Step back into a world of questionable remedies, eternal coffee breaks and holidays from which you might never return...
I've always loved the elaborate typography, ornate illustrations and wonderfully dramatic advertising of the Victorian era. There was something rather magnificent about the way even the most ordinary businesses presented themselves, with grand lettering, decorative flourishes and promises that occasionally sounded far too good to be true.
So, naturally, I decided to give the idea a slightly darker twist.
My latest collection of Victorian-inspired Gothic mugs features six entirely fictional businesses, each with its own vintage-style advertising design, a distinctly macabre personality and a healthy dose of dark humour.
Think Victorian shop signs and antique advertisements, but from a world where the supernatural is perfectly normal and nobody seems particularly concerned about the mortality rate.
Each design takes inspiration from the elaborate commercial artwork of the 19th century, combining vintage aesthetics with Gothic themes and tongue-in-cheek humour.
Rather than simply reproducing historical advertisements, I've imagined the sorts of businesses that might have existed in a rather more sinister version of Victorian Britain.
And what better place to display these peculiar establishments than on your morning coffee mug?
For those who prefer their remedies with a little mystery.
Every respectable Victorian town needed an apothecary, although I'm not entirely convinced you'd want to know what goes into the preparations at this particular establishment.
The Black Cat Apothecary brings together the atmosphere of an old-fashioned chemist's shop with a distinctly witchy twist. Perfect for lovers of potions, peculiar remedies, black cats and all things occult.
A civilised cup of tea, with just a hint of the supernatural.
Even the dearly departed deserve a decent afternoon tea.
The Black Veil Tea Rooms imagines a Victorian establishment where Gothic elegance meets the traditional British obsession with tea. A suitably atmospheric design for anyone who appreciates dark aesthetics but still insists on a proper brew.
Because being mysterious is all very well, but there's no excuse for serving a bad cuppa.
For those who intend to keep drinking coffee long after they've shuffled off this mortal coil.
Some people can't function without their morning coffee. Others apparently can't stop drinking it even after death.
The Eternal Grind Coffee Co. takes the familiar Victorian coffee merchant advertisement and gives it a rather morbid makeover.
An ideal mug for caffeine addicts, night owls and anyone whose personality doesn't fully emerge until their third cup.
Check in, make yourself comfortable... and don't worry too much about checking out.
Every grand Victorian destination needed a respectable hotel. Whether this particular establishment is quite as respectable as it claims is another matter entirely.
The Last Resort Hotel is my take on a vintage hotel advertisement with a decidedly ominous undertone.
A little Gothic, a little theatrical and just the thing for someone who enjoys their humour as dark as their surroundings.
For journeys to places that don't feature in your average holiday brochure.
Forget seaside excursions and pleasant countryside retreats. The Pale Horse Travel Co. caters to a rather more adventurous clientele.
Inspired by the grand advertisements of Victorian travel companies, this fictional enterprise offers the suggestion of journeys beyond the ordinary, perhaps even beyond the living world.
Perfect for Gothic souls with a taste for adventure and a somewhat questionable sense of direction.
Because it's never too early to make arrangements for the inevitable.
The Victorians certainly knew how to take death seriously, with elaborate mourning traditions and a fascination with memorial keepsakes.
The Afterlife Assurance Society takes that historical preoccupation and imagines a rather unusual insurance company, one specialising in matters beyond the grave.
A suitably macabre addition to the collection, particularly for anyone who enjoys vintage ephemera, Victorian Gothic style and a little gallows humour.
Although these designs certainly wouldn't look out of place during Halloween, I wanted to create something that would appeal to lovers of Gothic art and alternative culture all year round.
They're intended for people who appreciate the darker side of history, vintage advertising, Victorian curiosities and humour that might raise a few eyebrows at the office.
Whether you're shopping for a goth friend, a lover of witchcraft and the occult, a Victorian history enthusiast or simply someone with a gloriously morbid sense of humour, there's hopefully something in this collection to make you smile.
And unlike the fictional establishments they advertise, the mugs themselves are very real!
All six designs are my own creations, inspired by the visual character of Victorian advertising and reimagined with a Gothic twist.
They're available as printed ceramic mugs, combining decorative vintage-style artwork with something practical enough to use every day.
You can choose the business that best suits your personality, give one as an unusual gift, or collect several to create your very own assortment of questionable Victorian enterprises.
Explore the individual designs above and find your favourite.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend booking a room at The Last Resort Hotel, but you're probably quite safe drinking your tea from the mug.
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