quality presented in book form and very rare. These prints were the way people
learned about species before there were lots of scientific publications and the
internet, of course. Anyone who considered themselves a naturalist would have
sought copies of these to learn more about the species.” The John Gould (1804-
1881) hand-colored lithographs of birds are another treasure in the gallery’s
collection. “John Gould was a famed ornithologist and particularly noted for his
beautiful renderings of birds in their natural habitat,” she added.
In large, glass cabinets, the museum displays one of the largest Staffordshire
porcelain collections on public view in the United States. Before China closed its
borders to Western trade in the mid-1700s, they had been the primary source of
most white porcelain. It was discovered that the Staffordshire region of England
had the proper clay, an abundance of coal, and salt, all required for ceramic
production at that time. Since they could also provide transportation for trade,
the region became the new hub of the porcelain market. “There are 211 different
patterns and more than 250 individual pieces in our collection,” said Jen. “This
is the oldest piece in the collection and was produced between 1775 and 1790,”
pointing out a tiny teacup decorated with Oriental design. “The first pieces made
in Staffordshire were duplications of the Asian market, and teacups did not have
72 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE
“...upkeep on a
4000-square-foot
century-old house
is no small expense.
Funding for a
501c3 is ‘always a
thing,’” said Jen.