Cast Iron Bridge Over the Wear, Sunderland
Attributed to Robert Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
+ shaped cloud under left side of the bridge. See the bowl below for the basis of the attribution.
I've attributed this group of transfers to Robert Maling after the discovery of this bowl (c1849) which, very unusually, combines bridge views with Adam Buck engravings from c1820.
RC Bell (p15) illustrates a pull from a copper plate once 'belonging to Robert Maling'. Photos of the copper plate, now in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection, are shown below. The catalogue describes 'engraved scenes of 'mother and child' after Adam Buck (mother and two children with see-saw, sofa and spinnet)', and again acknowledges ownership by the Malings.
The transfer paired with another of the High Level Bridge in Newcastle on a large jug. The lustre flourishes on the jug below are like those found on items attributed to Thomas Fell. However, similar devices are also found on Maling items (see the Alice Longster plaque below).
Attributed to CT Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
Single large cloud under the left side of the bridge. Full stop after 'Sunderland'.
The script on the plaque above matches that on the reliably attributed CT Maling jug below.
Attributed to John Patton, Phoenix Pottery, Newcastle
Single large cloud under the left side of the bridge. Full stop after 'Sunderland'.
Interestingly, there appear to be two different versions of the transfer on this bowl. Note the shading of the cliffs beyond the bridge. Also, the difference in the cloud shape. This bowl is attributed to Patton on the basis of an inscribed mug with the same Newcastle High Level Bridge transfer. The left version is very similar to the Maling-attributed transfer.
This appears to be the 'Patton' version of the transfer with the large cloud on the left under the bridge. The plate was likely made after the closure of the Phoenix Pottery in 1860. It has an indistinct impressed mark, which could be JOHN CARR & SONS with the word NORTH in the centre and cropped SHIELDS at the bottom. However, I'm unsure!
Attributed to C T Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
X-shaped cloud under the left side of the bridge. The version of the ship on this bowl also appears on later Maling reproductions (see below).
Photo Ian Sharp
Although the two bowls below are unmarked, their banded lustre decoration is similar to that found on bowls marked C T Maling.
Attributed to C T Maling, Ouseburn Bridge Pottery
Linear clouds under left side of the bridge.
Photo Ian Sharp
I haven't seen this plate in the flesh from the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection. They have it listed as 19th century with impressed indistinct numerals, either '628', '698' or '869'. Maling used this transfer plate into the 20th century (see items below) and I wavered about where it should sit on this page.
Photo Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection
Maling reproductions using original transfer plate
The bowl was made in the second half of the 20th century. The moulded jug beneath it, perhaps 1930s. The jug has a 'made in England' stamp, which only ever appears on 20th century items. The writing beneath it is indistinguishable.
The short-limbed frog is also found in reproduction loving cups with very similar lustre decoration. The mug below is again likely 1930s, so almost an antique in its own right.
Below, the transfer on a moulded 'Clayton' jug. The Maling castle mark was used from the 1920s to the factory's closure in 1963.
