Mug, white earthenware with printed decoration and glazed, design copyright owned by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd., licensed by C.P.L., made by Coloroll, England, 1990.

Mug of white earthenware with opaque black glaze, cylindrical with loop handle, printed decoration of Dennis the Menace with his dog Gnasher against a red and black striped ground.

Given by Jennifer Opie, Paul Greenhalgh and Oliver Watson

This mug was given by Robin Hildyard, curator in the Ceramics Section to Oliver Watson, Curator of the Ceramics Section, for his 41st birthday in August 1990.

Dennis the Menace has appeared in the Children's comic, Beano, since March 17th 1951, and now, with his dog Gnasher, occupies both the front and back pages. The Dennis the Menace Fan Club was started in 1974, and now has 1.2 million members, a considerable number of whom are adults who also form a large part of the comic's readership. 1988 was the 50th anniversary of the Beano, and to celebrated DC Thomson licensed the characters, over which they keep a strict control. Hornsea Pottery produce a boxed set of mug and two plates with Dennis the Menace, while Coloroll producced the budget line. In 1989 Dakin Pottery produced a series of 20 mugs with Beano characters.

Part of a large collection of mugs acquired in 1991. This group [C.84 to 105-1991] were brought together from various sources and were presented by the donors - the Curator and Deputy Curators of the Ceramics and Glass Section. The collection aims to illustrate the various uses of the 'Mug as bearer of message' over the past decade.

C.86-1991