Souvenirs of the Tour

In her autobiography, Hagar Merriman, a formerly enslaved woman of Milford, who witnessed Lafayette’s visit, wrote that after Lafayette passed through town, “everything after that, was Lafayette, there wasn’t a cup, plate, pitcher or bowl, but what had his name on it.” 

Producers of commercial items took advantage of the “Lafayette -mania” that swept the nation during and after Lafayette’s tour of the country. Souvenirs of his 1824-1825 visit to America were produced both in America and England. The most well-known commemorative pieces are the cobalt blue transfer printed scenes featured on English Staffordshire ceramics. But American craftsmen also produced quantities of pottery, glassware, quilts, furniture, fans, jewelry, gloves, and clothing. Several Connecticut craftsmen capitalized on the desire for Lafayette commemorative objects and began producing wares for the souvenir market. 

Made in Connecticut

Probably the most famous commercial producers of Lafayette memorabilia in Connecticut were Day’s and Smith’s Potteries in Norwalk and the Coventry Glassworks in Coventry. Norwalk redware pottery featured the inscribed name of Lafayette or combined it with the name of Washington. In Coventry, molded blown glass flasks were made with a portrait of Lafayette. Items made by both establishments are highly prized by collectors today. 

Absalom Day Pottery and Asa E. Smith Pottery

Day’s Pottery was established in South Norwalk by Absalom Day, a potter from Chatham, New Jersey. An itinerant Methodist minister, as well as a potter, Day married Betsy Smith when he arrived in Norwalk and began working for an established potter, Asa Hoyt, who was Betsy’s relative. A few years later he acquired the Hoyt pottery and began importing clay from New Jersey to produce his redware. Descendants recall that in the early years of the business, Absalom threw the pottery and Betsy minded the kiln. When the products were ready, Absalom loaded his boat and set out to sell his wares along the Long Island coast. 

Day’s Pottery grew, specializing in slip-script earthenware dishes often inscribed with names, sayings, or dates. Because many of these pieces survived in good condition, it is thought that they were purchased or commissioned for their decorative rather than functional quality. About 1812, Betsy’s nephew, Asa E. Smith, was apprenticed to Absalom and worked for him until taking over the business in 1825 when Day developed heath issues. 

When Lafayette briefly visited Norwalk on August 20, 1824, citizens of the town were probably caught up in the Lafayette-mania and wanted souvenirs to commemorate the day. They needed to look no further than Day’s Pottery for dishes inscribed with the name of Lafayette. It would seem reasonable that Day would turn this event into a profit-making venture and begin producing the Lafayette souvenirs. However, many experts today believe that it was the Asa E. Smith Pottery responsible for the production of the Lafayette dishes when he took over the business from Day in 1825. 

Because a number of the Norwalk Lafayette commemorative dishes have survived, it is thought they were made in quantity.  Pieces can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Historical Society Museum, Wilton Historical Society, and the Norwalk Historical Society. 

Coventry Glassworks

During the War of 1812, Americans were forced to do without many British-made products due to the British Blockade. Glass was one of these much-needed products and with the high consumer demand for bottles and other small glass items, start-up glass companies began to appear throughout New England. The Coventry Glass Company was one of these companies formed in 1813 by seven local entrepreneurs, who believed their location near the Boston and Windham Turnpikes would allow easy access to market glass products.

About two dozen glass workers were hired, some from earlier glass companies in the area. The operation produced medicine bottles, inkstands, and flasks. The bottles were handblown in molds fashioned by the glassworkers allowing them to shape the glass and decorate the surface in one operation.  In about 1820, Thomas Stebbins was operating the company, and his initials can be found on an 1824-1825 flask decorated with a portrait of Lafayette, commemorating his visit to the United States. One half of the mold for this flask was found in the river in Mansfield, Connecticut and is now on display at the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY. 

To see more about the Lafayette mold watch this video:  

The Coventry Glass Company is thought to be the first American company to produce portrait flasks, including portraits of Washington, Jackson and DeWitt Clinton. Some examples of Coventry flasks can be seen at the Coventry Historical Society in Coventry, Connecticut as well as the Corning Museum of Glass, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.