After the end of the War of 1812, English potters were eager to resume trade with the United States, producing wares that celebrated American heroes and victories. In the 1820s, pottery printed in blue with a range of American scenic and architectural views, as well as historical events and images of political and military figures became popular. Most of the images were copied from contemporary prints. A century later, American collectors, like Bayou Bend’s Miss Ima Hogg, eagerly sought the same pottery.

This source of the view is a drawing by Joshua Shaw. It shows the Exchange Building in Charleston, which was erected in 1767–72 and still stands. The view represents its appearance before modifications were made in 1837 when it served as as a U.S. Post Office. First published in 1823 by J. C. Kayser in Commercial Information Relative to the State of South Carolina, this small vignette of the Exchange in Charleston, was re-published as a frontispiece in The Philadelphia Album and Ladies Literary Gazette in 1828.