An image of Niagara Falls, one of the most powerful icons of the American landscape, embellishes this platter. English blue and white transfer wares with American views — both rural and urban — found ready buyers in the United States during the mid- and late 19th century. The transfer process, invented by British potters, starts with an image engraved on a copper plate. The image is printed onto tissue paper, which is then pressed onto the ceramic surface while the ink is still wet. When the ceramic is fired, the image is fixed. Replacing laborious hand painting, the transfer process allowed Britain to export vast quantities of decorated ceramics to the United States. These pieces were prized by antiquarians during the early 20th century.