Inspired by classic Western poster graphics, this mug shows a lone cowboy riding through a desert scene, framed in a tombstone shape. He’s carrying a gun and looks like someone best avoided. Cactus silhouettes, warm colours and simple shapes give it that familiar frontier look. “Swansea, Arizona” might seem out of place, but it’s a real location. The town began in the early 1900s during the copper mining boom and is now a ghost town. Its name comes from a link to Wales. Copper ore from the area was once sent to Swansea - then known as “Copperopolis” - for smelting. When processing moved closer to the source, the town took on the Swansea name. Like many mining settlements, it declined quickly, and by the 1930s it was abandoned.
