New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-09
OLD STAFFORDSHIRE
Origins of the Coveted Blue
Pottery

The potters OF. Liverpool were the
first to put American views upon
china. printing, shortly after the close
of the War of the Revolution, tine
portraits of George Washington ana
BENJAMIN Franklin upon yellow mugs
and mugs and punch bowls. A NUMBER
of wears later the Liverpool potters
produced an almost complete series Ok
nortraits of American naval heroes, TO-
qether with illustrations OF the prln-
cipal engagements OF the War OF lolZ:
By far the greater number OF
American views, however, went TO the
group of English haplets in the county
ri Staffordshire, which numbers ABOUT
q dozen. and is still known as The rot
teries. From the year 1888, when
Enoch Wood set up his works Mt burS-
Inm until about 1880. almost all OF the
English pottery which was sent across
,be sea bore views obtained from
America. the specimens which now sur
I'VE being known as "Old Stafford
shire" Al. cd.
mired was first adopted in England
carly in the nineteenth century: ont'l
aboHt the wear 1880, at which time
nrinting upon pottery became cheap
ered by the process of lithograpny,
blue was almost the sole color USED III
tha StaFordshire potteries. The color
,,,os cheap and flowed easily, ana l'S
density hid the imperfections IN ware
ond workmanship. 1t must be p0rne
in mind that the beautiful ola oIue
dishes so greatly coveted to-day are
NOT of fine material nor OF sEliieu
manufacture, their present Value WIS
in their decorative quality and IN the
n;ctured memorials of early AmerlGa
wbich they perpetuate -memorlaI5
wbich at the present time are accotusu
an important place among the authen-
30 documents Of history. AS the years
,,ort nv the rich, deep blue was iol.
loved bv paler tints, until at last Juss
haforo The Centennial Exposition oil
1874 the common tableware OIL oui
forefathers had faded to the duii
monotony Of white. -, IT. ,iddIe
Stafordshire was, until tne me- 20
If the nineteenth century, shippeu
american merchants in large guam
t;es and purchased for daily use oy Gu.
forefathers. They admired tne IL,
colors and the quaint 1orhs, -
! found added pleasure IN loohlhs up in
Tho faces of their beloved heloes,
living over IN lmaglnal'"" tb a
BATTLES and in marvelling anew a. AZ
,uonderful achievements oil peat sore
n %C upon the specimens oeiO''
| them. ro III. imported
ware were so small, from a. s y iP;ngle
W. ""i shilling being the cost OF a s'" ths
u ~ that the amounts paid a. ~ nv
resent Use time to possess one OF 'ns r;ftv
ip'; pm pieces would amaze our thr' ~
fo T,fs as we'll as astonIsS" tb t%
ttppaaSe,seeking potters who turn .Sa NOR NOR.
o o,aD Liverpool jugs bearing 1ne p snd
outs Vut Of Washington or the heroes % 40 30
Ila'' Sattles of 1912 are worth %, ~
sea more dollars. while Sloo Is niat-
quenS.S ritcher printed with some s n.s
t t design. A few years ago tuT;no
tor,c r; ue for blue platter pictut'n ~
Was s YORK from Brooklyn Heigntts' az
.'e rscent sale $1,000, was ps'u iong
pporrrsyIvania Arms plate; and not f ,Ums
a ren"'' Matter of the New ro gss The the
ago design brought sl,ZZS Pr ~, en-
highest price yet paid r tUP Ada Z sP Walker
o. C o,J "The Blue CHINA OWN
~. p. Dutton & W