This is a spectacular nineteenth century presentation red earthenware mug that I just acquired made for the Centennial in 1876, inscribed, "SPIRIT OF '76 L.B.I." The mug was recently discovered in an old house in southern Maine.
I have seen a small group of mugs like this before, but none with this exact inscription; the other mugs were either plain with no inscription or made for the Democrat or Republican candidates running for President and Vice President in 1876, 1880 and 1884. These mugs were made at the John Farmer Clark (1932-1885) Pottery in Concord, New Hampshire. A research story I wrote about this industry is scheduled to be published in Maine Antique Digest in 2021 and these type of mugs are discussed.
The other notable characteristic about this piece is the initials "L.B.I." This is who the mug was made for in 1876, likely a local person from Concord. The only other mug I have seen from this type of production with initials is owned by the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. It is inscribed "THE HAYES AND WHEELER MUG," with the initials "H.C.S." Rutherford Hayes and William Wheeler (VP) went onto win the 1876 presidential election running for the Republican party. The initials represent Henry C. Sturtevant (1843-1893), a local Concord resident who ordered the mug from the pottery. His son, Arthur eventually donated the mug to the historical society in 1921.
Note: I have seen a few mugs from this type of Concord production in private New England collections, a few dealer inventories, as well as some owned by Historic New England, and two that are currently displayed at the New Hampshire Historical Society which I wrote about in August 2018.
19th Century Presentation Mug Made for the Centennial in Concord, New Hampshire
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