As I have already shown the Crimean war coincided with the period of highest productivity from the Staffordshire Potteries so there are plenty of portrait groups of the upper echelons, but ‘ordinary’ soldiers and sailors from other conflicts were also popular source material.
The front of a Staffordshire jug depicting Wellington being cheered by his troops
I guess we are all familiar with the motivations of individuals wishing to be part of the Armed Forces. Whilst some may wish to do the morally right thing, for others it is just a job and for some it is a means of seeking out excitement.
Staffordshire Pottery figure Sailor's Return showing our hero stood on a chest of dollars and dutifully handing over his purse
During the 19th century there was also the chance to make a little extra at work which is dealt with subtly in ‘The Sailor’s Return’ where he is depicted kneeling on a chest of dollars and handing over a purse to his wife and less subtly on the Peninsular War jug where the soldiers are happily filling a chest marked ‘Plunder’ (which contains a crucifix) I guess by today’s standards that’s a war crime.
The other side of the Staffordshire Peninsular War jug showing soldiers collecting plunder
