The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-02
Washington Pitcher.

and the inspection OF intimates. Some one
has vet to analyze the motive or u collector
IN bringing together vast number OF
anna reuIiy useless and insignificant trilles.
hit may not be explained as a commefciai
move to corner the market ana lorce Il
price upon guliible purchaser, perhaps tits
two parts OF aesthetic integrity and three
OF human frailty.
The collection of which description is
given below is an exception To the fraiity
clause There is an ounce OF speculation
in it and an ounce OF aestheucism, fc- 1t
Iccumulates things beautiful, but IL also
has as a further object the encoura cement
of q native industry and the fostering OF
patriotic sentiment.
DR.. Marcus benjamin, of the National
Museum has devoted large portion of
a busy career to patriotism III many pfac-
teal phases and is identified with tie
organic atoms, literature and promotion
thereof in a national way. One direction
this sentiment has taken has teen the ac-
emulation of American patriotic pottery
So assiduous and thorough and expert has
he proved himself that he now has the
finest private collection of this character
in this country.
DIR. Benjamin began his collection as
might any other collector with the merely
aesthetic in mind. He fancied china and
pottery, and as several desirable and hand
some pieces came in his wa y he found himself
Oh the road to collection. Then II &C.
CURED to him that collection admitting
only such pieces as had historic orpetriotic
form would be interesting. These were
not rare. The popularity about our
patriotic pottery has been, how
ever, that though it displays pictures and
figures of Americans and things American
a glance at the underside usually reveals
the trademark of French, German, Eng
lish or Austrian manufacturer.
Thus it suggested itself to him to tur-
Their particu,arIze and limit his pottery
to such as is manufactured in America.
This presented really difficult prob
lem to work out DR.. Benjamin knows, or
knows of, nearly every pottery in the
country, and he found, after little re-
search, that our pottery Of patriotic form
was both rare and inferior. Then in
many ways he set about to stimulate an
interest in this work, for he held 1t
duty OF patriotism to support American
manufactures as well as American princi-
pies He did it in many ways. notably by
his articles in the Monthly American and
the Spirit OF re, which reach the pa
triotic societies, and in the pottery trade
papers and IN the New York press.
WHAT is PATRIOTIC POTTERY?
Patriotic pottery, as DR.. Benjamin con-
ceives it, is, then, not a piece OF foreign
ware stamped with an American historic
parsonage, building, motto, place, or de-
vice, but a piece of ware manufactured
on American Soil and celebrating, by ar
ustic Gesign, some patnouc Or historic
person or thing.
II is almost impossible to estimate how
many pieces has DR.. Benjamin. Many of
his valuable pieces are packed away, and
such as he has In his office and home
are being added to daily by the manu-
facturers, who send him every product
of their kilns, as Horace sent his ores
to Marcenas, knowing him to be one of
the greatest patrons and inspirers of their
new endeavOrs.
At first it would seem that great va
riety could not be introduced into a coIlec-
ton of pottery. But glance into this COL
lection rectifies that idea. The deft mold
ers have fashioned their ware into all con-
ceivable shapes. There are plates, cups and
saucers, bowls, loving cups, jugs, statu-
cites and busts, tiles, pipes, of infinite
variety in themselves, pitchers and repro
auctions in miniature of such historic and
patriotic oh tects as the Liberty Bell.
Among his plates DR.. Benjamin has two
series which Immediately attract the eye.
not so much for their ware value as in the
pictorial. They are from eight TO ele.en
inches in diameter and made in imitation
OF the plates of colonial times. The ware
is stone or eartben, with glazed surface, and
the prints a re blue in color and executed IN
a broad, free style.
Six of these compose the Washington
headquarters series. They show six of the
important sites at which the commander
iii-chief of the colonial army made tempo
rary abode. They show the houses which
were headquarters in Tappan, N. Y. Nor
ristown, N. j.; Valley Forge, Pa; Cam
bridge, Mass, and Newburg, N. T., and his
home at Mount Vernon.
OLD NEW YORK PLATES.
The Old New York plates are in
teresting. They are made in imitation
OF the old Dutch delft, and for that reason
have been called Nieu Amsterdam Delft
Ware. Each plate represents some To-
cality that is famous.
Taking the plates in chronological order
1t is found that the Oldest bears the legend.
.1642. The Old Staat Hugs" which was
the first public building in New York; then
follows, with the same date, First Stone