We’ve entered the new year, an excellent opportunity to join the TCC and take full advantage of our many available services and features.

The Paul and Gladys Richards Grant for the Study of British Transferware

Applications due 1 May 2026

Working on or thinking about a transferware focused project? The TCC Richards Grant for the Study of British Transferware supports research, publications, exhibitions, lectures and conferences or other projects that advance the understanding and appreciation of British transfer printed ceramics. The Richards Grant Program annually underwrites grants of up to $10,000.00.

Applications are due 1 May, with decisions made by August.

For more information, please visit: 

https://www.transferwarecollectorsclub.org/research-learning/research-grants

The Richards Research Grant Program performance from 2008 to 2025.

Program Highlights:

• Total Grants Awarded: 45
• Total Amount Awarded: $129,290
• Average Grant Size: $2,873
• Countries Supported: 10

2022 Paul and Gladys Richards Foundation Research Grant Program Recipient. 

Robert Houghton

Study Title: Update to the Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids – Volume 1 View Completed Project

See other grant recipients. Learn more.

Transferware Collectors Club

A Tour to England including the Newark Antiques Fair

accompanied by Patricia Halfpenny

The online membership directory is a feature of our new program to improve members services. You must sign in to your account to view and search the directory. Please check your listing and make the appropriate changes in your account or transmit any corrections to the Member Chair. This will ensure that you will continue to receive the paper copies of the Bulletin. With bulk mailing, they are not forwarded if a member has moved. However, the Bulletins are available on the TCC website for current members. This online membership directory list is for use of Transferware Collectors Club members only. It is intended to facilitate contacts between members. The list is not to be used for commercial purposes. If you are a current member and believe your name should be on this list please contact the Member Chair. View the directory.

Josiah Wedgwood “April”

Josiah Wedgwood (1759-2005) made a lovely series of month plates and tiles. This pattern represents “April”. The border is known as the Ivanhoe border. For TCC members, this is pattern #3449 in the TCC Database of Patterns and Sources. View larger image. See past Patterns of the Month.

Thanks to Judie Siddall for preparing the "Pattern of the Month."

"Flora" Patterns



Flora is the goddess of flowers and the season of spring in Roman mythology, embodying the beauty and vitality of nature. She represents the blossoming of flowers and the renewal of life that comes with the warmer months. Festivals in her honor marked the arrival of spring, when the earth awakens from the cold grasp of winter. Her name has been preserved in English as the word for all the plant life present in a particular region or time. Given the British love of gardening and flowers, it is no surprise that many potteries produced floral patterns named “Flora.”

The plate on the left and the platter at center are by John Meir, in production from 1812 to 1836 in Tunstall, Staffordshire. They are two of the three "Flora Pattern" variations by Meir in the TCC Database. The plate and the well and tree platter is pattern #18049. The “Flora” jug was made by John Hall (& Sons), located in Burslem, Staffordshire from 1814 to 1832. It is pattern #4260 in the database. There are more than twenty floral patterns with “Flora” in their names in the database.

Thanks to Scott Hanson for photo and preparing the "Puzzle of the Month."

Play puzzle. See past Puzzles of the Month.

Tile Picture

On display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, England. Unfortunately, the photographer forgot to include the complete information posting, although a partial image is available. The tile is initialed and dated WF/Feb. 15th/1820, and is titled “Plan of the Bristol Pottery, 1822"; Pearlware, overglaze painted by William Fifield. See larger image. See past Photos of the Month.

Thanks to David Hoexter for preparing the "Photo of the Month."

A Transferware Blog by Judie Siddall.

Rabbits, Pointer, and Hidden Pictures

It is one of my great pleasures to spot transferware patterns that are copied from original source prints, which is the main reason I purchased this small jug. Read more.

Northern Ceramic Society

Their main focus is on British pottery and porcelain from 1600 to the present day. The NCS is open to everyone and their membership is worldwide. They share the latest ceramic news and research though their meetings, seminars, publications, exhibitions and website. Visit the site.

Oxford Ceramics Group

They have members with a wide range of interests and levels of knowledge. They cover European pottery and porcelain, mainly from the 17th century to the present day, and also explore links to other cultures. View the site.

Find more of the informative resources we've compiled here.

British Pottery and Porcelain discussion group (Facebook)

A group for discussing all aspects of British pottery and porcelain. Feel free to ask for help with identification or to post anything of interest. Visit Facebook page.

Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust

The Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust is a key partner in the restoration of the canals which reopened to navigation in 1974, with Society members involved in both planning and volunteer work parties. View the site.

Find more of the informative resources we've compiled here.

Connecticut Ceramic Circle

 Rago/Wright’s Greatest Hits of Pre-War American Ceramics

April 13, 2026 2PM EDT

Throughout more than five decades dealing in American ceramics, David Rago has brought to market, in both public auctions and through private sales, some of the most important and record-breaking works of Pre-War American art pottery. In what promises to be a highly engaging and visually stimulating lecture, Rago will share highlights of works that have passed through his hands, telling stories about the objects and the people who made them. Rather than a superficial survey of the topic, David will share his own favorite pieces he has handled and personal anecdotes from a lifetime spent immersed in this material. 

David Rago began dealing in American decorative ceramics at a flea market in his home state of New Jersey at the age of seventeen. He founded Rago Auctions in 1984 and now is partner at Rago/Wright, which owns six of the strongest independent auction brands in the industry: Rago, Wright, LA Modern Auctions (LAMA), Toomey & Co., Poster Auctions International (PAI), and the newly launched Landry Pop Auctions (LPA). 

With more than five decades of experience handling 20th and 21st century works, David Rago and Suzanne Perrault, his partner and wife, have established Rago as the preeminent venue for American and European art pottery, American craft furniture, and contemporary glass works. David has authored several titles on fields of collecting, including: American Art Pottery, The Arts and Crafts Collector’s Guide, The Fulper Book, and Collecting Modern. Further, he takes his passion on the road, lecturing nationally and appearing regularly on the PBS series, The Antiques Roadshow since its inception in 1996. 

Link to Zoom Registration.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7117714358593/WN_qtG4tjkVQ0KJ9FB9Iqg3gg#/registration

The Oriental Ceramic Society

Frederic Leighton – A Victorian Traveller and Collector in the Middle East

Speaker: Dr Melanie Gibson

April 14, 2026 6:15 - 7:15 London, UK

Before becoming President of London’s Royal Academy in 1878, the artist Frederic Leighton made several trips to countries around the southern Mediterranean including southern Spain, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. In this talk I will discuss his growing interest in Islamic architecture and design, and look at how he started to build a collection of ceramics, buying in the cities he visited, as well as more locally in Paris and London. An important source of information on his collection were the loans he made to the Burlington Fine Arts Club for the 1885 exhibition of ‘Persian and Arab Art’. His collection was entirely dispersed after his death but I have been able to identify a number of pieces that once belonged to him, some of which ended up in museums like the Victoria and Albert and the Louvre. Image: The Drawing Room in Leighton House. Bedford Lemere & Co. 1895.

Location: Society of Antiquaries of London

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE

Website: https://www.sal.org.uk/

The San Francisco Ceramic Circle

Collecting and Copying in the 19th Century – the Impact of Islamic Design 
on British Tile Manufacturers

by Dr. Melanie Gibson

April 19, 2026 11AM PDT

Contact SFCC for Zoom information: sfceramiccircle@gmail.com.

The English Ceramic Circle

Thrown Together... A meeting of the past and present

April 23, 2026

They are delighted to be partnering with The London Potters to provide a day of ceramic demonstrations and lectures by leading potters and historical researchers.

Each speaker pairing comprises a demonstration by leading contemporary potters and a related discussion putting this work in a historical context, as follows:

Lives in clay:

Kate Malone MBE – My life in colour

Jonathan Gray – Horace Elliott (1851-1938)

Weaving new stories – Wedgwood and beyond:

Hitomi Hosono – my work with sprigs

Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth – Lady Charlotte Schreiber: a researcher, collector and benefactor

Royalty and Colonialism:

Rich Miller – Fired legacy – Colonialism and my designs (including the making of a crown)

Roger Massey – Crowns, Kings and other things – ceramics as a window into the 17th and 18th century world

The cost for attending the event is £35. Please note that lunch and refreshments are not included – there are various V&A cafés and restaurants and other eating places in the surrounding area.

Tickets are available now on the English Ceramic Circle website, here.

The Museum opens at 10am. Registration starts 10:15am, with welcome introductions planned for around 10:45am. The event will conclude around 5pm.



This event is available to members of either the ECC and/or the London Potters. At this stage, we are prioritising members. If you would like to attend and are not yet a member, we would advise joining one (or both!) groups. Early booking is advised, as initially each group has an allocation of 50 tickets.

The ECC/LP reserve the right to change the speakers should the need arise. Exact timings and a full running order will be confirmed in joining instructions.

Transferware Worldwide Lecture Series

Caribbean blues: excavating transfer-printed ceramics on the island of Nevis

Speaker: David Barker

Save the date: April 30, 2026 1 PM EDT

Ceramic finds from excavations on the Caribbean island of Nevis include a significant quantity of transfer-printed wares. These feature a wide range of patterns from well-known and lesser-known British manufacturers.

This talk will highlight some of the more popular printed wares in use on the island during the 19th century and will consider their roles in a variety of domestic contexts. The island’s changing economic fortunes and the decline of sugar production provide a backdrop for a discussion of these wares, as does the state of the British trade in ceramics to its colonies and other transatlantic markets.

Dr. David Barker is a well-known researcher and author on the history of the ceramics industry, its processes and its products.

Formerly City Archaeologist and Keeper of Archaeology for Stoke on Trent Museums, he currently works as an archaeological consultant and ceramics specialist (and musician).

He was a recipient of a TCC Research Grant for a study of transfer-printed wares on the Caribbean island of Nevis and has many more on-going ceramic research projects.

He has taught on Staffordshire University’s MA in Ceramic History and has lectured widely at all levels in the UK, Europe and North America. His publications include the books William Greatbatch, a Staffordshire Potter and Slipware in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, as well as numerous journal articles.

David is a past President of the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and has received an Award of Merit from the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89163653545

Meeting ID: 891 6365 3545

Join the Zoom Meeting. Members, please check your email in early April for the Zoom link to this lecture. Non-members are also welcome to view future Transferware Worldwide lectures: simply provide your email address to receive the Zoom links and news and information about future TCC programming.

Transferware Collectors Club

2026 England Tour

June 2-9, 2026



Our fully booked transferware tour to England, from June 2nd to 9th, has had a cancellation so there is now one room remaining available for a single or couple. If interested in joining us, contact Meg MacDonald at meg@travelmuse.net or by calling (617) 480-0250. To download a tour itinerary, click here: https://tri.ps/YJPKy

Please contact us if you know of any lectures with an emphasis on transferware.

There are no auctions at this time.

Please contact us if you know of an auction with an emphasis on transferware.

2025 Vol. XXVI No. 2

Please contact us if you have recommendations of

newly published transferware books.

Has Your Postal Mailing Address Changed?????

If you have moved but are not receiving your printed TCC Bulletin, you probably forgot to notify our member chair of your new address (this applies to email address changes also). The bulletin is mailed “bulk” and is not forwarded to new addresses by the USPS. Please notify the member chair directly: membership@transferwarecollectorsclub.org or make the necessary changes to your account online.

Looking for anyone with a passion for the beauty and history of transferware who would like to help record lovely old patterns for a worldwide audience. The Database of Patterns and Sources is maintained by a team of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. You could be one of them! We're currently looking for editors in Romantic patterns, Literature and Performing Arts, and Tiles, but let us know your interests and we can find a spot for you. Contact Len at otlink@aol.com for more information!

The TCC Bulletin editor seeks submittals to future editions, particularly from first time or occasional authors. We have an extremely knowledgeable member base, yet many of our members seldom or never share their knowledge, at least in printed form. Now is your chance. Bulletin submittals do not need to be extremely technical or lengthy. They just need to be interesting and relate to British transferware! And they need to be accompanied by quality images. We would especially welcome articles from our growing number of archaeologist members.

Don’t fret if you have little experience. We will be pleased to work with you, to formulate your concept and bring your article along. Simply send us your ideas, if that is where you are, or text, even in preliminary form, if you are further along. Please submit in MS Word format, and separately, images in png, pdf or jpeg format. Please do NOT convert to PDF. Don’t worry if this is a problem for you; we’ll work with you to bring your article from preliminary to final, printed, stage, no matter your level of computer and word processes experience. Download the Guidelines.

Suggested topics: 

1. Your favorite transferware piece, either your own or displayed elsewhere (why is it your favorite?, how did you acquire it?, what is the pattern, maker if known?). 
2. What is your favorite place to view transferware: museum? stately home? Historic or archaeological site?
3. Tell (and show) us your own collection (really good pictures required).
4. New discoveries.
5. Archaeological sites: overall summary of the excavation as relates to transferware; discuss a particular pattern or piece; context/importance of the transferware.
6. In-depth research of a pattern, series, maker.

Contacts: 

David Hoexter, Interim TCC Bulletin Co-Editor: davidhoexter@icloud.com

Michael Sack, Interim TCC Bulletin Co-Editor: msack@michaelsack.com