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

2024 Paul and Gladys Richards Foundation Research Grant Program Recipient. 

Transfer-Printed Tablewares from Archaeological Contexts. Rosario (Argentina), 1800-1900

by Brenda Bruno, Argentina

Read article.

See other grant recipients. Learn more.

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

Arleen Tanner

We sadly report the passing of Arleen Tanner, long-time member and Swansea Cambrian collector and researcher. 

Read Richard Halliday’s remembrance.

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.

Cuckoo Pattern

Shown is a 5.5 inch plate with a shell edge border. It is, obviously, printed with a cuckoo pattern. For TCC members, this is pattern #4817 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."

Taos Antique Shop Transferware

This photo was taken in a Taos, New Mexico, antique shop in 2018. Among the items in the case are a chamber set in Minton’s “Botanical” pattern, a rare leg bath form in Minton’s “English Scenery” series, and a puzzle jug in an unidentified pattern.

The Minton pottery was in operation from 1793 until 1873 in Stoke, Staffordshire. The “Botanicals” pattern was first produced c. 1825. The pattern features groups of flowers and leaves in the base and on the inner and outer sides of the bowl. The flower groups include roses, primroses, chrysanthemums and anemones interspersed with some smaller and some darker flowers, buds, and leaves on a stippled blue background. A narrow border with a small repeating floral motif is used on some pieces. It is Pattern # 15134 in the TCC Database. A variation of the pattern is # 13201. The Minton “English Scenery” series leg bath features a view of Windsor Castle. It also is dated to c. 1825 and is Pattern # 12561 in the database.

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

Play puzzle. See past Puzzles of the Month.

Monticello Sherds

Transferware is often excavated at former plantation sites. This image is from an exhibit at Monticello. Note the sherd in the lower left corner. The TCC Database of Patterns and Sources (DB) includes 108 results when searching the keyword “sunflower”. There does not appear to be a credible match with this sherd pattern, although the DB does include a number of very similar patterns. 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.

Some transferware March patterns

One of my readers was hoping to see some transferware March patterns. Here are a few, starting with a Wedgwood plate. Read more.

London Ceramic Circle at Morley College

They are dedicated to the study of British and International Ceramics, both porcelain and earthenware, from the earliest Roman time up to the present day. They offer illustrated lectures by leading ceramic experts at London, visits to places of ceramic interest, and a two-day Seminar in October each year. Visit the site.

Mason's Collectors' Club on Facebook

The Mason's Collectors Club - for all who appreciate the ceramic wares made by the Mason's Pottery. View Facebook page.

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

American Ceramics Circle (Facebook)

The American Ceramic Circle creates and supports a community for the appreciation and study of ceramics of all kinds, periods, and origins. Visit Facebook page.

Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Antiques and The Arts Weekly is the nation’s leading weekly publication reporting on auctions & more. View Facebook page.

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

Connecticut Ceramics Circle

"An Introduction to French Soft-Paste Porcelain Factories of the 18th Century"

by Bernard Dragesco, Ceramics Specialist and Dealer, Paris

 Sponsored by Linda Roth

Monday, March 9, at 2PM via Zoom

In this lecture, Bernard Dragesco will provide an introduction to France’s porcelain industry in the 17th and 18th centuries, beginning with the earliest porcelain made in France at the Poterat workshop in Rouen and continuing through the founding of the Vincennes factory in 1740. This factory would in 1756 become the famous Sèvres factory still in operation today.

Without the knowledge of how to create “true” hard-paste porcelain as was made in China and so popular in Europe at this time, the French factories produced soft-paste porcelain which mimicked the whiteness and translucence of Asian porcelain. The earliest commercial factory, Saint-Cloud, produced pieces with blue and white decoration, as was done in China, but mostly in European renaissance style, with grotesques and ornamental strapwork copied from the designs of Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Chantilly, the factory patronized by the Prince de Condé, made porcelain with decoration and forms inspired by Japanese porcelain. Other factories to be discussed are Villeroy/Mennecy, Antoine Pavie in Paris, and, of course, Vincennes/Sèvres.

Born in 1951 near Paris and educated in France, Bernard Dragesco moved to England in 1970 to study at Cambridge and then to teach French. In 1977, He started a career in France as an antiques gallery assistant, quickly moving on to gallery manager. Two years later, he started dealing on his own, soon specializing in French porcelain and European glass. The next step was the acquisition of an antiques shop at 13 rue de Beaune, 75007 Paris, in May 1982, from which he has been dealing ever since.

Bernard Dragesco is an internationally acknowledged expert in French porcelain and European glass and, since 1996, a member of the Chambre Nationale des Experts Spécialisés. He regularly assists several French auctioneers and has been on the vetting committees of the most prestigious European arts fairs. As a past Vice-President of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, he is on the board of the Société des Amis du Musée National de Céramiques (Sèvres). Also active in the preservation of French architectural heritage, he is a keen gardener and a private pilot. In 2007, he was awarded the medal of Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Culture Minister.

Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8217676501709/WN_vudSA6YcSOeCvcBDz5jIDA

The English Ceramic Circle

"Could I live Without Clay?"

Women and Ceramics in the Collections of National Museums Scotland

Claire Blakey

Thursday March 26, 2026 6PM (UK)

Claire Blakey is Senior Curator of Modern Decorative Arts at National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh. She has worked in museums across the UK, curating numerous exhibitions and publishing on topics including majolica, maiolica, the trade in Staffordshire pottery and East Asian ceramics. Her talk will introduce listeners to some of the highlights of National Museums Scotland’s European ceramics collection and will go on to explore some of the works made and/or designed by women, from the 19th century to the present day. In no way a comprehensive survey, but a journey through creativity and clay, including works by more well-known names such as Hannah and Florence Barlow and Gwendolen Parnell and those whose work in ceramics is less celebrated today, such as Ann Macbeth and Jessie Marion King, and beyond Britain to the work of Portuguese ceramic artists Rosa and Júlia Ramalho. 

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86743002124?pwd=KWVcWTT1BC1Fu0C6yqKeb27deK2mSb.1

Passcode: 940606

International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcDjX6vuYc

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 EST

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 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



We are pleased to announce that our transferware tour to England, from June 2nd to 9th, is now fully booked. Interested parties can place their names on a wait list by emailing 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