These little ceramic sherds pack a big attitude! These pieces of black transfer-printed whiteware come from a site on Gibson Island near the Magothy River. The wing design and text are part of the makers mark for Homer Laughlin China Co. of East Liverpool, Ohio, which dates the vessel to between 1877 and 1890, the early years of the American whiteware industry.
The full makers mark depicts the American Eagle attacking the British Lion, in what was surely a political dig about the rise of the American pottery industry in a market dominated by British wares.
Homer Laughlin China Co. formed in 1877 and is still operating today. They are perhaps best known for their Fiestaware line of brightly colored dinnerware.
Relevant source: Debolt’s Dictionary of American Pottery Marks (1994)
April is Maryland Archaeology Month! While we cannot be together in person, we want to share some of the virtual projects that The Lost Towns Project has been involved with.
With our work going remote, the Lost Towns Project’s volunteers, interns, and staff have found another way to connect with the past. Recently, we were able to analyze some primary sources over a shared video call with Dr. Julia Kingof St. Mary’s College of Maryland. In our discussion, we talked about Maryland’s colonial history in regards especially to the Calvert family, colonial Maryland’s first ruling family. We looked at some early maps from the 17th century that documented sites of settlements, cities and plantations. The Calverts used maps to both demonstrate and legitimize their power over the colonial landscape.
Augustine Hermann, Virginia and Maryland as it is Planted and Inhabited, 1673. (Library of Congress)
Dr. King told us to look at art as a way to understand the
past and its context. Archaeologists can find out a lot about the subject of
the art by seeing what it shows us. She had us take a close look at a painting
called “2nd Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert (1606-1675)” by Gerard
Soast, painted ca. 1670.
In our discussion, we looked at
the noteworthy details in the painting. For example, the map that Calvert is
holding looks as though it is being passed to the child, his grandson and
presumptive future heir “Little Cecil”. Upon closer inspection the map depicts
Maryland and Virginia, a statement of the Calvert’s power across time and
space. The lush drapery and clothes further emphasize the wealth of the
Calverts. An enslaved boy is depicted on the left attending to Little Cecil. We
wondered about the symbolic significance of the enslaved boy, as well as what
he is holding.
2nd Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert (1606-1675) by Gerard Soast, c. 1670. The original painting is held by the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
Alas, the future that Calvert hoped for and had depicted in this painting was not to be. Little Cecil died young, and the Catholic Calvert’s son ultimately lost the family’s power over Maryland to the Protestant Rebellion. Curiously, we saw no depictions of Catholicism in Calvert’s portrait above.
From these primary sources,
archaeologists can learn about Maryland and the Chesapeake’s past. Looking at
the small details in every source – whether it be paintings, maps, or pottery
fragments – can help us date a site that can, in turn, be preserved. This way,
we can teach the public more about local history.
Rachel Huston, from Mount Airy, MD, is an intern at the Lost Towns Project and a senior at University of Maryland, College Park where she studies History and Archaeology. Her concentrations of interest include American history, local and foreign archaeological sites, and film studies.
