A special piece of New Orleans history. The St. Charles was completed ca. 1837. When completed, it opened its doors as the Exchange Hotel and here we have a piece of chinaware illustrating the St. Charles, but bearing the name, Exchange Hotel.  That it bears the name Exchange Hotel strongly suggests (almost guarantees) that it was produced at about the same time as the hotel first opened for business.  The maker, Davenport shown in photo 3, was a well-known British maker of such chinaware in the 1830s. The importers, Henderson & Gaines, were in the importing business in New Orleans in the 1830s. The plate is approximately 9 1/2 inches in diameter.