Patterns of Pride:
Historical Blue Staffordshire
2003 Loan
Exhibit
One of the most interesting categories of American
antiques is historical Staffordshire china, produced
exclusively by English potters from 1820 to 1850
in the district of Staffordshire, northwest of London,
for the American trade after the War of 1812. Interest
in and purchase of historical Staffordshire china
began to wane by 1860. By the end of the 19th century,
however, collectors rekindled an interest in extant
pieces of this ware.
This interest in collecting historical Staffordshire
china persists today. Pieces of this china that sold
originally in the early half of the 19th century
for several pence, today can bring hundreds and even
thousands of dollars at auction or from antiques
dealers specializing in this china. The present loan
exhibit of The Philadelphia Antiques Show represents
two local large private collections of historical
Staffordshire china concentrating on views of Philadelphia
and environs.
Plate
- Penn's Treaty Tree, Philadelphia
Unknown Maker, 6-3/4'' diameter, with Potter’s Mark |
 The
engraving for this view is entitled Philadelphia
from the Great Tree in Kensington under which
Penn made his Great Treaty with the Indians
in 1683. In the background, houses and
church steeples of the city of Philadelphia
are seen along the Delaware River. On the right,
there is a large elm tree, presumably Penn’s
Treaty Tree. The Historic Treaty Elm Tree,
located at the outskirts of Philadelphia in
Kensington, blew down in 1810 at which time
it was estimated to be at least 280 years old
and 24 feet in circumference at its trunk.
In the foreground, several small commercial
sailboats are noted alongside a pier.To the
left, a fisherman is seen in a boat in the
harbor.
|
Platter
- Arms of Pennsylvania
Thomas Mayer, 21'' x 16'' |
 Almost
the complete production of Thomas Mayer of
Stokeupon- Trent was limited to the American
Series of Arms of the States. These pieces
of a very dark blue color depict the coat of
arms of the original thirteen states. The large
platter of the Arms of Pennsylvania commands
the highest price today of any historical Staffordshire
ceramic.
On this platter, the Arms of Pennsylvania
is the center design. The seal, or Arms of
Pennsylvania, adopted in 1809 and adapted
from the original old city seal of Philadelphia
of 1701, consists of an escutcheon with three
sections representing the three major industries
of the State of Pennsylvania (sheaves of
wheat for farming, a vessel at sea for the
maritime industry and a plow for manufacturing).
A large eagle with outstretched wings sits
atop the escutcheon and two large horses
support it on each side. A ribbon flows from
the back of the horse on the left to the
base of the escutcheon and reads “Virtue,
Liberty, N Independence,” a patriotic
slogan of the period. |
Historical Staffordshire china was produced by many
different Staffordshire potters utilizing a technique
called transfer printing. These English potters actually
had been making transfer printed china for sale in
England and Europe decades before they used this
technique to reproduce important events and scenes
of early American life copied from drawings, paintings,
lithographs and engravings of the period. In particular,
for the Philadelphia views, they used the works of
well-known Philadelphia artists such as William and
Thomas Birch, Thomas Sully and William and George
Strickland.
Prior to transfer printing of china, decorated china
was done by hand by trained artists and was, therefore,
an expensive process. Transfer printing  allowed
for mass production of pieces of decorated china,
reproducing the same pattern repetitively by unskilled
workers. Consequently, transfer printed china became
affordable to a large number of American customers
who previously could not afford the more expensive
hand painted china, such as Chinese export porcelain
purchased by the wealthy families.
From as early as the latter part of the 17th century,
the district of Staffordshire has been the center
of the pottery industry in England. Staffordshire
is a relatively small area about 10 miles long and
5 miles wide but the district is rich in deposits
of clay and supplied these potters with an abundance
of high quality clay for their ceramics. In 1830,
an estimated 50,000 people worked in the potteries
in Stoke-Upon-Trent, the major city in Staffordshire
and the surrounding small towns, such as Tunstall,
Burslem, Hanley, Cobridge, Fenton and Longton.
Not all of the Staffordshire potters engaged in
producing china with historical views of America,
but for those who did, the rewards were very gratifying
and lucrative since many citizens of the new Republic
were looking for avenues to express their patriotism
to the United States after the Revolution and the
War of 1812. The entrepreneurial English potters
capitalized on this potentially new large market
in America for their wares and thereby satisfied
the wishes of the American public with the historical
views on china.
Plate
- Water Works, Philadelphia
J & J Jackson, 9'' diameter, black |
 This
view of the Old Pepper Box at Center
Square is exactly similar to the view of the
waterworks used by Ralph Stevenson and Williams
(see page 79), except that a Conestoga wagon
in the latter version replaces the horse and
chaise in the foreground of this plate.
|
Plate
- Race Bridge, Philadelphia
J & J Jackson, 9'' diameter, black |
 The
locks, dam and arches of the Race Bridge over
the Schuylkill River and the reservoir atop
the hill, Fair Mount, near the waterworks were
completed in 1824. The contractor, Ariel Cooley,
received a million and a half dollars for the
project, an unbelievable payment at that time.
|
The quality of a transfer print depended on the
expertise of the engraver who was hired by the potter
to create an engraving on a copperplate of an original
piece of art demonstrating a view of interest to
the American trade. Of course, some engravers were
more talented then others, but over the three decades
of producing historical Staffordshire china, the
engravers’ techniques improved dramatically.
Some of the larger potteries, such as Enoch Wood & Sons
of Burslem, employed in-house engravers, whereas
the smaller potteries relied on the free-lance engravers
to prepare their engraved copperplates.
To create the desired engraved copperplate, engravers
etched multiple lines and dots on the sheet of copper
equal to the size of the piece of china to be decorated.
The deeper and thicker the lines and dots were made
in the engraving, the darker the color of the final
design would be on the piece of pottery. A separate
engraved copperplate was prepared for each shape
and size of ceramic ware to be decorated. After heating
the copperplate, an oily ceramic pigment was applied
to its engraved surface.
Plate
- Bank of the United States, Philadelphia
Joseph Stubbs, 10-1/4'' diameter |
 In
1795, the Bank of the United States located
on 3rd Street between Walnut and Chestnut Streets
in Philadelphia was the first bank chartered
by the new government. Although some, including
Jefferson and Madison, argued that the government
should not be in the banking business, it opened
in this handsome building three years later
in 1798.This bank building was one of the few
18th century structures built in Philadelphia
specifically for a federal institution. Multiple
tall Corinthian columns across the facade stand
beneath the inscription “Founded A.D.
MDCCXCV.” After Congress refused to renew
the Bank’s charter in 1811, Stephen Girard,
a prominent Philadelphia merchant and financier,
bought the building and opened his private
bank, Girard Bank, within it in 1812.
|
Plate
- Library, Philadelphia
J & W Ridgway, Beauties of America Series, 8-1/4'' diameter |
 Founded
by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, the Philadelphia
Library Company had several homes prior to
moving to this building on 5th Street below
Chestnut Street in 1791. An Italian marble
statue of Franklin dressed in a Roman toga
appears in the niche above the entrance door.
|
A deep cobalt blue pigment was used for the early
historical pieces mainly because it maintained its
bold blue decorative color when the glaze was fired
at high temperatures in the kiln and also because
the dark blue color disguised blemishes. These early
pieces often are called Historical Blue China. Later,
the ingenious Staffordshire potters, particularly
J & J Jackson ( Job and John) of Burslem, perfected
the use of other hues such as brown, black, green,
purple, pink, yellow, mulberry and light blue for
their American export market.
After excess pigment was removed from the surface
of the copperplate, a tissue paper thin, but strong,
transfer paper was applied to the copperplate and
under pressure, the oily pigment transferred from
the copperplate to the transfer paper. The transfer
paper then was placed carefully on the unglazed clay
body. The ware, with the attached transfer paper,
then was immersed in cold water and subsequently,
the paper floated away leaving the pigment design
on the ceramic body. The pattern was sealed by a
glaze and the product was completed by firing in
a kiln at high temperatures. Before the underglaze
technique was perfected, the transfer print was applied
to a previously glazed body.
Plate
- Schuylkill Water Works
Thomas Godwin, 9'' diameter, mulberry, with Potter’s Mark |
 The
Fair Mount Water Works on the Schuylkill River
in Philadelphia is shown in its entirety. Only
a portion of the dam across the river is seen.The
Upper Ferry Bridge, the longest covered bridge
in the United States at the time, crosses the
Schuylkill River to the right of the waterworks.
Behind the waterworks is a terraced hill at
the top of which is a reservoir surrounded
by a fence (presently the site of the Philadelphia
Museum of Art). In the early 19th century,
lack of fresh, pure drinking water was a major
health problem in Philadelphia, partially resolved
by the construction of the dam and waterworks
on the Schuylkill River.
|
As one might expect, the earlier overglaze technique
was unsatisfactory because the design rapidly showed
signs of deterioration and frequently disappeared
completely over a short period of time. The underglaze
technique, however, prevented damage to the design
and many of these wares remain in mint condition
today. John Sadler of Liverpool, England invented
the transfer print technique in 1756. Transfer printing
was used on American export Liverpool ware, usually
Liverpool pitchers, in the latter part of the 18th
century with designs portraying prominent individuals
in the cause for American independence. William Adams
of Cobridge brought the transfer printing process
to the district of Staffordshire in 1775.
Plate
- A View Near Philadelphia
Unknown Maker, 10-1/2'' diameter |
 This
is a view of the Schuylkill River which ran
through the western portion of the city limits
of Philadelphia. The development of Philadelphia
as a major city in the new nation was in part
due to its proximity to both the Schuylkill
and Delaware Rivers.The Schuylkill River was
named the “hidden river” by the
Dutch citizens of Philadelphia because as one
travels north on the Delaware River, the mouth
of the Schuylkill River could not be seen.
On the left bank, two houses which represented
country houses for affluent Philadelphians
are seen.
|
Plate
- Upper Ferry Bridge Over the Schuylkill
Joseph Stubbs, 9'' diameter |
 At
the time of its opening in 1813, the Upper
Ferry Bridge, designed by Robert Mills, was
touted to have a span ninety-eight feet longer
than any similar covered wooden bridge in America.
The bridge, called the “Colossus,” spanned
the Schuylkill River in a single elliptical
arch at the site of the present Spring Garden
Street Bridge near the Philadelphia Museum
of Art. Fire destroyed the bridge in 1838 and
subsequently, a cable structure replaced it.
To the left of the bridge is the popular Harding
Tavern. The Conestoga wagon in the foreground
on the left, an important type of transportation
of the time, originated in Pennsylvania.The
barge on the river is similar to the one seen
in Fair Mount near Philadelphia, by
Stubbs.
|
Sometimes Staffordshire potters produced many different
scenes, whereas others limited their production to
only a few views. Points of interest in the major
American cities, such as churches, asylums, banks,
exchanges, courthouses, athenaeums, hospitals, college
buildings and battle monuments, were particularly
popular with some potters. Other potters preferred
to concentrate on scenic views, such as the Hudson
River Valley, Niagara Falls, Shenandoah Valley, Catskill
Mountains and the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
Enoch Wood & Sons, one of the largest Staffordshire
potteries, produced historical wares with designs
from cities as far north as Boston, as far south
as Washington, D. C. and as far west as Lexington
and Louisville, Kentucky. However, several potters
created and concentrated their effort on a series
of designs such as the Beauties of America Series by
J & W Ridgway ( John and William) of Hanley.
Plate
- Water Works, Philadelphia
Ralph Stevenson and Williams, 10'' diameter |
 The
Water Works, Philadelphia by Ralph Stevenson
and Williams was located in Center Square
at the present site of Philadelphia's City
Hall. This marble structure was affectionately
called Old Pepper Box by Philadelphians
because of its shape of a cupola sitting
on a square base. In an effort to control
the city's water supply after the Yellow
Fever epidemic in 1793, the city government
of Philadelphia built this building in 1799
as a pumping station for water from the Schuylkill
River. The fresh water from the river was
pumped into huge holding tanks on the top
floor of the pumping station from whence
the water was distributed by gravity through
wooden pipes to subscribers and hydrants
throughout the city.
A typical Conestoga wagon is seen in the
foreground below a water fountain enhanced
by the "Nymph of the Schuylkill",
a sculpture by the famous Philadelphian,
William Rush. The function of the Old
Pepper Box ended in 1815. Williams was
not an English potter but more likely was
Stevenson's agent in New York City. |
Pitcher
- LaFayette at Franklin's Tomb
Enoch Wood & Sons, 4-1/2'' high with copper luster trim |
 During
the period of transfer printing on china of
American historical scenes, tombs were popular
to display. Since both Lafayette and Franklin
were heroes of the American cause for independence,
it is not surprising that pieces with this
scene of Lafayette sitting beside and facing
the tomb of Franklin were so popular. The large
tomb consists of a square pedestal with the
name FRANKLIN and surmounted by a tall urn
with an inscription. Franklin’s actual
tomb in the cemetery of the Arch Street Quaker
Meeting House is simple compared to this ornate
tomb. In the background, a three-masted ship
and a domed building with multiple
pillars below are seen, both illuminated by a rising sun’s rays.
|
Philadelphia scenes in this series include the Masonic
Hall, Pennsylvania Hospital, Library, Staughton’s
Church and Custom House. It is of interest that the
State House, or Independence Hall, which was a symbol
of the Revolution in Philadelphia, is not included
in the Beauties of America Series. S. Tams & Co.
of Longton produced only three different designs
for the American trade, one each of the Capitols
in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
and a very rare dark blue soup plate of the United
States Hotel on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.
The Schuylkill River west of the center of Philadelphia
provided numerous different views of scenic suburban
Philadelphia including Fair Mount near Philadelphia, Upper
Ferry Bridge over the River Schuylkill, Mendenhall
Ferry and Woodlands near Philadelphia by
Joseph Stubbs of Burslem; Schuylkill Water Works by
Thomas Godwin of Burslem; A View Near Philadelphia by
an unknown maker; The Dam and the Water Works (stern
wheeler) and The Dam and the Water Works (side
wheeler) by Henshall, Williamson and Company of Longport;
and The Race Bridge, Philadelphia by J & J
Jackson of Burslem.
Potter's
Marks |
Bank of the United States, Philadelphia, Joseph Stubbs.
Potter’s Mark is oval shaped transfer printed with lacelike border
and name of view within it.
LaFayette at Franklin's Tomb,
E. Wood & Sons.
Potter’s Mark is an impressed eagle surrounded by E. Wood & Sons,
Burslem, Warranted with Semi China above the eagle's head.
Water Works, Philadelphia,
Ralph Stevenson and Williams.
Potter’s Mark is usually transfer printed with name of view on
a twisted scroll.
|
Identification of the view and the manufacturer
of a piece of historic Staffordshire china often
was provided by the potter’s mark on the underside
of flat dinnerware and on the bottom of hollow pieces
such as pitchers, tureens, teacups, coffee cups and
wash basins. The potter’s name and often the
name of the view and the city where the ceramic piece
was manufactured constituted the potter’s mark.
The potter’s mark was applied most often by
the transfer print technique, although occasionally,
a stamp of the potter’s mark was impressed
into distinctive border. A ceramic with a border
of shells originated in the factory of Enoch Wood & Sons;
medallions of roses served as the border for J & W
Ridgway’s Beauties of America Series;
the borders of Ralph Stevenson and Williams were
acorns and oak leaves; and eagles, scrolls and flowers
bordered the flat dinner ware of Joseph Stubbs.
Tureen
- Masonic Hall, Philadelphia
Ralph Stevenson, 8'' long, 6-1/2'' high |
 Masonic
Hall, Philadelphia on cover, Fulton Market,
New York, on body and Columbia College,New
York on tray.
Stevenson incorporated three different views
for this small gravy tureen. Views of the
Philadelphia Masonic Hall are rare and a
similar view was used by J & W Ridgway
on a dinner plate of the Beauties of America
Series.The Philadelphia Masonic Hall,
a two-story building of Gothic architecture,
was opened in 1810 on Chestnut Street, burned
in 1818, and immediately rebuilt.This building
included a large exhibition hall popular
at the time for fairs, balls, wedding receptions
and art exhibits. It was in constant use.The
second building was razed in 1856. |
Platter
- Mendenhall Ferry
Joseph Stubbs, 16-1/2'' x 13'' |
 Behind
the sheep and cattle in the foreground is the
Mendenhall Ferry, a primitive rope ferry carrying
passengers and a horse across the Schuylkill
River.This type of transportation on the Schuylkill
began in 1723. On the west bank of the river,
the building with a large open front porch
is the Mendenhall Inn, a popular resort retreat
for urban Philadelphians. Above the east bank
of the river, the large house on the right
is Laurel Hill, purchased in 1828 by Dr. Philip
Syng Physick from Mr.William Rawle for a summer
country retreat. Dr. Physick was a famous early
surgeon at Pennsylvania Hospital and was appointed
Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1805 at the age of 37 years. Dr. Physick
is known as the “Father of American Surgery.” The
large country house overlooking the river on
the left belonged to Mr. Joseph Sims.
|
During the early years of the 19th century, the
beverage of choice of Americans was tea. The Staffordshire
potters were prompt to realize that tea services
and teacups and saucers would be items in great demand
in America. After General Lafayette’s ceremonial
return to the United States in 1824, Enoch Wood & Sons
commemorated his triumphant tour and this historical
event on a tea service Lafayette at Franklin’s
Tomb in which Lafayette is shown reclining in
a pensive mood gazing at a tomb inscribed FRANKLIN.
In the background, a three-masted sailboat may represent
the “ Cadmus” on which Lafayette sailed
across the Atlantic to America.
The cups of this tea service are without handles
and the saucers are very large and deep. In the 1820’s
and 1830’s, the custom of drinking tea involved
pouring the hot tea from a handleless teacup into
the saucer to cool. Then the cooler drink was sipped
from the saucer. The empty teacup then was placed
on a cup plate, a very small plate usually no greater
than 3 1/2" inches in diameter. These cup plates
are very rare today and highly desired by dedicated
collectors of historical Staffordshire china.
Coffee & Tea
Service - LaFayette at Franklin's Tomb
Enoch Wood & Sons |
Coffeepot 11-1/2'' high, Teapot 8-1/4'' high, Creamer 6'' high,
Sugar Bowl 7'' high,Teacup without handle 3-1/2'' diameter 2-1/2'' high,
Saucer 6-1/2'' diameter, Coffee Cup with handle 4'' diameter 2-1/2''
high, Saucer 5-3/4'' diameter.
|
Cup
(with handle) - Franklin's Tomb
E & G Phillips, cup with handle 3-3/4'', diameter 2-1/2'' high,
saucer 5-1/2'' diameter, with Potter’s Mark |
 Transfer
printed lion with outstretched front paws.
A knotted rope lies below E & G Phillips
LONGPORT.
This view of Franklin’s Tomb is the
only recorded American scene produced by
E & G Phillips (Edward and George) of
Longport.Two people in period dress view
the tomb. The large urn with the name FRANKLIN
sits on top of a rectangular pedestal. The
pedestal without the urn is similar to Franklin’s
actual tomb on Arch Street in Philadelphia.
In the background, a large cathedral with
many spires is noted partially hidden by
foliage. |
Handleless
Teacup, Saucer and Cup Plate -
Lafayette at Franklin's Tomb
Enoch Wood & Sons, handleless teacup 3-3/4'' diameter 2-1/2'' high,
saucer 6-1/2'' diameter, Woodlands near Philadelphia,
Joseph Stubbs, cup plate 3'' diameter |
 Woodlands,
the two story mansion with several wings and
a main section with a porch with long columns,
was one of the country homes of William Hamilton.
It overlooked the Schuylkill River on its western
bank in suburban Philadelphia. Mr.Hamilton’s
greenhouse and gardens were considered unequalled
in the United States.
During the Revolutionary War, Mr. Hamilton’s
loyalty to the American cause was questioned
and he was accused of treason and banished
from Pennsylvania. After the war, he returned
to Philadelphia and during the yellow fever
epidemic of 1793, he opened his other country
home, Bush Hill, for the care of victims
of this dreaded disease. Dr. Benjamin Rush,
a famous Philadelphia physician and signer
of the Declaration of Independence, first
befriended the young Dr. Philip Syng Physick
at Hamilton’s home where Physick was
caring for the yellow fever victims. |
When coffee replaced tea as the beverage of choice
in America in the 1840’s, the Staffordshire
potters began to provide coffeepots, coffee cups
with handles from which the coffee was drunk directly,
and smaller saucers. Cup plates became out of vogue
at this time.
Historical Staffordshire wares served to boost the
national pride of early Americans as they were able
to proudly display dinnerware, wash basins and pitchers
with portraits of individuals, events, and buildings
important to the pursuit of independence. In addition,
many of these ceramic items chronicled the advances
in the modes of transportation in the new nation.
Tureen
- Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia
scene on lid, Battle of Bunker Hill, Ralph Stevenson, 15-3/4''
long |
 For
his tureens, Stevenson often used multiple
(usually three) different scenes to decorate
the body and cover.This soup tureen is an example
of Pennsylvania Hospital on both sides of the
exterior of the body, the Brooklyn Ferry on
the interior base of the body and the Battle
of Bunker Hill on the lid. Perhaps this technique
was an attempt by Stevenson to satisfy customers
in Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston
with important views of all three cities incorporated
in a single piece of china.
This view of Pennsylvania Hospital, founded
in 1751 as the Nation’s First Hospital,
is the same view of the Hospital used by
J & W Ridgway in their Beauties of
America Series, (as seen on the Title
Page) except that a circular driveway in
front of the hospital is seen in the Stevenson
view. The Pennsylvania Hospital was chartered
by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751. Construction
funds for the hospital were raised by Benjamin
Franklin from a public appeal and matched
by the Pennsylvania Assembly. Dr.Thomas Bond’s
dream to build a hospital in Philadelphia
similar to those he visited in Europe was
unsuccessful until he received support from
his friend Franklin.
The first patients were admitted in 1755.
Dr. Bond and the other early physicians at
the hospital volunteered their medical services
for the “Relief of the Sick and Miserable
(insane).”The hospital was designed
and built by Samuel Rhoads, one of the original
members of the Carpenters’ Company
of Philadelphia. The building was erected
in three sections; the east wing in 1755,
the west wing in 1796 and the connecting
center section in 1804.
In the Beauties of America Series,
the platter of Pennsylvania Hospital reveals
three well-dressed men in the foreground,
one of whom is bent forward, perhaps from
back pain. He may be seeking permission for
admission to the hospital from two of the
Board of Managers, a prerequisite for admittance
during the early days of the hospital. Pennsylvania
Hospital today is a part of the University
of Pennsylvania Health System and remains
at its original site on the western edge
of Society Hill at Eighth and Spruce Streets
in Philadelphia. |
Some of these early modes of transportation appeared
as secondary features of the central view, whereas
in other views, they represented the central theme.
For example, Joseph Stubbs of Burslem depicted a
rider on horseback and a Conestoga wagon in the foreground
of Upper Ferry Bridge over the River Schuylkill;
the primitive rope ferry carrying two passengers
and a horse across the Schuylkill River is the central
theme of the Mendenhall Ferry; and the horse
driven by a man in a dray and a farm wagon with a
hitch of horses is in the foreground of Bank of
the United States, Philadelphia.
Plate
(soup) - Staughton's Church, Philadelphia
J & W Ridgway, Beauties of America Series, 8'' diameter |
 This
octagonal-shaped Baptist Church was built on
Samson Street, between 8th and 9th Streets
in Philadelphia in 1812 and named for the congregation’s
minister.The architect, John Mills, designed
this artistic church like an amphitheater with
a fifty-foot high domed ceiling above a rotunda.
It had a seating capacity of 2,500, which was
much larger than other churches in Philadelphia
in the early part of the 19th century. Church
attendance declined dramatically after Rev.William
Staughton left the pulpit in 1823 and subsequently,
the church was sold and razed.
|
Plate
(soup) - United States Hotel, Philadelphia
S. Tams & Co., 10-1/4'' diameter, with Potter’s Mark |
 The
United States Hotel opened in Philadelphia
in 1826 on the north side of Chestnut Street
between 4th and 5th Streets.The hotel was not
only a place for lodging for out-of-town visitors
but also a social gathering spot for the more
affluent citizens of Philadelphia.The hotel
operated for only thirty years and then the
Bank of Pennsylvania purchased it. This view
is very rare with less than ten examples known
to exist today.
This hotel was memorable as the home for
the Assemblies dances held every Thursday
evening during the winter months. Admission
to the Assemblies was by invitation only
and was reserved for the most well-established,
fashionable citizens of Philadelphia. In
addition to dancing at the Assemblies, many
of the guests enjoyed card games, an amusement
more accepted by the Philadelphia Quakers
than attending performances at the theater.
The Assemblies is still held annually in
Philadelphia during the Christmas holiday
season and admission remains by invitation
only. |
Staffordshire china with historical views of the
colonial and post-Revolutionary era of America represents
a major and significant development of transfer printing
in the history of ceramic art. These historical views
on earthenware represent permanent portrayals of
notable events in the history of the young Republic
during the period from 1820 to 1850.
This transfer printed china of English potters documents
historical buildings and events, modes of transportation,
customary dress and spectacular scenery during a
limited period in early America, much the same as
the paintings done on early Greek vases. In addition,
this china shows the taste of the period and illustrates
the home life of men and women who were the founders
and major political figures of the American Republic.
Plate
- Union Line
Enoch Wood & Sons, 8-1/4'' diameter |
 Steamboats
became very popular central themes after Robert
Fulton launched his steamboat the “Claremont” in
1807.The Union Line by Enoch Wood & Sons
of Burslem is a beautiful example of a steamship
which provided cargo and passenger services
between Philadelphia and New York City.The
steamship was owned by the Union Line, a company
formed in 1820. Colonel John Stevens and his
sons of Hoboken,New Jersey managed the Union
Line. One of the sons, Edwin A. Stevens, founded
and endowed Stevens Institute of Technology
in Hoboken. In 1832, the Union Line was sold
to the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company.
|
Plate
- The Dam and Water Works (with side wheeler)
Henshall, Williamson and Company of Longport, 10'' diameter |
 The
Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia (with
side wheeler) and The Dam and Waterworks,
Philadelphia (with stern wheeler) by
Henshall, Williamson and Company of Longport
show other examples of early steamboats. The
Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia (with
side wheeler) is exactly the same view as The
Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia (with
stern wheeler), except the steamboat in the
foreground in the former plate is a side
wheeler probably intended as a copy of Fulton’s “Claremont.” In
addition to the smokestack in the middle
of the boat, it also has two masts.
|
©2003 The Philadelphia Antiques Show
Reproduction of this article in any form is prohibited without written permission
from The Philadelphia Antiques Show, UPMC, 3400 Spruce Street, 1122 Penn Tower,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Readings
- Camehl, A.W., The Blue China Book,
Montauk Book Manufacturing Co. Inc.,
New York, NY, 1916.
- Laidacker, S., Anglo-American China,
Part 1, Bristol, PA, 1954.
- Larsen, E. B., American Historical Views
On Staffordshire China, Doubleday, Doran
& Company, Inc., New York, NY, 1939.
- Snyder, J. B., Historical Staffordshire:
American Patriots & Views, 2nd Edition,
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Atglen, PA, 2000.
Loan Exhibit Committee
Curators
- Dr. Luther W. Brady
- Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Campbell
Catalogue Loan Production
- Aurora O’Brien, Chairman
- Linda McCarthy, Co-Chairman
- Joan Johnson, Layout
- Aurora O’Brien, Layout
- Ellie Fine, Editor
- Joy Frayer, Editor
Advisors
- Mary Ellen Hagner
- Bea Garvin
Exhibit Design
- Designed by M. R. Daniels of S.M.R.D. Theatricals
Photography
- Graydon Wood
- Chris Palmer
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