Patterns of the Month: Children's Patterns

Each month we feature a new pattern from our Pattern and Source Print Database and archive them on these pages by category.

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Children's Subjects

Shown here on a 6.31 inch child's plate are hands illustrating the sign language alphabet consonants in two circles surrounding a single hand showing the vowels. Children's patterns were often used as teaching tools, and this one would be as useful today as it was in the 19th century. However, the alphabet is an example of the British manual alphabet which uses two hands rather than the American manual alphabet which uses one hand. To learn more about this and other patterns, see the Pattern and Source Print Database.

Children's patterns were often given as rewards for good behavior, christening presents and teaching tools. Children, in general, like animals, so this 5.75 inch plate with an exotic animal would have been a delightful gift. To learn more about it, see the Pattern and Source Print Database.

"Christmas Day"
Children's patterns were intended as gifts or teaching tools. This 7 inch plate does both. It was probably a Christmas gift and its molded border teaches the alphabet. As is typical for most patterns made for children, the maker is unknown.

"At The Zoo" by an unknown maker is found on a 5.12 inch child's ABC plate. Patterns made to celebrate the popular London Zoological Gardens are found on adult dinner services as well as children's items. To learn more about this pattern, see At The Zoo in the pattern and source print database. To see more zoo patterns, type in "zoo" in the Name box in Pattern Search. There are 41 zoo patterns in the pattern and source print database.

Alphabet
Plate, 4.5 inches. It is printed with a lower case alphabet that is out of order. Used as a teaching tool, the child had to pick out the letters and put them in sequence. Try it! It is not easy. For more information about this plate, see Alphabet plate in the pattern and source print database.

"Poor Richard's Maxim's" (sic)
Found on a 5 inch plate, this pattern is surrounded by an alphabet border with a Vitruvian scroll edge. There are two maxims that relate to the pattern: "I never saw an oft removed tree nor yet an oft removed family that did so well as those that settled be" and "Three removes are as bad as a fire and a rolling stone gathers no moss" (actually three maxims!). Poor Richard is the alter ego of Benjamin Franklin. For more information about this pattern and children's patterns in general, please see the pattern and source print database.

"A Ride On Carlo"
Found on a 7.25 inch plate, this pattern was made to delight and teach. Along with the alphabet on the border are clock numerals. The lucky child could learn to tell time as well as the ABCs. The actual pattern name is "Childrens (sic) Clock". The pattern was made by Brownhills Pottery (1872-1896). For more information about this pattern and for more children's patterns, please see the pattern and source print database.

Find additional patterns and more extensive information in our Patterns and Source Print Database..

See other Patterns of the Month by category:

Advertising	Aesthetic	American	Animals	British Themes	Children's
Chinoiserie	European	Floral	Indian/Oriental	Literature	Miscellaneous	Romantic