What’s Happening in the Transferware Database?

The Transferware Collectors Club Launches Advanced Version 2.0 of Its Popular Database of Patterns and Sources.

The Transferware Collectors Club (TCC), a non-profit organization based in the US, whose mission is to educate and excite people worldwide about British transfer-printed ceramics produced between 1750 and 1900, will announce the launch of Version 2.0 of its internationally acclaimed Database of Patterns and Sources on October 26, 2016, at the club’s annual meeting in Charlottesville, Virginia.

This second generation database, developed by SB3D, Philadelphia, PA builds on the valuable information recorded for over 13,500 transfer-printed patterns and more than 1,000 print and original ceramic sources that inspired the patterns printed on earthenware and porcelain by British Potteries. Version 2.0 is Internet based and is available for use on most computer, tablet and mobile formats and includes new browse and search features designed to aid in the user’s pattern search.

The TCC’s Database of Patterns and Sources as been an instrument of growth for the club, whose membership has more than doubled since Version 1 was released in 2006 with just 450 patterns.

Collectors, Researchers, Museum Curators, Students and Dealers value it as a data-rich resource of pattern names, makers, dates of production, and pattern sources, including works of art and original ceramic designs, all supported by research and bibliographic references.

Archaeological historians in growing numbers have learned to rely on this database as a valuable resource in their efforts to identify printed patterns found on ceramic sherds in archaeological digs: Many of these sherds had remained unidentified in storage for years until researchers discovered TCC’s database.

A fitting venue for this announcement is the club’s annual meeting in historic Charlottesville and at Montpelier, the home of James and Dolley Madison and at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. TCC meeting organizer Leslie Bouterie has joined with the curatorial staff and archaeology experts for both historic sites and with ceramic experts to plan a series of lectures based on the theme Transferware for the Presidents’ Table that will demonstrate how leading ceramic and archaeological historians have leveraged the Database of Patterns and Sources to advance their work.

Inquires about the Database of Patterns and Sources should be directed to the club’s president, Loren Zeller, at president@transferwarecollectorsclub.org