You're in luck....my largest platter is in a lower cupboard...I'll go measure it.
Nope...mine measures 16 1/2 by about 13..and I have 2..;-).
And years and years ago when I got the first platter, that was the largest made.
I love the Mason's patterns. Someone that posts here collects American Marine!...Be still my heart!
Not to brag or anything...

That's worth bragging about! One thing about the old Mason's patterns is that they made soooooo many different serving pieces, it's almost endless. You're lucky to have all those pitchers - I don't have a single one. And those flat sides bowls are to die for. Also, this is the first time that I've seen the footed, scalloped bowls in 2 sizes - now I'll have to search for a different size.

I adore red transferware & used to collect anything that caught my fancy but a few years ago, I started to concentrate on Manchu. If I ever buy a new camera, I'll post a photo of my prizes.

Thanks for measuring. After seeing other makers' really huge platters from the late 1800's, I'm still hopeful that there's a 19"+ out there somewhere with my name on it!
Hester

That's beautiful!!

Oh Linda....you have made my day!!!! I have the pitcher like the ones on the top shelf, and I have the bottom of a soup tureen....I'll find a top someday! I also have the squarish serving bowl and a number of saucers! Of course Vista is not my main collection, but I adore seeing yours!!!

Linda, I'm in awe of your Mason's display.

I collect Mason's as well, but the Bible pattern. Most of the pieces I've had for 30+ years but have started looking for more recently. Seems to be quite a number available in Great Britain but the shipping costs are prohibitive.

Anyway, thought I would post a photo of another Mason's pattern (with a few cups & saucers that jumped in the cabinet :-)).

Margaret

OOOH!! Love it! Never heard of that pattern? Can you post an up close picture of the back stamp?
When did they stop making it?? It looks almost like one of the Gaudy Welsch or Dutch patterns.
Do you have enough to set a table?
I do love the old Mason's patterns!

Linda C

Oh Margaret, that's lovely. I'm looking forward to seeing more posts on this!

I know what you mean about the shipping from Great Britain being prohibitive. It seems the pink version of 'Manchu' must not have been exported as much as other colors & the really good pieces are almost always there. Until ebay, my collection consisted of 8 crescent plates (that's how it all started) & a chop plate. I'd guess that 1/2 of my serving pieces have come from England or Canada, but I've cut back unless the item is really special or something I haven't seen before - shipping is just too expensive.

Hester

Linda,
I've done a bit of research, but I really don't know when they stopped making the Bible pattern. Took some photos of the back of two pieces and it was only then that I realized that the marks on the back are very different on the two pieces. So.....looked at the marks on all of the ones I have and discovered that the original ones I've had for years have the first mark and the ones I've acquired recently (mostly from Great Britain) have the second mark. I suspect that these are related to the date of the pieces - right? Would love to hear your comments on that.

Mark from original pieces:

Mark from newly acquired pieces:

Have enough pieces for a full service for 6 - any more than that & I combine with cobalt blue glass pieces. Hope to eventually get a full service for 8.

Linda, bottom centre shelf - is that a covered butter dish? Would love to find one in 'my pattern'....and the serving bowls on the same shelf...and the divided serving bowls on the top shelf.....and, and, and...:-)

Hester, I would love to see a photo of the crescent plates. If they are what I think they are, those come up rarely on ebay and are $$$$$. I'm with you on pieces having to be special; although I've been able to pick up a couple of basic pieces at a good price to round out the service and then try not to think about the shipping.

Margaret

Yes....the different marks show ages of the pieces....but I don't have a chart showing what marks appeared when. But I do know that the newer mark says "acid resistant colors".
That thing in the middle of the lower shelf is a cheese dish. I bought it for $14 at TJ Maxx about 15 years ago...obviously a close out from some store!
Many of the serving dishes were my mother's, who also had mason's pink Vista...but I was lucky enough to find 2 auctions with lots of the stuff and that's where I got the divided relish dish, one of the Bruges salad bowls, another of the large platters and assorted bread and butters and salad/dessert plates.
Linda C

Linda, I always thought the 'acid resistant colours' was the oldest mark, but only because all of mine with that marking have the registry number hand painted on them; I don't have a chart, either. Some of mine have 'detergent' in the wording & I had assumed these were newer, with the pieces simply marked 'England' as the newest. But if you bought some of yours new, you certainly have the advantage of knowing the chronology. Somebody out in cyberspace must have a reference book - inquiring minds want to know!

Another mystery is 'HAND MADE' impressed into the bottom of a 13'' x 15'' oval platter & 2 sizes of oval veg dishes; the bodies of these pieces are slightly heavier than others that aren't stamped. Were they custom made for someone who wanted a heavy duty dish? The weight difference is minimal & I only discovered it because I was looking for any discernable difference. There's no decoration on it other than the normal transfer & I can't think of any other reason to hand make a form that's already in production. What do you Mason experts think?

Margaret, I bought the crescent dishes in a flea market type mall & paid under $100 for all 8 - and they're in perfect condition. They seem too big to be bone dishes so I use them for side plates since I don't have many place pieces except dinner plates. I'll try to find a picture, but until I buy a new camera, my photography days are on hold.

Hester

A big part of my difficulty in solving this puzzle is that my mother started buying the pink Vista about 1948, and some broke or got chipped and she bought more....and when I got married Iw as given some and bought more and when my mother died I inherited her stuff, and I have bought more at auction and a few pieces on eBay, and I have stacks of plates and nappies and cups and saucers....and they mostly look the same!
I do know of a couple of pieces for sure that predate 1950,
OK....just checked a bunch of stuff...
The ones I know are more than60 years old all say "garanteed acid resistant etc....and they have the word England printed below the banner.
Then there are a few pieces I bought from someone selling on eBay that have the word "Vista" where the word England was....and say guaranteed detergent proof.
I think those pieces post date the time all those potteries were sold, and now all are made by the same company.....which probably outsources to China...:((
Linda C

From what little I have been able to find, it appears as if any pieces with the word "England" are post-1891. Based on information from one web site I found, I suspect I have a suspicion that my with all the info printed on the back are what is considered a 'a modern copy', although I don't know what that means. They are at least older than 1970 -- that's as long as I've had them. Haven't found anything more precise yet.

Hester - what a score at the flea market..!

I've attached a link to a web site that talks about the dating of the Mason marks. I don't know anything about the credibility of the source, but it is the most comprehensive website I've found.

Margaret

Here is a link that might be useful: Mason Marks Site

Good site....thanks!
But I don't really know what to think.
The Mckinley tarrif act stated that everything imported into the US was to be labeled with country of origin...that was 1891.
I got out a pile of nappies and another pile of dessert plates....and the marks vary. I have pieces that I know I bought after 1950 that have a mark she says was pre 1950...
Not sure about her credibility...but perhaps there was a lot of Pink Vista hanging around in shops andw arehouses??
Linda C

Janice Paull! - She's delightful, and very knowledgeable about Masons and other Staffordshire pottery. (Her site's very credible.) I had the good fortune to meet her at an antique show here in town and she helped me authenticate a Mason's Double Landscape jug and an old Castleford piece.

Serendipity,
Here is a photo of the Manchu cresent plate. I finally got a new camera - now all I have to do is learn to use it!

I don't know why it has a yellowish tint. It wasn't there when I put it in PhotoBucket.

Hester,
Those are fabulous....again, what a score!
Have seen that type of dish come up on ebay from time to time (in my pattern) but the prices were nowhere near what you found them for...:-)
Kind of funny how these dishes seem to show up in spurts on ebay - for a while there were probably a dozen or so auctions going on and I was able to pick up a few items. Seems to be a bit of a dry spell right now.

Margaret

Ladies,
I'm wondering if one of you would know what this Mason dish is called & what it was used for. It looks like either a dragons head or maybe a phoenix head on one side and 'legs' for the feet.....I'm just not sure. My DIL got this from her Grandmother & would love to know more info on it. After my DIL saw all the beautiful pieces here, I think she's starting a new collection!

Thanks for your help,
Ginger

It's just a dish....candy or sweet meat....think the form is called serpent's head....and I am sure you know the pattern is called "Vista in Pink".
Linda C

I am hoping someone can help me with Masons pink vista. I have my mothers set and was told today by an antique dealer on Ebay from Canada that it is not a desirable collectible. Could someone enlighten me please.

I hope you got a second opinion

My collection is so big I have to keep it in the garage

Teddybird....did the Canadian dealer offer to "take them off your hands"?...pink Vista is one of the more collectable patterns.....
Mys Lisa....pretty cabinet....and so balanced! You have 2te kettles and 2soup tureens...do you not display anything unless you have 2?

Hi everyone. I collect Mason's Vista too. I have a question? Is there any difference between red vista and vista? or are they all red? thx- mine look red to me.

Vista was made in several colors....there is "Pink" sometimes described as "red transfer ware."...and the is Mason's Blue Vista and Brown Vista and polychrome....the rarest...I have only seen a few pieces in polychrome.

In Vista, there are 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 inch wide platters,as I have all 6. Now, I know there are variations of 1/2"....16 1/2, 14 1/2" etc....yes they exist, but these are later mark versions. The older mark Mason's Vista are 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19...I can't speak specifically to other patterns within Mason's.

At one time I had a "catalog"....more like a few pages , of all the sizes and names and shapes of Mason's Vista. And I do believe the large platter I havew as the largest they had.

The catalog I have? had is from the mid 1950's....maybe it's still in the bottom of a drawer somewhere>

When we were first married, we had found a gift shop in Windsor Canada that had a large selection of Mason's pink vista. And we could order up to $10 worth duty free that would come in as unsolicited gift. And at that time a cup and saucer were $1.25 USD....and a dinner plate was $.90. I filled out my everyday use stuff that way. We were hard on sandwich plates and cereal bowls>

Just looking at my picture from 13 years ago and my cupboard now....and think I have added 2 coupe soup plates>

I have platters in several places....I will have to dig them out and measure and see just what I have

Is anyone collecting Pink Vista? I have a full set to

Hi, not sure where are located, but there are people still collecting it. Best place to sell if you want to do it yourself is Facebook Marketplace.

Can someone please tell me the difference between pink vista and red vista or they one of the same? Thx

Hi Linda, Thanks so much. I've been wondering about that for some time. Mine looks red to me.

Yeah....Pink vista is sort of wine colored. But they call it pink.

Does anyone know what Masons "(No Trim)" Vista Pink means?

Nope....where did you see that?