Vintage Staffordshire Plates from the Early 1900s

New to our Colorado shop is a collection of blue and white vintage Staffordshire plates. Dating to the early 1900s, these beautiful plates have a really interesting design history. 

These plates were decorated using the printing process called transferware, a method used to adorn antique china in white and blue patterns. In the late 18th century, Chinese porcelain was extremely sought-after, thanks to their rich and delicately detailed blue patterns hand painted on white backgrounds. However, due to trade prices, Chinese porcelain pieces were expensive and generally limited to the wealthier class. To mimic the look of Chinese porcelain, English potters created transferware. 

In this process, a copperplate is engraved with a design and heated. Cobalt oxide is applied to the hot engraved plate, followed by a damp tissue paper laid flat to pick up the oxide. The marked tissue is lifted off the copperplate and applied to the pottery surface. The tissue paper is then washed off, leaving the intricate blue design. 

While the first transferware patterns incorporated Chinese designs and motifs, eventually Victorian romantic sensibilities created a market for floral and pastoral patterns that highlighted English Culture. After the Napoleonic Wars, a large export trade to North America was established. British Staffordshire potteries such as Wedgwood, Clews, Rogers, and Stubs capitalized upon the surge of popularity of American history and designed patterns expressly for the American markets. The plates, serveware, bowls and tureens celebrated early American history with idyllic and patriotic themes. The beautiful wares that have survived are now avidly collected on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Some of my favorite designs are shown below:  

We have a beautiful red example of the "The Washington Plate" pattern by Jon Roth, aptly named for the celebration of our first President and First Lady, George and Martha Washington, as well as the iconic architecture of our nation’s capital.

Similarly designed, we have a gorgeous "Historical Philadelphia" blue transferware plate by the Rowland & Marsellus Co. The plate depicts Independence Hall at center, surrounded by six vignettes of famous Philadelphia buildings: the Betsy Ross House, Old Swedes Church, Old United States Mint, the original residence of William Penn, Carpenters’ Hall, and Judge Chew’s House. 

We have also three plates from the Johnson Brothers’ “Historic America”series. First introduced in 1938-39, the plates in this series celebrated early American history with idyllic and patriotic 19th-century themes. Scenes were modeled closely after iconic engravings by 19th century publishers, such as Currier and Ives, and subjects were chosen for how they reinforced Americans’ sense of national identity and pride. 

Titled “Covered Wagons and the Rocky Mountains,”  one plate pattern depicts a train of covered wagons in the foreground, each led by a team of oxen, and celebrates the exploration and settlement of our Western states. A plate of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, was styled after an 1872 engraving in William Cullen Bryant’s travelog Picturesque America.  And another plate pattern celebrates the historic Hancock House in Boston, Massachusetts. The Johnson Brothers’ plates always have an acorn and leaf pattern along the rims, which is great for mixing and matching plate patterns in a display while still keeping a cohesive look. 

Once collected, these antique plates can be used in the home as originally intended, or as part of a unique display, hung on walls or plate stands. Shop all of our antique Staffordshire items here!