204 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
THE COLLECTOR 
SOME CERAMIC PUZZLES 
Edwin A. Barber 
Collectors occasionally meet with views on dark blue 
Staffordshire ware which are puzzling because of a lack 
of titles, or other omissions in the printed marks. A plate of 
this character, believed to belong to a series of American 
views, has lately turned up. The border is the rose and 
scroll device of A. Stevenson, and on the back is printed the 
name of W. G. Wall, Esq., who was the artist that furnished 
so many American designs for Stevenson. The view shows 
an extensive building resembling a fort or castle, perched on 
a bluff. In the foreground are hay makers and cattle grazing. 
Mr. Wall came to New York from Ireland about the year 
1819, which is said to be the date of the closing of the 
Stevenson works. It is not known that he furnished 
landscapes for Stevenson previous to his arrival in this coun- 
try. Several of these plates have been found, but whether 
the design is American or Irish, no collector has been able to 
determine. Can any of the readers of this magazine identify 
the view, which is here shown ? 
Another interesting plate is here figured. It is a dark 
blue view bearing on its back the impressed mark of WOOD. 
The border is different from any known American views by 
the same maker, yet this plate is said to be one of three, two 
of which bear the title, " Franklin's Birthplace." Is it in- 
tended to represent the early home of Benjamin Franklin in 
Boston, or is it a foreign view? 
000 
ERIE CANAL PLATES. 
BY courtesy of Mrs. Fred. Yates of Rochester, N. Y., and 
Mr. B. M. Martin of Syracuse, we are able to give in 
this number some very interesting illustrations of Erie Canal 
pieces with medallion heads. We have already reproduced on 
cover of our October number a fine Park Theater plate with 
heads of Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton, from 
Mr. Martin's collection. 
These medallion pieces are among the rarest and most 
valuable specimens of historical dark blue Staffordshire. Al- 
though the various plates, platters and pitchers made in com- 
memoration of the completion of the Erie Canal on October 
26th, 1825, are well known to most collectors, it may be in- 
teresting to some of our readers to have a revised list of these 
pieces, especially to those who do not possess the valuable 
book of Mr. Halsey on dark blue Staffordshire. A list, per- 
haps more complete than ours, will undoubtedly be found in 
the second edition of Mr. Barber's Anglo-American Pottery. 
WINDSOR CASTL1-; PLATTER— In the collection of" Mrs. Fred Yates. 
INSCRIPTION PLATES. 
Eulogy of De Witt Clinton — Found on plates of differ- 
ent sizes and on pitchers. There are two varieties of inscrip- 
tion, one saying " De Witt Clinton, Governor of the State," 
the other " De Witt Clinton, the late Governor of the State." 
L'tica Inscription — In commemoration of the opening of 
the section of the canal extending from Rochester to Utica. 
This inscription is found only on a Jyi inch plate, which is 
. rarer than the Clinton inscription plates, also on pitchers, as 
pitchers bear both inscriptions, one on each side. 
ENOCH WOOD SERIES. 
Three interesting plates are found with views of the Canal, 
?.s follows : 
Entrance of the Erie Canal into the Hudson at Albany 
on 10-inch plates. 
View of the Aqueduct Bridge at Little Falls, on 10-inch 
soup and 73^-inch plates. 
View of the Aqueduct Bridge at Rochester, on j)A inch 
plates. 
These plates are rarer than the inscription series. They 
are never marked, but Mr. Halsey has found a wash bowl with 
