Relish Dishes - Harmonicaguy.com

WHITE IRONSTONE NOTES
VOL. 4 No. 3
WINTER 1998
RELISH DISHES
WHITE IRONSTONE RELISH DISHES
by Harriet Denton
Ah, the handsome relish dishes ! Collectors
of 19th century white ironstone china treasure
them, enjoy them, and search for more. They
were made for serving special accompaniments to food or drink. In old shipping lists
we find them mentioned as parts of dinner,
dessert, and tea sets. But relish dishes was not
a term used by the British potters who made
them. Instead, they were called pickle dishes
or ‘pickel’ trays, or leaf dishes, or simply
small plates. The earliest porcelain and pottery versions included leaf forms with dentil
edge and replicas of shell forms. In reference
books on old china, we find such dishes pictured as part of the fine dessert, supper and tea
sets of the 18th and early 19th century. The
19th century potters of our white ironstone
china doubtless were inspired by them and,
happily for us, they expanded the designs into
the varied and graceful pieces we now call relish dishes.
But why did they need all those pickle dishes? They were widely used because the pungency of pickles helped to disguise the
unpleasant taste of foods, especially meats,
that were past their prime due to lack of refrigeration.
(continued on page 4)
WICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Kerr, President
Ed Rigoulot, Vice President
Bill Lancaster, Secretary
Jack Allers, Treasurer
Tom Moreland, Past President
Beverly Dieringer
Polly Gosselin
Patty Spahr Hitt
Fran Kinne
Harry Lowe
Olga Moreland
Howard Noble
Jill O’Hara
Honorary Lifetime Member
Jean Wetherbee
2
The WHITE IRONSTONE CHINA ASSOCIATION, INC. is a not-for-profit corporation.
WHITE IRONSTONE NOTES  is the official newsletter of the corporation.
Photographs submitted by members become
the property of WICA, Inc. and no article,
photograph or drawing may be reproduced
without the express permission of WICA, Inc.
_____________________________________
WHITE IRONSTONE NOTES is published
and edited by Ernie and Bev Dieringer with
associate editor, Harriet Denton. Drawings
and photos are by Ernie and Bev Dieringer
unless otherwise noted. Please send all news
notes, articles, photos, suggestions, questions
and listings for advertising or the Spare Parts
column to: WICA, Box 536, Redding
Ridge, CT 06876. Fax # 203 938 8378 or
e-mail Dieringer1@aol.com.
_____________________________________
A three-ring notebook to save your issues of
WHITE IRONSTONE NOTES is available at
$8 plus $1.50 shipping. Total of $9.50.
Back issues of the newsletter are available to
members only at $6 each.
Volume 1, #1, 2 & 3. Volume 2, #1, 2, 3 & 4.
Volume 3, # 1, 2, 3, & 4. Make checks payable
to WICA and send to the above address.
_____________________________________
ADVERTISING RATES
Advertisements will be accepted in order of
receipt from WICA members and space allowing, from non-members. Rates (subject to
change): $10 per column inch (7 lines). Nonmembers, $20 per column inch. Members
can list a single piece for sale free in the Spare
Parts column each issue space allowing.
Payment in full by check made out to WICA
must accompany each ad. Send to newsletter
address. Publishing deadlines are Dec. 1 for
Winter, March 1 for Spring, June 1 for
Summer, Sept. 1 for Fall.
_____________________________________
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Send $25 for each individual or $30 for two
individuals at the same address with check
made payable to WICA, to: Jim Kerr / WICA
President, RD#1 - Box 23, Howes Cave, NY
12092.
Please send all ADDRESS
CHANGES to the same address.
INDEX
Pg. 3
Pg. 3
Pg. 1
Pg. 12
Pg. 13
Pg. 12
Pg. 14
Pg. 14
Next Issues
Calendar
Relish Dishes
New and Unusual
Regional Reports
Relish Recipes
Spare Parts
Collectors’ Showcase
FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK
We wish you all the joys of the Holiday
Season.
In the last few months three books about
white ironstone have been published. A
review of one of them appears on page 3, and
our reviews of two follow:
Several of our members were contacted last
year by Jeffrey Snyder, requesting the opportunity to photograph their ironstone collections for a proposed ironstone book. Dale
Abrams’ Tea Leaf collection, a selection of
Ellen Hill’s Mulberry, Gale Frederick’s Flow
Blue, Dan Overmeyer's and our white ironstone.
To our astonishment, the book is already in
bookstores. It is called White Ironstone: A
Survey Of Its Many Forms by Dawn
Stoltzfus and Jeffrey Snyder, Schiffer
Publishing Ltd. $34.95 softcover. There are
over 700 color photographs and the format is
alphabetical according to shape name.
Whenever possible, the shape is shown in
undecorated white and with Tea Leaf, Flo
Blue and Mulberry decoration. There are
large sections on maker’s marks, children’s
ironstone and rare and unusual pieces. Dale
Abrams wrote a short article about Tea Leaf
and mentioned the Tea Leaf Club
International. We were asked to write a short
history of white ironstone and mention WICA.
We were given credit in the front of the book
for editing and pricing. We must publish a disclaimer. We were given the opportunity to
edit only the information under the photos of
our pieces. Also we are responsible for the
pricing of our pieces only which we based on
what we paid and Jean Wetherbee’s price
guide.
The book is a nice addition to a
library, but for real information, Jean
Wetherbee’s “White Ironstone: A Collector’s
Guide” is still the definitive reference book.
Kitchen Ceramics by Susan Slesin, Daniel
Rozensztroch and Stafford Cliff, $35.00,
hardcover, published by Abbeville Press this
last october 1997, is the third and latest book
with a large amount of white ironstone. There
are also sections on early red ware, sponge
ware, mocha and yellow ware. Page 50 - 51
shows Jack Anspaugh’s kitchen with a complete set of President Shape. The photography
is outstanding and pieces are grouped by item;
soup tureens, sauce tureens, vegetable tureens,
pitchers, tea pots, etc. from the Moreland collection. There is almost no identification of
shapes or makers. This is a beautiful book of
photos of kitchen ceramics and is the third
book in a series called “Everyday Things.”
Now on to other things. Please note that we
have lowered our advertising rates. Consider
an ad if you want to sell ironstone or advertise
your antiques business.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Enclosed is some information which may be
of interest to WICA. These are documents
that pertained to my family’s business here in
the states. The firm of Davenport Brothers
imported Davenport China and various other
china and glass items. It was run by my great
grandfather Thomas, and his two brothers.
There are a number of invoices which show
the prices which white ironstone sold for.
These items are shown as W.G. which indicates white goods. Although no pattern names
are listed, there seems to be some numeric system they referenced which probably identified
the pattern sold.
This information was obtained from the
Smithsonian Institution and seems to have
been used by the U.S. Customs in establishing
duty on imported ironstone china. I hope that
this may be helpful to WICA.
Robert F. Davenport II New Milford, CT
*************************************
We were ecstatic when we opened his envelope. There were eight photo copies of hand
written invoices dating from August 11th,
1853 to June 10th, 1884. The old script is
hard to read but it seems that Davenport sold
many oil lamps and supplies along with
“Agate Teas” and “Glass Nappies” at the
Princely price of $1.75 a dozen.
We will put aside some time to go over this
material and invite anyone else who is interested to request copies for research.
Thank you, Robert.
*************************************
And this note came from England
*************************************
Two comments re Vol 4. No 2.
Pg. 3 The Charles Meigh moulded jug is in
the standard columned stoneware body -- we
in the U.K. would not call this ironstone. The
registration mark is the standard pre-1843 verbal wording.
Pg. 10 The Sidney’s Patent Jugs originally
had glass port-holes. They were made in different sizes for different measures.
Geoffrey Godden , West Sussex, England
*************************************
Geoffrey Godden is the author of many
books on British ceramics and is considered
the authority on this subject. He is going to be
the keynote speaker at the 1999 Flow Blue
Club Convention in Rochester, NY.
*************************************
Following is a letter which was sent to
Dale Abrams from Gale Frederick in 1994.
Dale was kind enough to pass it on to us with
the photo. The piece must be over two feet tall
and the lion head handles and dog finial are
outstanding.
*************************************
Here is the picture of the “water cistern” or
cooler at the Hermitage. It is in white ironstone as you can see. If you study carefully,
below the lid on the left but at the top of the
base, is a large chip -- more like hunk -- larger than this green paper (4 x 6”). Spout is
made from pewter. There is a medallion on
the front (hard to see) inscribed Samuel E.
Moore, Importer of China & Earthenware, 37
Camp St, New Orleans.
Gale Frederick, Toledo, OH
*************************************
And then we got this photo from Bill
Lancaster.
*************************************
Enclosed is a photo of a jardiniere (no rim
for any type of lid) in Gothic Cameo Lion’s
Head variant. It has no mark. It is 12 1/2” tall
and the lion handles measure 4 1/2”. Quite
impressive!
Bill Lancaster, Monroe, WI
*************************************
BOOK REVIEW:
“Supplying the Present Wants of Our Yankee
Cousins...“ Staffordshire Ceramics and the
American Market 1775-1880
by: Neil Ewins, 154 pages, soft cover for:
The Journal of Ceramic History, Vol 15,
1997 Published by: City Museum & Art
Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, England.
This long overdue work is certainly a welcome addition to many collectors, particularly those who collect ironstone and
stoneware.
Mr. Ewins leads us through how design
decisions were influenced by production
and consumption patterns here in the U.S.
The influence the merchant had in the creation of designs in this Westward expanding
country was of paramount importance. In
fact, Ewins may have answered the question
of why so many tea set shapes exist for the
same body shape and/or design - competition was fierce and that we as a society
demanded “up-to-date” styles.
The book explores the role of retailers
through pottery records, import documents,
sales ledgers, and printed back marks.
Social, economic and regional considerations played an important role in influencing
taste. It is quite evident that retailers acted
as importers and distributors, as well as taste
arbiters. They were quite involved in determining the production of smaller manufacturers and in effect manipulated ceramic
design.
This work helps us understand the complexities and economic forces that came to
play during this period.
I heartily recommend this book to the collector.
NEXT ISSUES
SPRING 1998: Trent, Stafford and
Pomegranate Shapes.
SUMMER 1998: Convention coverage and an article on Wheat in all its
variations.
WHITE IRONSTONE:
A COLLECTOR’S
GUIDE
By Jean Wetherbee
Hardbound copies are available from
WICA for $25.95 plus $3 shipping.
Send check made out to WICA, to:
Fran Kinne
110 Hillside Ave.
Tenafly, NJ 07670
CALENDAR
MAY 1 - 3, 1998 4th Annual WICA
National Convention, Wilmington, DE at
the Radisson Hotel. Call Fran Kinne,
Convention Chair. (201) 567 1202
SEPTEMBER 12, 1998 Region 4 hosted
by Anne Miller and Kyle Husfloen in
Galena, Illinois. Call Anne Miller for
information. (815) 664 2450
NOVEMBER 14, 1998 Region 5 hosted
by Sally and Howard Erdman in Denton,
Texas. For information call (817) 387 5653
WHEAT, WHEAT, WHEAT !!!
Check your cupboards, corners and
under the bed for exciting or unusual
examples of Wheat Patterns and
Variations that you would be willing to
put into the convention exhibit. So far
over 60 potters have been identified!
Contact Gloria Weatherby 304-4783815 or Polly Gosselin 860-233-2392
or Fran Kinne 201-567-1202. The
more the merrier !!! Thanks.
Flea Market,
Flea Market,
Flea Market !!!
We have seen pieces with similar rims that
have lids with an inner ring and overlap the
edge. So it may be possible that this beauty
once had a lid.
*************************************
I’m sending a little goodie packet. The KMart booklet (Martha Stewart’s line of paint
colors) Letters continued on page 12
Friday evening May 1st at the 1998 WICA
Convention. For those interested, please
check the appropriate box on the
Convention form when it comes and information will be forthcoming.
Questions? Call Nancy Adams
(802) 874 4706
Arnold Kowalsky, (914) 423 8899
3
RELISH DISHES
4
Sydenham Shape double-stem
leaf dish by J. Clementson .
(Skinner collection)
Columbia Shape by Elsmore &
Forster. Note that it doesn’t have a
reticulated handle.
Sydenham by T. & R. Boote,
1853.
(Lautenschlager collection)
Columbia Shape by E. Challinor,
1855.
(Hurt photo and collection)
Grape leaf relish made by E. W. & Co.
(possibly Edward Walley or Enoch
Wood.) 7” long.
(Allers collection)
(continued from page 1) Among the condiments of the time was
Chow-chow (an old Chinese term meaning “several kinds mingled
together”) which came in two versions: a confection (sweetmeat) of
gingered fruit and peels in heavy syrup, or as a spicy relish of
chopped mixed pickles in mustard sauce. (Interestingly, the relish
version of Chow-chow is still popular today, as is Piccalilli, a pickle
or relish of East Indian origin, made of chopped vegetables and pungent spices.)
By examining members’ relish dish collections we know that the
ironstone dishes were made in several sizes and in sets. A set would
have a master size (up to 11”) and several small, possibly individual,
servers. (See page 6 for examples of the master size, and a threepiece shell set.)
We don’t know just when the pickle or leaf dishes became known
as relish dishes, but it seems to have happened in 19th century
America. Possibly housewives used their dishes more often for serving relishes or jellies than for serving pickles. Or maybe the term was
coined by an enterprising seller of china! In the language of that time
the word relish, whether used as noun or verb, was a term of
approval. For instance, a relish was a mixture that had a pleasing or
appetizing taste, and was something taken with other food to render
it more palatable: and people relished their food for the enjoyment of
its flavor. Could this pleasant connotation cause the change from
pickel to relish? Your thoughts on this are welcome.
The 19th century was a period of great expansion for the United
States as the population increased and moved westward. There was
food in abundance during the growing months, and most people
farmed or had home gardens. For the winter months, produce and
meats were preserved by pickling, sugaring, salting, or canning. The
plentiful fruits were made into conserves, preserves, butters, jams and
jellies. Vegetables were combined with herbs and spices into sauces,
chutneys, pickles and relishes. These were referred to as ‘side
dishes’ when served with other food.
The field of relish dishes is a broad one, and becoming more so as
we identify more shapes. In studying for this article, I went first to
the three major books by our own Jean Wetherbee. Both A Look at
White Ironstone and A Second Look at White Ironstone have
entire chapters devoted to relish dishes. White Ironstone: A collector’s Guide is a goldmine of information. See the set lists on page
22, which include side plates and pickles. And on page 23 you will
Fig/Union relish by J. Wedgwood, Potomac Shape by W. Baker
1856. This relish has the identical & Co., 1862.
registration mark as the Fig/Union
dinner set. (Skinner collection)
Double Leaf variation by Barrow
& Co. and by James Edwards,
c. 1848. (Lowe photo and collection)
THE LEAF SHAPES
find mention of ‘mitten servers’, a term familiar to collectors of tea leaf
ironstone. I also found a reference to a form called ‘Mitten’ (by
Alcock) on page 46 of Annise Heaivilin’s Grandma’s Tea Leaf
Ironstone. It is quite plain, but similar to an earlier relish dish by J.
& G. Alcock (pictured on page 6 of this newsletter) which belongs to
the Morelands.
Several excellent publications on old china by eminent British
authors were consulted. Although there is little text about pickle or
sweetmeat dishes, the photographs of early dessert, supper, and tea sets
with accompanying legend are quite informative. Sweetmeat dishes,
however, have me stumped. I can find photographs of handsome centerpieces with hanging sweetmeat dishes, and lovely 1765 Leeds
creamware shell forms identified as “sweet-meat” dishes, but so far I
have found few details on china sweetmeat forms or even ‘receipts’ for
making the concoctions. Which leads me to believe that the potters of
white ironstone may have used pickle or small plates as a broad or
inclusive term for export. Stay tuned: I intend to check additional Unknown shape made by John
Maddock. (Moreland collection)
sources and continue the sweetmeat search.
The following books are recommended reading:
Leaf dish “Berlin Ironstone” by
Liddle Elliot & Son.’ (Hurt photo
and collection)
Geoffrey A. Godden’s Mason’s Patent Ironstone China and Guide
to Mason’s China and the Ironstone Wares. Chapter Seven of the
latter has illustrations of ‘small plates’ shown mainly as parts of dessert
sets. (In fact, everything written by Godden is recommended reading.)
Pottery & Porcelain Tablewares by John P, Cushion. The section
entitled ‘Plates & Dishes’ is excellent, especially the outline drawings
on pages 175 and 176.
Volumes I and II, The Dictionary of Blue and White Printed
Pottery 1700-1800 by A. W. Coysh and R. K. Henrywood. A superb
resource.
English Toy China by Doris Anderson Lechler show many miniature dinner sets with two relish dishes each. Many shipping records list
two relish dishes to a set.
There are numerous fine books on old china and ironstone, but they
can be rather costly and thus are not in everyone’s home library.
Suggestion: Refer to the bibliography in Jean Wetherbee’s
A Collector’s Guide for books to study, and then encourage your local Lily of the Valley by Anthony
library to stock them. AND if you wish to make something delicious Shaw, c. 1856. One of the deepest
to serve in your own relish dishes, see page 12 for recipes.
shapes, see drawing.
A round grape leaf potted by James Edwards.
This shape was also made by John Wylie &
Son and J. Brunt. (Moreland collection)
Pond Lily Pad by James Edwards.
(Moreland collection)
Husk shape with corn cob leaves,
by James Edwards. (Moreland
collection)
Leaf with Grape Cluster by J. W. & Son
(John Wylie & Son).
(Washburn photo and collection, also
Adams and Moreland Collections)
5
SHELL AND FLOWER HANDLED RELISH DISHES
Large master relish by J. & G. Meakin,
10 3/4 “x 8 3/16”. Unnamed pattern. (Stork
photo and collection)
Shell and Flower with five-petal
flowers, by C. Meigh. (Hurt
photo and collection)
Prize Bloom by T. J. & J.
Mayer. The flower motif
has only four petals.
6
Master relish by Greenwood China, Trenton,
NJ, 1862-75. 10 1/2“x 8 1/2 x 2 5/8” deep.
(Lowe photo and collection)
Master relish, unmarked, 10 1/4” long. (Hurt
photo and collection)
Boote’s 1851 Shape. The master relish measures 10 1/2” x 9 3/4”.
(Allers collection)
Chinese Shape by Anthony Shaw, registered in 1856. Another five petal
flower design. This shape is often
seen with copper luster Tea Leaf.
(Hurt photo and collection)
Unknown shape with five-petal
flowers made by three different potters: Meigh, W. Adams and T. J. & J.
Mayer. (Stork photo and collection
also Moreland collections)
Shell relish by Clementson.
(Moreland collection)
The same design element from the
photo on the left was used on this
relish by J. & G. Alcock, 1839-46.
(Moreland collection)
SHELL RELISH VARIATIONS
Columbia Shape by J. Meir &
Son, Oct. 29, 1855. See New &
Unusual marks on page 12.
(Moreland collection)
Memnon Shape by J. Meir, registered 1857. (Moreland collection)
Shell Scroll by J. Furnival & Co.
(Skinner collection) Also found
with a J. W. Pankhurst mark
(Fleischman collection)
Bordered Gooseberry by J.
Wedgwood & Co. (Moreland collection)
Unknown shape with split pod by
E. & C. Challinor. (Allers collection)
Fluted Gothic by James
Edwards.
Impressed “J. E. Porcelain ala
Perle.“ (Moreland collection)
Little Pear by E. C. & Co.
(Fleischman collection)
Small unmarked shell relish dish
7 7/8” x 4 1/2”. Most average
8 1/2 to 9”. (Lowe photo and collection)
Scallop with cartouche by
Powell & Bishop, 1876-78.
(Moreland collection)
Panelled Grape by J.
Goodwin with “Queen’s
Royal Ironstone” mark.
(Fleischman collection)
Unknown shape by Edwin
Bennett, after 1875 mark of
Eagle over Crown, Baltimore
Maryland.
Scalloped Decagon/Cambridge
Shape by J. Wedgwood and
Davenport. Registered Oct. 6,
1854. (Moreland collection)
7
CAMEO AND GOTHIC RELISH DISHES
J. F. Gothic Octagon, 7” x 6”.
Gothic Cameo by James
Edwards. (Barber collection)
Gothic Shell by J. Meir.
(Allers collection)
(Also Fleischman collection)
8
Corn & Oats made by both
Davenport
and
J.
Wedgwood. (Skinner collection)
Gothic Cameo by John Alcock,
8 7/8” x 5 1/4”.
(Lowe photo and collection)
Gothic Shell by H. Alcock. (Hurt
collection)
Also made by G.
Wooliscroft, reg. Feb. 10, 1853
(Gonzales photo and collection)
Laurel Wreath by Elsmore
& Forster, reg. 1867.
(Moreland collection)
Curved Gothic by James
Edwards.
Unknown Shape by
Meakin Bros. & Co.
(Skinner collection)
Classic Octagon by T. J. & J.
Mayer, 1847.
Fluted Pearl by J. Wedgwood,
reg. Oct. 8, 1847.
(Moreland collection)
Eagle (Diamond Thumbprint) Stylized Flower by Henry
by Gelson Bros, reg. Sept. Alcock & Co., after 1861.
(Hurt photo and collec21, 1869. (Rich collection)
tion)
WELL KNOWN SHAPES
Grand Loop by J. F.
(Allers collection)
Berlin Swirl by Mayer & Elliot,
reg. 1856. (Hurt photo and
collection)
Fig Cousin by both Davenport
and J. Wedgwood, reg. 1861.
(Allers collection)
Athens Shape by Podmore &
Walker, reg. 1855. One of the
smallest relish dishes at 7” long.
(Moreland collection)
Hebe Shape by John Alcock, reg.
1853. 8 “1/2 x 6”.
Scrolled Bubble by J. W.
Pankhurst. (Hurt photo and collection)
Trumpet Vine by Liddle & Elliot,
1865. (Hurt collection)
Prairie Flowers by Powell &
Bishop. (Kerr collection)
Fuschia made by both J. & G.
Meakin and George Jones. 9”x
5 1/2”. (Skinner collection)
President Shape by John
Edwards, reg. 1855.
(Anspaugh collection)
Two President Shape round relish
Ivy Wreath Shape by John Meir dishes, 5 1/2”. The handles are
different and match the round and
& Son. (Moreland collection)
oval soup tureen undertray handles. (Anspaugh collection)
9
Great Ivy With Berries by
John Maddock & Sons.
(The black dot at top represents a hole on the handle.,
Hurt collection)
Unmarked, possibly Sevres.
(Hurt collection) Also seen
with a hole marked J.
Edwards. (Moreland collection)
Lily Shape by E. Corn, 1860’s.
(Hurt collection)
Bell Flower by John
Edwards.
(Fleischman collection)
10
Grenade type by Henry
Alcock, after 1861. 9 1/4 “x
5 3/4”. (Lowe collection)
Grenade Shape by T. & R. Boote,
impressed mark. (LaCombe collection) Also found identical relish
marked Bridgwood & Clark and a
similar one marked W. Baker & Co.
Western Shape by Hope &
Carter, reg. Sept. 1862.
(Fleischman collection)
Grenade type by J.F.
Ribbed Chain by J. W.
Pankhurst. (Hurt Photo and
collection)
Ribbed Bud by Pankhurst.
(Moreland collection)
Grenade type unmarked.
Lined Glory by John Maddock
& Sons, 1860’s.
Trent Shape by John
Alcock, reg. June 7, 1855.
(Moreland collection)
Pomegranate by J.F.
Note single loop in ribbon border.
Ceres with cable by
Elsmore & Forster.
Ceres without cable by
Elsmore & Forster.
Ceres without cable by
Turner & Goddard.
(Moreland collection)
Unknown shape by
Richard Alcock.
(Skinner collection)
Pearl Sydenham by J & G
Meakin.
St. Louis Shape by John
Edwards.
Unknown Shape b y J.
Wedgwood.
Plain
relish
marked
“Buffalo China 1918,
Q.M.C.” possibly U.S.
Army Quartermaster Corp.
8 5/8” x 5 1/8”.
(Lowe photo, collection)
Budded Vine by Meakin
Bros & Co. Also made
without the floral ring
and only the stems and
leaves on both ends.
(Hurt collection)
Wheat & Clover by Turner
& Tompkinson.
(Moreland collection)
Baltic Shape
Wooliscroft.
by
Citron Shape by
Clementson, 1863.
(Skinner collection)
J.
G.
Pearson’s #5 Shape by
E. Pearson.
Washington Shape by John
Meir & Son , 9 1/4” long,
1863 and also made by
Powell & Bishop.
New York Shape, reg.
1858.
(Moreland collection)
11
NEW AND UNUSUAL
Jean Wetherbee gave us this tracing
(greatly reduced here) of a 16” x 10
1/2” platter. She had never seen this
shape before and when she turned it
over, she was surprised to see it clearly impressed with the mark shown at
the right. Atlantic Shape by Samuel
Alcock. The Atlantic Shape we are
familiar with is by T. & R. Boote.
The mark above was found on the relish dish shown on page 7, top
left. The interesting thing about this mark is not the shape name or
the potter. Look at the Roman numeral at the top of the diamond.
The number for pottery is IV, this one is marked VI. Probably a
dyslexic designer. Has anyone seen this error before? Also, this
date is not listed for Meir in Cushion’s Book of Marks.
At the right, Peas with Pod by E. Pearson, Cobridge, reg.
May 11, 1863. In Jean Wetherbee’s last book this shape is
in her index of Known Registered Shapes but no image
could be found. We made this drawing from a badly stained
platter found in a dark booth in Pennsylvania. It was the
best we could do under the circumstances.
Letters continued from page 3
12
was found by my daughter. There is a photo
of three ewers inside the back cover, some
ironstone pieces used as decoration, and a
shade of paint is now called “Ironstone
White.”
Carol Fleischman, Joliet, IL
*************************************
The Martha Stewart/K-Mart paint brochure
is a find. Did you know that the photo of the
three ewers was from an article that was done
for “Martha Stewart Living” magazine of the
Moreland’s collection? (February 1993 page
28-32)
*************************************
I couldn’t help but respond to questions raised
in the Editors’ Desk column of the fall issue of
White Ironstone Notes.
Lincoln’s home went under major restoration in the 1980’s. Workers found shards of
early white ironstone while digging in the
grounds. The curators decided to replace the
Staffordshire transfer, which had been initially
displayed, with white ironstone. By using the
shards, the National Park Service scoured
antique shows and purchased similar ironstone
items in 1987 from me. I believe they also
found other pieces from other dealers. These
ironstone pieces are the ones now displayed in
Lincoln’s home in Springfield, IL.
Rae D. Gaiser, Chester, NJ
*************************************
How rewarding it is to ask a question and
have it answered, not to mention the historical
information.
THREE RELISH RECIPES
Rosemarie Flum, of Potomac, Maryland, offers
this recipe from her grandmother Cenkaski.
GREEN TOMATO RELISH
1 peck green tomatoes
6 green peppers
2 red peppers
6 onions
5 cents worth celery
1/2 c. horseradish
1/4 c. salt
1 t. ground allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
3 quarts vinegar
2 lbs. brown sugar
Grind tomatoes, peppers & celery (6 good-sized
stalks with leaves) in meat grinder with medium
blade. Drain the juice from the ground vegetables
before adding the vinegar. Boil (simmer) one
hour. Ladle into hot sterilized jars (pint size
Mason) and seal immediately. If you want a sweet
relish, use 3 pounds of brown sugar. However, the
2-pound recipe is great with most roast meats.
GREEN TOMATO PICKLE
1 gallon tomatoes - or about 30 medium to large
1/2 c. salt
2 green & 1 red pepper, sliced 1/4” thick
6 med. onions sliced in thin rings and separated
Use large crock or container (prefer ceramic).
Alternately put in a layer of tomatoes, onions and
peppers, and sprinkle with the salt. Repeat until
all the vegetables have been layered and sprinkled. Let mixture stand overnight. The next
morning pour off all the liquid, but do not wash
the mixture. Make Vinegar Solution:
4 c. white vinegar
1/2 t. celery seed
1 1/2 c. water
1 t. turmeric powder
1/2 t. powdered alum 2 T. mustard seed
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
Put in large kettle and bring to boil. When boiling, add the drained tomato, onion and pepper
mixture. Stir and let simmer for 8 minutes. Pack
in hot jars and seal at once. Yield: 6 pints.
This third recipe sounds yummy and was found
in a recent issue of a cooking magazine.
GREEN APPLE, APRICOT
AND GINGER CHUTNEY
2 T. vegetable oil
1 med. onion, sliced thin
1 med. tomato, diced
2 green apples, diced
1/2 c. apricots, diced
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
2 med. garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large ceramic or glass sauce pan
over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally,
until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add ingredients
from tomato to chili pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until blended. Add vinegar, sugar, and orange
juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
juices thicken, about 5 minutes. Cool to room
temperature, then season with salt and pepper to
taste. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up
to 2 weeks.
REGIONAL REPORTS
REGION 5 WICA MEETING
The third annual Region 5 WICA meeting
took place in Houston on November 8, with
twenty-four enthusiastic participants. (Photo
above) And a most successful gathering it
was, with lots of intriguing white objects to
see and to buy, great company, and gorgeous
weather.
The day began at the home of Patty and Jack
Hurt with chilled pumpkin soup and cheese
straws and continued with an ironstone sale,
followed by an excellent and very interesting
talk and slide presentation by Frances
Marquis, director of the Museum of Texas
Handmade Furniture in New Braunfels
(WICA member). This small jewel of a museum, housed in an early Texas Greek Revival
cottage, contains not only many fine pieces of
Texas furniture but an outstanding collection
of white ironstone as well.
After a buffet lunch, the “show went on the
road” to the home of Anne and John Bedford,
where John’s homemade pineapple-upsidedown-cake awaited us. Plenty of time was
allotted to view the Bedfords’ large and lovely
collection, which was all collected within a
seven-year period in the Houston area (NOT
known for an abundance of white ironstone!)
Afternoon events were Show and Tell and a
brief meeting, at which it was decided that
next year’s gathering would be hosted by
Sally and Howard Erdman in Denton, Texas
on November 14, 1998.
We’re pleased as can be with the growth of
WICA in Region 5 -- and the fact that several
traveled long distances to be with us!
By Patty Hurt
*************************************
THIRD MID-ATLANTIC
REGION 7 MEETING
There was perfect weather for the September
20th meeting. Kathleen and Tony Constable
welcomed members to their home in
Frederick, Maryland, a historic small city near
Sugar Loaf Mountain.
The enthusiastic group of 28 greatly enjoyed
the day, which started off with a lively Show
& Tell. First up was a Reed & Barton silver
thermal pitcher complete with a stand and
liner -- and the liner was white ironstone! An
outstanding piece. Next was a white 4” boot,
too deep for matches so probably a spill holder. The third items were quite unusual: several elaborate pieces of 20th century American
Red-Cliff brought by new members, Barbara
and Sam Savasten. A pierced holder for boiled
eggs followed; then a well-marked small jug
with pewter top. S&T concluded with a circular piece that no one could identify for sure,
but interesting.
The educational feature was a Web Talk and
demonstration by Tony Constable entitled
“WICA Comes to the Internet”, and Vice
Versa,” accompanied by a six-page handout
on how WICA members can communicate
with each other via the Web. Those of us who
were PC-Web dummies beforehand came
away with a better understanding of how the
Internet works. (Thank you, Tony.) Members
with know-how can now converse by using
WICA’s Universal Resource Locator code,
which is: http://www.ironstonechina.org.
Enjoy!
Following a delicious lunch of two kinds of
lasagna, salad, and dessert (and a short walk in
the sunshine) there was a brief business meeting. Then it was time for treasure hunting in
the ‘goodies’ brought for sale by Jack and
Janet Allers, Jane Diemer, Ray Secrist, and
Gloria Weatherby.
It was a very stimulating as well as an
enjoyable get-together. Again, a big ‘Thank
you’ to our hosts, the Constables.
by Harriet Denton
*************************************
FIRST MEETING FOR WICA REGION 8
The first meeting of WICA Region 8 (New
York State and Ontario, Canada), took place
on Saturday September 27, 1997 at the home
of Mara & Jim Kerr in Howes Cave, NY. A
small, but talkative group of ten members
enjoyed a morning of visiting, show & tell and
examining items of white ironstone brought
for sale. All attending were pleasantly surprised that author Jean Wetherbee was able to
travel from New Hampshire at the last minute
and join us in sharing information about recent
discoveries she has made.
Following lunch, we watched and discussed
the excellent video “Pot Bank”. Produced in
England, this video traces the history of the
19th century pottery industry and documents
the last firing of a bottle kiln in the
Staffordshire district. As no date or place was
chosen for the Region 8 meeting in 1998, the
opportunity to host next year’s is available.
by Mara Kerr
*************************************
These Regionals are a wonderful opportunity for members who are unable to attend the
Annual National Convention. Convention
attendees have an added opportunity to enjoy
the company of others who enjoy white ironstone. Regionals are, in effect, mini-conventions. They are usually a one day event, but
have a show and tell, a speaker or a video, a
luncheon and an opportunity to buy some
white ironstone.
Regionals are not difficult to organize and
host. Bill Lancaster has an excellent handout which details the steps in a time-line format, to create a Regional. Write or call him
at:
622 19th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
(608) 325 5724
13
SPARE PARTS
WANTED
BLOCK OPTIC by J. & G. Meakin sugar
bowl lid 3 1/4” x 2 1/4”
Peggy Goodrich (405) 237 7371
------------------------------------------------------FLUTED BAND creamer (pg. 46, Collector’s
Guide), CERES by E. & F. sugar bowl with
Rockingham decoration.
Jane M. Diemer (302) 475 7412
------------------------------------------------------LAUREL WREATH by E & F sugar bowl lid,
inside measure 3 1/4”, WHEAT by W. & E.
Corn (rectangular shape) inside measure 3” x
2 1/16”, BERLIN SWIRL by Mayer & Elliot
tureen to replace a smashed one.
Sally Erdman (940) 387 5653
------------------------------------------------------WHEAT & CLOVER by Turner and
Tomkinson (pg. 100, Collector’s Guide) wash
set bowl and other bathroom pieces, PRAIRIE
FLOWERS by Livesley, Powell & Co.
creamer.
Pegeen L. Kline (610) 562 2980
------------------------------------------------------SCROLLED BUBBLE sugar bowl lid,
DRAPED LEAF teapot lid, CORN & OATS
teapot lid.
Ron Stork (219) 875 5443
LAUREL WREATH coffee pot lid: 3 5/8” - 3”
3/4” overall dimension, will buy or trade.
Ray Secrist (717) 235 5874
------------------------------------------------------BALTIC and PRIZE BLOOM creamers,
FULL RIB and SCROLLED BUBBLE
creamers & sugars.
Fran Kinne (201) 567 1202
------------------------------------------------------Chestnut basket undertray (see Collector’s
Guide pg. 195, fig. 20-3), FIG miniature
creamer.
Janet Allers (914) 876 3757
------------------------------------------------------CERES small chamber pot base, CERES rectangular soap dish base, PRAIRIE SHAPE
soup tureen bowl
Ed Rigoulot (817) 354 4644
------------------------------------------------------FUCHSIA teapot lid.
Jim Kerr (518) 296 8052
------------------------------------------------------PRIZE BLOOM, CAMEO GOTHIC,
BOOTE’S 1851, ALCOCK’S 10-SIDED
GOTHIC, need all soup tureen lids.
Ernie Dieringer (203) 938 3740
------------------------------------------------------BERLIN SWIRL soap dish lid.
Harriet Denton (301) 299 8348
FOR SALE
Soup tureen underplates: $110 each
FUCHSIA by Meakin Bros & Co.
SEVRES by John Edwards.
Ray Secrist (717) 235 5874
------------------------------------------------------CERES miniature tea set including waste
bowl and cups and saucers, $750. Collection
of WHEAT AND CLOVER including service
for eight and many serving pieces. MORNING GLORY 3 piece sauce tureen, $325. For
details, call Jane Diemer (302) 475 7412
-------------------------------------------------------
WHITE IRONSTONE
For sale by mail,
satisfaction guaranteed.
Please send LSASE for our
Winter ‘98 listing.
White ironstone bought, sold and
appraised, single items or entire
collections.
Jim & Mara Kerr
Cavern View Antiques
RD # - Box 23
Howes Cave, NY 12092
COLLECTORS’ SHOWCASE
A very complicated serving piece from 1889 which measures 13 inches long. The base has a hollow interior which
is filled with hot water and closed with a cork plug. The
surface of the dish has a well and tree embossment which
14 suggests that this piece was intended for serving a small
roast or fowl. The picture on the left shows the rotating lid
separately and the middle picture shows the piece fully
assembled. The mark speaks for itself. Another fine
example of American ingenuity.