Findings
Danforth Pewter
The goal of my research is to understand the extent and role Danforth pewter plates played in people’s lives while exploring dinner plates found during excavations.
- Pewter, known as poor man’s silver, was used in the US until the early 19th century when ceramic superseded it.
- Domestic pewtering was difficult as the English embargoed the import of raw pewter to the colonies.
- Thomas Danforth of Middletown and his descendants pewtered from the 1750s to the 1870s in CT, NY, and PA.
- Danforths made 75% of surviving pewter in the US.
- Excavations of Danforth house uncovered no pewter.
Staffordshire Ceramics
- The identifiable plate within the Danforth excavations is an edged pearlware plate in the Staffordshire style.
- A similar plate was found at the early 19th century Southmayd site in Middletown.
- The Staffordshire style is from the Staffordshire region of England, whose ceramics are popular antiques today.
- Staffordshire style plates are considered high end; however, dinnerware with simpler designs like this one would have been more affordable.
Project Gallery
Reverse of Danforth Plate in the Smithsonian Collections with Makers Marks
Staffordshire Plate from Wesleyan Collections ca. 1784–1814
Molded Pearlware Plate from Danforth House
Reverse of Plate from Danforth House
