Mug

This black and white transfer-printed earthenware mug made by the Staffordshire firm of J. & G. Meakin features a genre scene illustrating a moral maxim coined by American statesman, inventor and moralist Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) in his newspaper "Poor Richard’s Almanack" (1732–1757). Franklin's "Poor Richard Saunders,” the Philomath of the "Almanack," became famous throughout Europe and the United States for his pithy and often-humorous statements of human wisdom designed to inculcate and improve the masses. "Poor Richard” often advised thrift and attention to one's affairs as expressed, for example, by the maxim "Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee" on Meakin’s mug. During the nineteenth century Franklin's maxims remained popular, frequently inspiring scenes on transfer-printed wares produced for the European and American markets. An additional piece in the American Wing's collection illustrating another moral maxim is a plate, 16.83.2, attributed to Davenport (1794–1887). Other Franklin-related pieces include a coffeepot, 83.2.367, by Enoch Wood & Sons (1818–1846) with a transfer-printed view of Franklin’s tomb. Refer to the Dictionary for a definition of the term "transfer printing" and for information about Meakin and the other above-mentioned firms.