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.

On this plate is an image of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which was the first steam-operated railway in the United States to be chartered as a common carrier of freight and passengers in 1827. The B&O Railroad Company was established by Baltimore merchants to compete with New York merchants and their newly opened Erie Canal for trade to the west. Charles Carroll, the American Revolutionary leader and last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, laid the first stone for the line on July 4, 1828.