Homer Laughlin Home plate Tri-States Pottery Festival, Downton Abbey on PBS

I had a fun time researching this plate....and learned something invaluable. Did you know that there is a National Door Knob Throwing Championship of the USA? Neither did I...but it is an annual part of the Tri-States Pottery Festival in June in East Liverpool Ohio, home to quite a number of potteries including Homer Laughlin and Hall China.


All this from picking up a plate at an estate sale. The plate has a drawing by Hans Hacker of the Homer Laughlin Home that wooed me with victorian charm. Then, the back started my quest for info, introducing me to the history of the Tri-State Pottery Festival which started in 1968. I love breadcrumb trails to great facts! This is the back of the plate:

I then found the website for the festival:  Tri-State Pottery Festival


andit was browsing the website that I found the info about the National Door Knob Toss. How cool is that!!! Apparently, you whang ceramic door knobs at a 4 inch hole in a sand filled tire.

I am just so sad I'm so far away. I would LOVE to go and watch that! Anyone in that area?


You can see more about the door knob toss at:
National Door Knob Tossing Championship


To see more on the plate at Time Was Antiques visit:
Homer Laughlin Home souvenir plate




To change gears....if you love British period drama there are treats on the horizon. PBS will bring us Downton Abbey which airs on on Sunday here in the US, unfortunately in a shortened version. The story concerns the breakup of a titled family after a death on the Titanic & the breaking of the entail...which the Brit producers thought the US couldn't follow....tchahhh. Balderdash, but...

You can visit the PBS website for more info at:
Downton Abbey on PBS
there are quite a few trailers you can watch there...quite fun. Word has it that there is Shelley China used in the film, so I'll be looking for it.


To follow some of the controversy of the cuts made, visit Jane Austen Today as they have some great links as well.


Have a great day and start practicing your door knob tosses and tea etiquette!