Sydney Carton - Dickens

Name: Dickens  "Sydney Carton"
 
Type: Dickens Souvenir Plate – Sydney Carton
 
Year: Circa 1910–1930
 
Set: No
 
Mark: Dickens - Grimwades Ltd, Stoke-on-Trent, England
 
History: This ceramic plate is part of the Dickens Souvenir series by Grimwades Ltd, featuring characters from the novels of Charles Dickens. The central image depicts Sydney Carton, a pivotal character from A Tale of Two Cities. The illustration style and crackle glaze (crazing) are consistent with early 20th-century transferware production, commonly seen in English commemorative ceramics.
 
 
The backstamp includes a portrait of Dickens and states: “Grimwades Stoke-on-Trent,” a known Staffordshire pottery active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Grimwades produced a wide range of commemorative and decorative wares, often aimed at collectors and middle-class Victorian and Edwardian households.
 
 
The scene itself—Sydney Carton in a contemplative pose—references his transformation and famous final sacrifice in the novel. This character-focused collectible would have been part of a series, appealing to literary enthusiasts and Victorian revival collectors.
 
Flaws: age related crazing