of his family’s homes throughout the entirety of his life. He eventually moved to the US during the war where he began importing Delft blue products from Holland. During this time, he was selling anything from ashtrays to jewelry and of course, birth plates. He ran the business throughout his life, supporting his six children, before eventually passing it along to one of his youngest sons, Will Braat, in his retirement. My father, Will Braat, ran the company from the early 2000s until 2020. My father did a lot of the modernizing of the company: allowing e-payments and online ordering, creating a website, and making the company more accessible. I, Maddy Braat, took over in 2020. Now, we are making Delft blue plates and tiles to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, and marriages. Each plate is still handmade and hand painted in Schoonhoven, Holland by Sylvia Brands. I am located in Austin, TX. For generations, every member of my family has had a birth plate for each child in the family and we’re honored to share this beautiful tradition with you and your loved ones.