Ulysses S. Grant plate (jan 1, 1864 – jan 1, 1895)

Description:

This sherd depicts a picture of Union general Ulysses S. Grant. The black transferprint belongs to a series of molded alphabet plates from the late 19th century.

This piece likely belonged to John Welch, the only surviving child of Michael and Bridget. Each plate had a matching shaving mug, indicating that not only would these wares could have facilitated the creation of an Irish-American identity for the Welches through patriotic imagery but were also an activity to share between father and son.

According to the Jefferson Patterson museum, the first molded ABC ware was a Davenport plate made in Staffordshire, England at the turn of the 19th century. The height of production was between 1864 to 1895. This series could have been made by an English or American manufacturer, but it is unknown who as most alphabet plates are unmarked.

The second image shows a complete plate in the series from the Houghton Library at Harvard College, depicting Abraham Lincoln. They estimate production between 1862 and 1865.