Plate 1790 - 1850

This plate, of unknown origin, is inscribed with the words “Honour The Humane.” The phrase sits within the context of a broader cultural shift during the Enlightenment and the rise of humanitarianism. Around the 18th and 19th centuries, societies dedicated to the rescue of drowning victims gained prominence in both Europe and America. Consider the Royal Humane Society founded in England in 1774. This plate may then commemorate an act of heroism, or more broadly reflect the values of the emerging middle class. The plate then suggests something of how new sensibilities entered into everyday life. Historical societies are a vital resource when it comes to understanding the values and priorities of the past. By looking at the material culture of a given historical moment, we can get a sense of what people valued and how they saw the world.