J.& G.  Meakin have entirely filled the center of this little alphabet plate illustrating the wisdom of Franklin's proverb on keeping shop.  The carefully detailed street scene and accompanying proverb are executed in black transfer.  The scene is finished with an array of enamels ranging from great swaths of green and mauve to touches of yellow and a bit of blue highlighting vendor's names.  The exemplary merchant, "Goodfellow Grocer," obviously well fed and prosperous, is shown dressed in coat and waistcoat standing at his counter with scales in hand.  A  bit farther up the street, the boarded up establishment of "No Do Nothing," is posted "To Let." The flange carries but a single red pinstripe at the outer edge; the decoration relying on a combination of  a molded letters and florets.

At this point, it is still possible to build a collection around Franklin's Proverbs and Maxims, possibly focusing on J.& G. Meakin's wares.  In her discussion of Franklin's maxims, Noel Riley (Gifts for Good Children: The History of Children's China,1790-1890, pp. 270-283) illustrates the range of offerings available in these subjects including some identified with Meakin.  For a little additional background information on these wares, we also  recommend our January 2011 "Featured Item" article in the Seekers Journal, "Juvenile Wares Featuring Franklin's Maxims."