High Level Bridge Newcastle Upon Tyne
The High Level Bridge in Newcastle was a rail bridge and opened in 1849.
Attributed to John Carr's Low Lights Pottery, North Shields
Photo Ian Sharp
These versions of the transfer are easily identifiable by the curvy cloud formations. This plaque form was known to have been used by several Tyne potteries, including Fell, Maling and Carr. However, brown/sepia transfers (as opposed to black) are known to have been John Carr c1850, and that is my best guess for an attribution at this stage. The jug below has a more typical black transfer, and the lustre decoration could be any one of the Tyne potteries.
Unidentified pottery, perhaps Robert Maling
The transfer on this eel pot is cropped, with the curvy clouds removed, but does appear to come from a different copper plate to the items above. The differences between these transfers (the Carr version on the left below) are so subtle, they've had me scratching my head for an hour. In the first details, the position and shading of the window in the triangular gable end, and the treatment of the foliage of the tree. In the second details, the top horizon of the bridge. In the third details, the church tower and clouds behind.
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery, Newcastle
On the next two versions the curly clouds are gone. A large high-waisted jug attributed to Robert Maling on the basis of the Cast Iron Bridge Over the Wear transfer. Read more here.
This jug, in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection is in their catalogue attributed to Maling. It combines the Newcastle High Level Bridge transfer with a view of the Sunderland Bridge (bridge 29).
Attributed Thomas Fell, St Peter's Pottery, Newcastle
Typically of Thomas Fell, the holes for hanging the plaque are pierced through the central portion, rather than through the pink-lustre border.
Photo Ian Holmes
There are subtle differences between the Maling transfer (left details) and the Fell transfer (centre details). Note the distribution of windows in the top details, and the masts of the ship beyond the bridge in the second details. Also, the foliage in the third details.
A jug with what appears to be the 'Fell' version of the transfer, The lustre flourishes are very similar to the Maling-attributed jug above, Caution is needed in untangling these attributions based on decoration alone.
Photo Boldon Auction Galleries
Attributed to CT Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery, Newcastle
Photo Skinner Auctioneers
The bowl below is unmarked.
This transfer is attributed to Maling on the basis of the bowl below in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection. The catalogue says it has a triangular impressed mark with the initials CTM.
This transfer on the small Christening mug below, with an inscription for 1854.
The same transfer on two larger, heavily lustred mugs.
Below, two jugs with less crisp imprints of the transfer.
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery, Newcastle
A different rendering of the subject with cottages and two figures in the foreground. Note, there is smoke coming from the chimneys of the cottages. Unusually, on the bowl below, the Sunderland and Newcastle bridge transfers are married with Adam Buck-type engravings from an older copper plate (c1820). See RC Bell (p15) for a copper plate with these designs 'belonging to Robert Maling'.
Below, the left transfer shown above, on a jug.
CT Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery, Newcastle
Photo Duggleby Stephenson of York
This view is similar to the Robert Maling version above, except for the clouds.
Scratches below the right cloud show this marked daisy plate is from the same transfer plate as the jug above.
Attributed to CT Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery, Newcastle
Note the clouds to the right of the bridge. They are stronger on this imprint and closer in appearance to the later (reproduction) mug below. There are no figures in this version.
The clouds to the right of the bridge are missing in part. I've assumed that this is a vagary of the rubbing of the transfer, perhaps a crease in the tissue, over a curved surface, but it could be from a different transfer plate. Or perhaps an earlier imprint from the same plate, and the clouds were engraved at a later date.
Below is a late 20th century reproduction mug, taken from Maling's original transfer plate. It is acknowledged as a reproduction in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection catalogue. Although I believe the item was made by Maling in Newcastle, rather than Staffordshire, as I've seen similar wares with Maling printed marks.
Below, an unmarked plate also attributed as 20th century Maling, although the quality of the lustre perhaps suggests an earlier date, c1930. Note the black speck above the letter 'P' in 'UPON' which appears on all these later items.
Attributed to John Patton, Phoenix Pottery, Newcastle
This version is very similar to the view above. It is attributed to John Patton based on the similarity of inscription to items from the Phoenix Pottery, and was perhaps made as a 21st birthday present in 1853.
This looks to come from the same transfer plate as the mug above. Note that the tower on the left (Newcastle Cathedral) has a flat roof with no spire in this version. The bowl is unmarked.
