A large Antique Staffordshire Blue Willow Water Pitcher / Cider Jug made in England for retail at L. Straus & Sons New York late 19th, early 20th century. Measures 8.25x5.75x9. The Straus family originated in Otterberg, Bavaria, from which Lazarus Straus, the patriarch, immigrated to the United States in 1852. He settled at Talbotton, Georgia, where he was joined by his wife and three sons. During the American Civil War the family aided the Confederacy, but, following its defeat, they resettled in New York City. There they established the merchandising firm L. Straus and Sons. In 1888 Isidor and Nathan acquired a percentage of R.H. Macy and Company, and by 1896 they had gained full ownership of the department store. Isidor served for a short time in the U.S. House of Representatives (1894-95) and in later years engaged in philanthropic works. He and his wife, Ida, perished aboard the ocean liner Titanic in 1912. Although offered a seat in a lifeboat, Isidor refused to disobey the order of women and children first. Ida, in turn, would not leave her husband, reportedly saying, Where you go, I go. Their son Jesse Isidor Straus became president of Macys in 1919 and was succeeded in that office by his son Jack Isidor Straus, who served as company president from 1939 to 1956. PROVENANCE: The Estate of a Litchfield Connecticut Antique & Art Dealer. Wt 3 pds

very good, small firing lines near handle amd on inside of handle.