HOME, THE WIZARD OF OZ, AND TRANSFERWARE

1939 movie poster for "The Wizard of Oz"

I recently watched the "The Wizard of Oz" on my iPad with my seven year old granddaughter.  We have watched it together before.  She loves Glinda the best because she is a good witch and beautiful.   Dorothy is my favorite character.  And Toto.  Both are brave.  They act to protect others, even when they are afraid and in danger.  I also love that Dorothy has such a strong wish to go home to her loved ones.  

If you have been reading my blog, you know I can find transferware patterns that relate to almost everything.  The patterns and the words  seen here are a bit sweet, but they echo Dorothy's wish.

David Lockhart & Co. (1876-1898), Victoria Pottery Scotland, 5.5 inch porringer.

Maker Unknown 5.06 inch plate printed with the words: "The dearest spot of earth to me/Is home, sweet home."  The text is from a poem titled "Dearest Spot On Earth to Me Is Home" circa 1857 by William Thomas Wrighton. The entire text reads: "The dearest spot of earth to me Is Home ... sweet Home! The fairyland I long to see Is Home! ... sweet Home! There, how charm'd the sense of hearing! There, where love is so endearing! All the world is not so cheering As Home ... sweet Home. The dearest spot of earth to me Is Home ... sweet Home. The fairyland I long to see is Home sweet Home. I've taught my heart the way to prize My Home ...sweet Home. I've learn'd to look with lover's eyes On Home ... sweet Home! There where vows are truly plighted, There, where hearts are so united, All the world besides I've slighted For Home ... sweet Home! The dearest spot of earth to me Is Home ... sweet Home. The fairyland I long to see is Home sweet Home."

Maker Unknown, 4.94 inch plate printed with the words: "I've taught my heart the way to prize/My home, sweet home."

I have watched "The Wizard of Oz" more than a dozen times.  I never find it boring. Two of my favorite lines in the movie, "There is no place like home" and "I don't think we are in Kansas anymore" are as meaningful to me today as they were when I first heard them in 1948.  As a four year old,  I understood the love of home with a pure passion.  Now, I just miss my wonderful childhood and family of origin.   I also understood that Dorothy was not in Kansas anymore.  Kansas was in black and white and Oz was in technicolor!  I learned early that life can be viewed in black and white and in technicolor.

You can stop reading here unless you want to know more about the "Wizard of Oz."  As a seven year old, I discovered that my library in Philadelphia had a large collection of Oz books.  I read all of the books in my local library, so the librarian sent a request to the main library for more. I read most of the Oz books by the time I was ten. I think there were 37 or 38 books.  I even bought, with my own money, a few Oz books at Leary's Book Store (a place as magical to me as Oz).  I still have the books.

Cover of the 1900 original edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum

Here is the back cover of the book.

I love sharing the movie with my granddaughter.  We have even read the book together.  I shall add that my oldest son was also passionate about the Oz books and the movie.  It just has been a long time since we watched the movie together.