Rural remains in Bruges.

                                                               Colourful backdoor. Saint- Gilles, Bruges

Some parts of Bruges remained very rural until the second half of the 19th century. But the upcoming industry needed more and more labourers hence fields and meadows were replaced by rows of identical little houses. Old country roads and farmsteads remind us of a pastoral past.

Old farm buildings, Saint-Gilles

Bonne-Chière windmill, 1844.

St-Janshuis windmill, 1770

Old farmstead, Snaggaardstraat.

French ironstone transferware plates with railroad cartoons, set of three. 1890s railroadiana, H. Boulenger & Cie faïencerie.

60,- Eu

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Set of three 1890s French transferware ironstone plates, depicting railroad cartoons. Produced by the well known H. Boulenger company in Choisy-le-Roi, France. These plates were part of a set of twelve "assiettes parlantes" (or talking plates), as plates with illustrations and text were called.
Faïence de Choisy-le-Roi or Terre de Fer is a kind of fine ceramic, imitating porcelain.
HB & Cie is also known as the producer of the classic white/blue tiles in the Paris Metro.
"Assiettes parlantes" were very popular during the 19th century and are still very collectible.
Condition: very good but with chips at the back, see pictures.
Dimensions: 20cms/7.90inches diameter.
Actual plates are the numbers II, IV and XII