Fazackerley Mug

It is not clear where the Fazackerley mug design came from, but the name is associated with an unusual range of colours decorating pottery found locally in Liverpool. The colours in this design included a palette of dark/light purple, brilliant blue, green, rust red and yellow. Liverpool (now World) Museum once had two Fazackerley mugs The first was made for Mr. Thomas Fazackerly (inscribed with T.F 1757) and when he married Catherine Fazackerly a year later, his friend made him a smaller mug for his new bride (C.F 1758). By 1855 the mugs were in the possession of the goldsmith Joseph Mayer and in 1867 he gave his collection, including the mugs, to the museum. The mugs went on display in the old Liverpool Room along with other important ceramics from Joseph Mayer’s donation. The case of ceramics was consider important enough to have its photograph taken (see image in Survivors, Presentation bowl). On the 3 May the gallery was completely destroyed. Douglas Allen, the museum’s director later recorded: “the old Liverpool Room, that containing the collection of Liverpool pottery-all have gone, and lie reduced to a scorched and blackened mass of debris” The Fazackerly mugs were lost that night, all that remains of them today are the black and white photos and coloured drawings.