Preston Guild Collectables - 1902
for pictures of 1902 collectables, see the 1902 album
There is a lot more commemorative china available for the 1902 Guild than previous Guilds. 1902 was literally the end of an era with the death of Queen Victoria the previous year. It was also the end of the Boer Wars. The war was strongly opposed by many as the worst excesses of imperialism, and was the beginning of a shift in British foreign policy. One can only imagine how the people of Preston felt at the time of the 1902 Guild, but it would not be surprising if there was a sense of impending change, especially as the major event of 1902 for the whole country was the coronation of Edward VII as king.
The mugs below commemorate both Preston Guild and the Coronation. These mugs have lithophanes on the base, which when held to the light show a picture. The mug on the left with the ornate "E" on the front shows a picture of Edward on the bottom, the mug on the right shows Alexandra.
The Mayor for the 1902 Guild was Frederick Arthur Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, known on the commemorative ware as Lord Derby. He lived in Canada before becoming Mayor of the 1902 Guild, and his other claim to fame is his donation to ice hockey of the Stanley Cup.
