Collecting and displaying souvenir plates first became a passion in 1893, a passion still very much alive today. Over 560 color photos illustrate this survey of souvenir plates dating back to the 1800s. The views of prominent potters such as Adams & Company, Wedgewood, and Wood and Sons are included. Short histories are provided for each manufacturers or importer to which specific views are attributed. A list of views is also provided, using the name given to the view by each manufacturer whenever possible, and including additional information on border designs, unusual features, color, and size when possible. Information on recent oriental imports similar to older souvenir plates are also discussed.

Pandora would have had the best of times between these two covers. For those who just can't resist a peek under the lid, like the author, there's endless full-color satisfaction inside. An intrepid collector and antiques scholar and dealer, Burgess gives the inside scoop on every manner of containers, from apple boxes to their zinc decorations. Inside empty boxes, she finds the hopes that filled brides' chests, weaves a story about the sewing chores of housewives of yore, gives you a taste of what snuff the men were made of, and sheds light on where candles once awaited nightfall. Inside boxes ranging from Shaker plain to the outrageous constructions of wooing gentlemen, Burgess takes the lid off life in the nineteenth century.