No Afternoon Was Complete Without
A Cup Of Tea

For several centuries, tea drinking was a staple in many parts of the world, from England to Japan to Australia. In the United States, however, it took second place to coffee until the last couple of decades. In the 1980s, interesting new flavors of tea began appearing on the market, and its popularity has been increasing steadily.

If you are among those who love the many varieties of tea that are now available, and if you’re interested in starting a new collection that doesn’t take up much space, consider the many types of paper collectibles that feature tea.

While the graphics on some of the new flavors of tea are colorful and interesting – after all, marketing is always essential – some of the early paper goods featuring tea are very interesting.

In addition to advertisements for tea itself, or even original boxes, you’ll find there are lots of other things to add to a collection of tea ephemera.

Sheet music is one type. A copy of “I’m A Little Teapot: the Teapot Song” from 1941 or “In A Little Gypsy Tea Room” from 1935 are a couple of examples.

There are book illustrations to add to this collection. An early example of Alice and the Mad Hatter’s Tea-Party from Alice in Wonderland would be almost a must. Kate Greenaway’s illustrations and Beatrix Potter’s books are good sources. In fact, most early books for little girls seem to feature a tea party in some way.

Other paper goods with tea illustrations are vintage magazines, booklets put out by tea companies and, of course, postcards.

And just because you’re looking for vintage tea items, be aware of any contemporary graphics items that have good eye appeal. They’ll be old some day, too.

A 2008 publication by Schiffer, Tea Art, by Gregory R. Suriano, is a good reference for the many types of vintage tea graphics that can be found.

Return to Index

American Flag Symbolized A
Changing New Country

June 14 is celebrated each year as America’s Flag Day. The flag we salute today, however, has changed many times through the years.

The first flag of the American colonists to bear any resemblance to the present Stars and Stripes was the Grand Union flag, sometimes referred to as the “Congress Colors.” It consisted of 13 stripes, alternately red and white, representing the 13 colonies, and a blue field in the upper left-hand corner bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, signifying union with the mother country. This banner was first flown by the ships of the Colonial Fleet in the Delaware River in December 1775.

In January of 1777, the Grand Union flag became the standard of the Continental Army. It was also carried by American Marines and Bluejackets comprising an expeditionary force to the West Indies in 1776.

The Continental Congress passed a resolution that established the Stars and Stripes on June 14, 1777. It did not specify the arrangement of the 13 stars on the blue background, except to say that they should represent a new constellation. Consequently, some flags had stars in a circle, some in rows, and some scattered on the blue field without any apparent design.

A national flag was necessary for the colonial vessels putting to sea following the Declaration of Independence. Many of them first flew the flags of the particular colonies to which they belonged. It was important to provide an authorized national flag under which they could sail, for England considered armed vessels without such a flag to be pirate ships and hanged their crews if they were captured.

For a brief period, the flag had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, when Kentucky and Vermont joined the Union. This was the flag being flown when Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” during the War of 1812.

Recognizing that adding a stripe for each state could cause the flag to become unwieldy, it was suggested that the stripes remain constant at 13, and a star be added for each new state. This was passed by law in April of 1818.

Return to Index

Bisque Is Unglazed

The term bisque is frequently found when pottery or porcelain is being described. It comes from the word “biscuit,” and is applied to unglazed earthenware that has been fired only once. Since it is left unglazed, there is no shiny look to the finished product.

Return to Index