West View of the Cast Iron Bridge – bridge 41
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery (1818–1839) – plate 1
The first jug below, dated 1824, has a smaller version of this view with a 'Dixon & Co' printed mark incorporated into the transfer. It is Baker's bridge 41. The second, with a distinctive blue collar and from a similar date, has a portrait of Byron.
Another imprint from the same copper plate on a creamware jug, also likely from the 1820s. Note the puff of white smoke under the left side of the bridge.
Three views of a mug with a more unusual moulded handle.
Photo Keith Cockerill
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery (1818–1839) – plate 2
This transfer is very similar to the one above. However, they appear to come from entirely different copper plates. Note the view under the bridge on the 1824 'Mary Silby' jug above (left detail below) has a small building with smoke coming from a chimney. On the later version of the transfer, on the mug below dated 1831 (right detail below), the small building has disappeared. My guess is that the engraver copied the worn plate 1 above when making plate 2, and misinterpreted the details. Note also the roof tiles on the long building behind.
This small mug has two sets of initials and was presumably a gift for a marriage in 1831.
This transfer could be a later imprint of plate 4 above. The buildings under the bridge are now just random marks.
Below are further examples of bridge 41 on jugs with coloured over-enamels. These were likely produced into the 1830s.
A mug from the 1830s. Again, the buildings under the bridge are random marks. The sky and river appear to be painted in.
Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery (1818–1839) – plate 3
In this version of the transfer, there's a long wavy line of clouds above the bridge. Moore's pottery appear to have copied this version (see here). This jug likely from the 1820s.
Photo Mitchells Auctioneers
Photo Ian Holmes
