The Two Drivers, Past, Present

Object Type
This jug, titled 'The Two Drivers, Past, Present' is a rather grand updating of a traditional object. This was one of the designs made for Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures and is an example of early Victorian design especially promoted by Henry Cole (1808-1882), in which the decoration describes the function of the object.

Historic Associations
In response to the Society of Arts' offer, made in 1845, of a prize for designs for a tea service, Sir Henry Cole (under the pseudonym Felix Summerly) produced a design that was executed by Minton. This won a silver medal in the competition held in 1846 and the experience led Cole to believe that it would 'promote public taste' if well-known painters and sculptors could be persuaded to produce designs for manufactured articles for everyday use. Accordingly, in 1847 he founded 'Summerly's Art Manufactures', which lasted for about three years, until Cole's preoccupation with the Great Exhibition of 1851 brought it to an end. However, for some years afterwards individual firms continued to produce objects originally made for Summerly's Art Manufactures.

People
The 'Two Drivers' jug was modelled by Henry JamesTownsend (1810-1890), one of the first artists to be commissioned by Henry Cole to make designs for Summerly's Art Manufactures. He was born in Taunton and trained as a surgeon, but left that profession to take up art. He subsequently became a designer, modeller and master at the Schools of Design.

Materials
The 'Two Drivers' jug was made first in about 1847 in white stoneware with a brown background (model no. 295). This was followed by a single-coloured stoneware version in pale buff (model no. 335) and in a reddish-brown terracotta (model no. 336). It was illustrated in the Journal of Design and Manufactures in December 1849, when it was described as 'made in more than one material and of several colours'.