29 October 2013

Spode, Printed Ware, America... and Me 2013

I am just back from America.

I feel honoured to have been invited by the Transferware Collectors Club (TCC) to be the keynote speaker at their 14th Annual Meeting near Boston MA. I gave two presentations about Spode which seemed to go down really well. Thank you to the TCC who were great hosts to me and my husband, who also gave his famous Tale of the Toilet presentation. This invitation from the TCC got me on a plane for the first time too!

It was lovely to meet all the members at the conference and discuss a wide range of subjects, specific interests and different ways of collecting transferware (known as printed ware in the UK) with which Spode is so closely associated. The TCC is a must for all those interested in printed wares of whatever manufacturer. Their website now holds a database of 10,000 transferware patterns and rising. The organisation also gives grants to relevant projects. Click here for further information.

In honour of both America and the TCC here are some images of Spode wares. They include items from c1813 to 2000; plain printed; printed and hand coloured; earthenware, stone china and bone china. There are patterns which are specific to the American market and others which are the type collected by members of the TCC so I hope something for everyone.

Snapshot of one of the dressers from the Spode museum's old 'Blue Room',
full of Spode printed wares in the Chinese style, pre-1833
(photo c2004)
Sunflower & Convolvulus  pattern (detail) earthenware c1813
Sunflower & Convolvulus pattern in pink with gilded edge,
bone china c2000
Pattern 2/5526
Copeland & Thompson catalogue pages

Independence, or Eagle & Star, pattern number Y51
produced on stone china c1927-c1961
Buttercup pattern printed and hand coloured, c1924 to c1992
Hugely popular in America.

Pattern 7487 c1840s (detail) printed in flow blue, a style
particularly popular in America
Left: Garden seat, Italian pattern c1816. Right: Leg bath, Lange Lijsen (Long Eliza) pattern c1820. Front: Cheese Cradle (for a round, or wheel, of hard cheese) Rome pattern c1811 (sometimes known as Tiber) 

Tower pattern on a Covered Dutch Jug c1820
Paul Holdway engraving a copper plate
for Italian pattern (detail) 2004