"The Ware is in Perfect Order": Reassessing the Transferprint Color Chronology using Period Newspaper Advertisements

Summary

As an artifact category, ceramics, especially those decorated with transferprints, represent one of the most ubiquitous pieces of material culture in historical archaeology. While a substantial amount research has been conducted on the origins and development of the transferprint technology, there is still considerable confusion regarding the introduction and popularity of specific transferprint colors, especially in the North American market. Despite recent refinements to the chronology, the availability of digitized 18th and 19th Century newspapers allows for a reassessment of both the chronology and the terminology employed in the analysis of historic ceramics. This paper will present a modified chronology of the introduction and popularity of transferprint technologies and colors. This alteration to the existing chronology is based on a dataset of over 600 unique newspaper advertisements spanning from 1778–1859 from 20 different states and over 100 different cities, making this chronology applicable to most North American archaeological sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2017   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 668