98 
House Garden 
'Danersk Early American 
FURNITURE 
represented by such groups as the Pendleton, 
Danbury, Glastonbury and Salem 
The dressing table and 
stool are from the Pen¬ 
dleton Group, Tables, 
chairs, and cupboard 
are various pieces from 
the Danbury Group 
Lovers of fine furniture and beautiful 
homes are moreandmoreusingDanersk 
Early American furniture in their rooms. 
Whether separate pieces such as the Ply¬ 
mouth Cupboard or the Heath Wing 
Chair — or, complete Danersk Groups 
—there is a satisfaction that only the 
possession oflovely furniture, authentic 
in its traditions of design, can give. 
Among the groups reflecting this 
spirit that have been brought out 
recently are the Salem, Glastonbury, 
Pendleton, and Danbury groups. The 
Danersk Salem Bed is a definite con¬ 
tribution to furniture design. The head- 
board has the quaint wings found on 
an old-time Pilgrim Settle, and the bed- 
table, which fastens to either side of 
the bed with ease, is a new departure, 
based on old traditions; it is of “butter¬ 
fly” type with a drop-leaf. 
The Pendleton Group is 
a small collection of veri¬ 
table treasures—all of old 
maple and white walnut, 
finished in the rare tones 
of old meerschaum with a 
running frieze of blue, decorated as 
though inlaid. 
Pieces from the Danbury Group are 
suitable for either living room or dining 
room. The Danbury Cupboard is after 
an original Early American Cupboard, 
made in Connecticut. The pegged joints 
and beautiful amber tones are preserved 
in the Danersk model. The Danbury 
Butterfly table, when open, may be used 
as an addition to the side-draw dining 
table. 
The Glastonbury Group is authentic- 
in detail of design. The mahogany posts 
of the bed are delicately fluted and 
carved in the leaf design; the headboard 
is of choicest curly maple, toned with 
a mellow glow that is in complete har¬ 
mony with the mahogany posts. 
Comprehensive selections of these 
and other Early American, 
as well as decorative groups, 
may be seen at our sales¬ 
rooms in New York City 
and Chicago. Call now. 
Decorators and their clients 
always welcome. 
Danersk Glastonbury Bed 
Danersk Salem Bed 
ERSKINE-DANFORTH CORPORATION 
2 West 47th Street, New York City 315 Michigan Avenue, North, Chicago 
{Continued front page 68) 
to set before the young at table. 
After the War of 1812 there was no 
question in European minds but that the 
young American Republic was firmly es¬ 
tablished. England, late enemy though 
she had been, found praise, after the cessa¬ 
tion of hostilities, for the naval exploits 
of the vigorous new nation. England also 
was quick to see the advantage of extend¬ 
ing commercial relations with America 
and the English manufacturers of pottery 
who, through the Colonial and post- 
Revolution period, had long enjoyed the 
patronage of Americans, sought by every 
means in their power to strengthen the 
market for their wares across the Atlan¬ 
tic. It seems a bit strange to us that one 
of the means chosen of interesting Ameri¬ 
can buyers of pottery and porcelain 
could have been that of employing as 
keramic decorations views, incidents and 
portraits of historic import connected 
with the two wars in which their own 
country had suffered such signal defeat. 
However it must be remarked that the 
Englishman has ever found himself able 
to recognize and express admiration for 
true heroism, and such exploits as those 
of Bainbridge, Decatur, Preble, Perry, 
Hull, Pike, and Macdonough. Indeed not 
only was blood thicker than water, and ra¬ 
cial kinship deeper than the sea which 
separated the new world from the old, but 
such incidents were not to be forgotten as 
that of Captain Macdonough, victor of the 
Battle of Champlain, who returned their 
swords to his defeated adversaries with 
the famous speech; “Gentlemen, your 
gallant conduct makes you worthy of 
your weapons. Return them to their scab¬ 
bards.” 
Howbeit, the potters of Liverpool and 
the potters of Staffordshire were soon 
producing quantities of historical “china” 
of definite American appeal. Portraits of 
Penn, Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, 
Adams, Clinton, Harrison, Jackson, Clay 
and others came to be placed on plates, 
platters, plaques, dishes, and all sorts of 
pieces. Nor was Lafayette overlooked, 
since he was regarded as almost American, 
surely America’s noblest foster-son. 
The black transfer printed yellowish 
wares of Liverpool set the pace, and the 
blue Staffordshire wares quickly followed. 
Enoch Wood, Stevenson, Clews, Phillips, 
Tams and other well-known potters 
turned attention to the increasing demand 
for historical portrait, scene and view 
plates and other keramic forms. Natur¬ 
ally the early Colonial incidents furnished 
subjects for their artists. We have for in¬ 
stance, a landing of the Pilgrims plate 
from Enoch W ood’s pottery, showing 
young John Alden stepping foot on 
Plymouth Rock and being welcomed by 
the Indian chiefs, Sarr.oset, and Squanto. 
A scroll and eagle border with four car- 
touches, two of which contain inscription, 
surrounds the scene. 1 he portraits are, of 
course, fictitious, and do not claim to be 
otherw'ise. Thomas Green’s “William 
Penn’s Treaty with the Indians” plate 
and his Treaty platter (different examples 
of which show the scene in variations) 
portray Penn as his painted portrait 
shows him in feature. This Penn subject 
appears to have been the only one which 
Green turned out. 
One might make a large collection of 
old china decorated with portraits of 
Washington, portraits imaginary in some 
instances, but for the most part after the 
well-known types painted by Gilbert 
Stuart, Trumbull, Savage and Peale. So 
great was Washington’s fame early in the 
igth Century that even the Oriental pot¬ 
ters of China sent to Europe and America 
keramic pieces decorated with portraits 
of Washington, though highly imagina¬ 
tive ones depicting the Pater Patriae in 
queue and mandarin garb! The Italian 
maiolica potters and those of France and 
Holland also produced W ashington plates 
of interest to the collector of historical 
china. There were, in aU probability, 
more Washington portrait plates made 
by^ the European potters than plates of 
all other American portrait subjects put 
together. Black printed Liverpool Wash¬ 
ington subjects and the rich deep blue 
Staffordshire Washington plates are the 
most sought by collectors holding the 
hobby of portrait plate collecting. 
Lafayette is so close to the hearts of 
Americans that Lafayette plates were 
produced in abundance. Lafayette’s visit 
to America in 1824 was in the nature of a 
prolonged triumphal sojourn. He was the 
idol of Americans, feted everywhere, the 
guest of a grateful and unforgetful nation. 
{Continued on page 100) 
A Franklin maxim 
plate made by Meak- 
in in the last century 
