Plate

This blue and white transfer-printed earthenware plate made by the Staffordshire firm of Enoch Wood & Sons features a view of the "Chief Justice Marshall," a steamboat operated by the Troy Line on the Hudson River between New York and Albany. Built in 1825, the vessel was named after famous American jurist Chief Justice John Marshall (1755–1835). It navigated the Hudson River from 1826 until the Hartford Steamboat Company transferred the boat to the Connecticut River in 1832. Like all steam-vessels built before 1831, the "Chief Justice Marshall" was fitted with masts for sails in the event of engine failure or the desire to travel faster. Equipped for speed, the "Chief Justice Marshall" became known as the "Race Horse of the North River." River races among steamboats during this period resulted in numerous accidents. The first reputedly befell the "Chief Justice Marshall" in 1830 when her boilers burst and injured many passengers. Symbolic of American technological progress, steamboats were popular subjects for transfer-printed export wares. Other famous examples include Robert Fulton’s "Chancellor Livingston" appearing on a plate, 14.102.288, by James & Ralph Clews (ca. 1815–1834) and a platter, 14.102.102, by Wood & Sons. Wood & Sons' portrayal of the "Chief Justice Marshall” was based on a presently unidentified engraving from the 1820s adapted for the firm's series of approximately twenty-nine predominantly American nautical views with grotto-shaped shell borders produced for the United States export market. The shell border reflects the development of conchology as a new area of scientific study by the early nineteenth century. The American Wing's collection contains additional pieces by Wood & Sons. Refer to the Dictionary for a definition of the term "transfer printing" and for information about the above-mentioned firms.