West view of the Cast Iron Bridge... – bridge 39
This is the most common view of the Bridge over the River Wear, and was used by many potteries. Scott's Pottery used multiple very similar variations of this transfer, which merit a page of their own. The easiest way to spot the difference between the groups of photos below is to look at the shapes of the clouds in the top centre detail. The Scott transfers are typified by a row of small horizontal clouds above the bridge.
A Scott and Sons, 1829–1841, plate 1
A mug with a printed mark for 'Scott & Sons Southwick'. Note that the 'S' in 'Scott' is above the 'F' in feet.
Two further jugs with lustre stripes to the collars, and a mug with a dated inscription for 1837.
A Scott and Sons, 1829–1841, plate 2
A lidded pot with two transfers with Scott & Sons printed marks. Note that the 'S' in 'Scott' starts above the 't' in feet. Also, the sail of the central ship in the last detail has no reefing lines (row of vertical marks at the top).
A rare dated example with an inscription for 1838.
A Scott and Sons, 1829–1841, plate 3
This version does not have printed marks, but the dated inscription on the jug (1839) shows it was in use during the Scott & Sons period. Beneath it are two graduated jugs with undated inscriptions.
Scott Brothers and Co, 1841–mid 1840s, plate 1
It seems likely to me that these items, with erased printed marks are from the early 1840s, just after the change in partnership. On this version, the erased mark begins above the 'F' in 'Feet'. This is the same copper plate as the Scott & Sons plate 1 above.
A jug with the erased mark transfer and an inscription for 1843.
A more faded imprint of the transfer on a chamber pot with typical Scott flowers, from the early to mid 1840s.
Scott Brothers and Co, 1841–mid 1840s, plate 2
On this version, the erased mark begins above the 't' in 'Feet'. This is the same copper plate as the Scott & Sons plate 2 above. However, note that the sail of the central boat in the last detail now has reefing lines.
Scott Brothers and Co, plate 3
This appears to be the Scott & Sons plate 3 above, showing the plate was in use for a long time. NB the Crimea transfer was in use from about 1855 into the 1860s. The bowl is unmarked. The bridge transfer appears with the same ship as on the 1839 jug above. Note that like the earlier examples, the rooves of the houses in the top-right detail are painted blue.
Scott Brothers and Co, plate 4
From here on, the smoke coming out of the chimney is depicted less simplistically, ie not just a series of rings. The easiest way to distinguish between these later transfers is the two-storey building under the bridge in the bottom left details. In this version it has 4 windows on the ground floor, and 2 on the top.
Scott Brothers and Co, plate 5
The easiest way to distinguish between these later transfers is the two-storey building under the bridge in the bottom left details. In this version it has 3 windows on the ground floor, and 2 on the top.
The second jug below has an inscription for 1848.
The second jug below has an inscription for 1848.
The transfer was likely used into the 1860s.
This wash ewer, although undated, has a Crimea transfer, so c1855.
The plaque form below has been recorded with inscriptions from 1857 to 1860.
Scott Brothers and Co, plate 6
The easiest way to distinguish between these later transfers is the two-storey building under the bridge in the bottom left details. In this version it has 2 windows on the ground floor, and 2 on the top.
Scott Brothers and Co, plate 7
The transfer on a bowl with the 'Crimea' transfer, c1855. This version has very distinctive clouds in the top centre detail.
A jug with an inscription for 1845, showing that this transfer plate was in use for quite some time.
Ball's Deptford Pottery – plate 1
This bowl from c1900 has the Scott Brothers plate 1 transfer shown above with an obliterated printed mark. Ball's acquired many copper plates from both Wearside and Tyneside potteries as they closed, and continued to make 'Sunderland ware' into the 20th century.
Below, another similar, which has the 'Glide on My Bark' transfer also with an obliterated Scott mark. NB, these marks were erased by Scott Brothers when they ceased to trade as Scott & Sons (see above), and not by Ball's.
Ball's Deptford Pottery – plate 2
Below is the Scott Brothers plate 2 transfer It has the obliterated Scott mark, and beneath that a spurious mark 'Dixon & Co Sunderland'. It appears that Ball's added the mark to deceive buyers into believing they were purchasing an older Garrison Pottery item. The bowl contains a medley of Sunderland transfers, none of them from the Garrison Pottery. NB the old Sunderland Bridge shown in the transfer would have been pulled down and replaced about 40 years before this bowl was made. So despite being well over 100 years old and made in Sunderland, the bowl is technically a reproduction.
Here's another bowl with the transfer, but with the spurious mark trimmed off. You can just see the tops of the letters.