ROBIN REDBREAST

I took a photo of a robin standing on the birdbath in my garden.  He posed for about five minutes.

An American robin perched on the rim of the birdbath in my garden

A close-up of the American robin

Robins were the first birds I knew as a child, so I thought I'd see how they appeared on 19th century British transferware.   Before I looked for photos on my hard disk, I checked online for information about robins.  I was surprised to discover that American robins and European robins are not the same! 

A European robin

According to Wikipedia, "the American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family.  It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European Robin belonging to the flycatcher family."  The study of transferware continues to lead me to new knowledge.

Here are some transferware robin patterns I found on mugs and plates made for 19th century children.  The birds all appear to be European robins.

Brownhills Pottery (1872-1896) "Robin" mug, 2.75 in.

"Cock Robin" 2.25 in. mug

"Little Robin Redbreast" 5.5 in. child's plate (charming despite the crack)

"Little Robin Redbreast" 2 in. mug (same pattern as above)

I thought I'd add a robin pattern that illustrates an old nursery rhyme.  It is one I included in my article titled "Inappropriate Patterns for Children," that can be seen on the  Transferware Collectors Club website. 

"The Death Of Cock Robin" 3 in. mug

"The Death Of Cock Robin"

"The Death Of Cock Robin"