Thursday, August 28, 2008

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Charles Dickens Plate

You know what your kids think of you by what their friends say about you. Some months ago, a friend of Drama Girl's looked at me quite innocently and said "where do you keep all your plates with dead people on them?"

Sadly, she is correct. I do have an extensive collection of Staffordshire plates , most of which are souvenirs or commemorative. Sometimes we even eat off them.

This one is possibly my favorite. It's Charles Dickens, and he gazes at me every day from his place of honor - in my bathroom.


OK, it's a blue bathroom, and he fits in with the decor. But yeah, maybe it's a little weird.

I'm a huge fan of Dickens, and this plate includes scenes such as "the Old Curiosity Shop" and "Dotheboys Hall," which is from my favorite novel, Nicholas Nickelby. The level of detail in the pictures is fabulous. Transferware like this has been produced for more than 100 years, although this plate isn't that old. The process involves a copper plate to transfer the ink to tissue which transfers it to china. A lot of transferware was shipped to America, and today you can find pieces on eBay in a variety of colors. Blue is probably the most common. I collect primarily pink transferware, which is a little harder to find.

I bid and lost out on this one on eBay so many times I lost count. I guess I'm not the only Dickens-on-a-plate fan. But I'm probably the only one who put him in my bathroom.

For more wonderful vintage show-and-tell, visit Confessions of an Apron Queen every Thursday.

16 people stopped folding laundry to write:

Anonymous said...

That is one of the best VTT's ever! I adore blue and white china and Dickens too, so I am positively gobsmacked with delight at the sight of this. Wherever did you find this?

Bleak House is my favorite Dickens novel but I love a lot of them. What's your favorite one?

Eileen said...

I was folding towels too.

Terrific plate! I love those blue ones with the people on them too. But I will just have to enjoy your collection because I don't have any.

Hope you are continuing to enjoy this Most Wonderful Time of the year.

Coloradolady said...

Oh wow, what a neat plate....Bathroom...I don't know if I could take the watchful eye of Dickens in the bathroom! LOL. I do love the color blue, I have actually never seen any plates like that. I will have to keep my eye out for some.

Don Mills Diva said...

It's wasted in the bathroom - that plate would be a great diet aid what with him peering out all disapprovingly from amongst your food...

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm such a sucker for blue and pink plates, etc. This one is fabulous. Enjoy...

Elizabeth said...

Gotta love Dickens...I've spent a good deal of time with him this summer!
Great Plate!
Blessings, E

Unknown said...

What a nice plate. Very unusual.

Cheryl Lage said...

Love it and love its placement in your home! We have a bathroom done in Rat Pack (with a sub-theme of mildew)...think we understand each other... ;)

Patty said...

I love that you keep it in your bathroom. Now, please show us some of the pink ones.

The Apron Queen said...

Charles Dickens looks at you when you pee???!!!

I'm sorry. That made me laugh. But, it is a beautiful plate.

Anonymous said...

I love that he's in the bathroom...I bet guests just crack up.

Burbank Babe said...

Okay, go to LP now. Someone just announced they are expecting!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Burbank Babe said...

Oh, would you be interested in blue plates that look like transfer ware but have ships of all kinds on them?

Anonymous said...

That plate is beautiful! I love it- although not a fan of Dickens. Is it me or does the man write the world's longest sentences?

Anonymous said...

WOW I love it!! It brings back fond memories of my visit to London last year...and visiting the house he lived in (where his eldest daughter was born)I stayed there for hours and took lots of photos, and bought a stack of his books home with me...vintage ones of cours LOL!!! xx

Laura said...

Seriously, as soon as I am finished writing this comment, I am going to ebay. My mother is wacky for Dickens and Blue and white stuff(Is it called Delft?)
Awesome.

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