See “Our Walls” A.E. Mitchell’s philosophy about his plaques and their message at the bottom of this page. Search for the name of a plaque at the search window below.

Plaques by A.E. Mitchell

Andrew Mitchell was a master with clay and precise lettering, a talent combination that made for exquisite plaque designs. Originally, he called these “mottos” as that was the term used when he was growing up in Elora, Canada. When his father passed away, he drew motto designs for embroidery that he sold door-to-door with his mother Martha Mitchell. His first plaques, carved in clay, were most likely done around the turn of the century in Colorado.

This gallery below is a comprehensive record of his plaque work but there are many more in different languages that we have not seen in person. If you have a plaque that you don’t see here, please send an image. At the end of this gallery is a section featuring his plaque brochures that show plaques we do not have individual photos of.

Plaques are still made today from Andrew’s molds and you may order at this link: http://www.mitchellart.org/

To access the educational art studies about plaques go to Content for Students (Click on images in the gallery and they will enlarge or link elsewhere.)

"A More Excellent Way", I Corinthians 13 from 1925 - The only photo we have of a plaque at the clay stage. The flowers he placed in the photo around the plaque are clay. He painted the lettering on the photo or negative with white paint so the plaque is readable.

"A More Excellent Way" I Corinthians 13 - from 1925 This is the finished plaque in brown.

Small "Forever O Lord" plaque of the Biola and Church of the Open Door building downtown Los Angeles. This plaque was sold in the Biola bookstore as early as the teens.

"For ever O Lord" - A plaque Andrew did for Biola. This is Biola's motto, and the Biola building is at the bottom. This plaque is in the Biola library archives.

Detail of the old downtown Church of the Open Door/Biola building from the plaque.

"Forever O Lord" plaque with a Bible replacing the Biola building

"And we know that all things work together..."

"Bless" - Andrew and Jennie made plaster versions and handed them out when they were witnessing door-to-door on the mission field. See the brochure about "Bless" in Ephemera.

The bless plaque rubber mold for plaster plaques

"But the Word of our God shall stand forever"

"Delight thyself in the Lord..." - brown

"Delight thyself in the Lord..." A B&W photo taken by Andrew's son Bryant. All of the B&W photos in this gallery were taken by him.

Another version of "Delight thyself in the Lord..." - bas relief style

"Delight thyself in the Lord..." - raised lettering

An interesting close-up showing Andrew's raised lettering and bas relief carved lettering

"The steps of a good man are ordered..."

Detail of "The steps of a good man are ordered..."

"Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord"

"Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory" in plaster - A gift from the Mitchells to the Warner family, Eugene, OR, 1962

"Jesus Never Fails" plaque article, Foursquare newspaper, 1920s

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day and forever"

"Looking for the Blessed Hope..." - brown

"Looking for that Blessed Hope..." - blue

Great-Granddaughter Lori Warner holding a favorite plaque in the late 1960s.

"Me Worry?" - This design has been called the precursor to the "Mad" magazine character and was most likely created around the turn of the century in Colorado. There are carvings of boys enjoying the outdoors around the bottom, and at the time Andrew was teaching at the YMCA in Denver and counseling at the YMCA camp.

Detail of the boy's face on the "Me Worry?" plaque

"Looking Unto Jesus" - a unique "shield" style plaque

"O magnify the Lord..." - brown
This is the Mitchell family motto — "O magnify the Lord..." - brown This is the Mitchell family motto

"O magnify the Lord..." - blue
This is the Mitchell family motto — "O magnify the Lord..." - blue This is the Mitchell family motto

"Others" plaque in blue - The cobblestone pattern was common to see in the background of the plaques but the lettering on this one is very unique and rare. It looks like little branches.

A details look at Andrew's raised lettering

"Praise Ye The Lord" and "Kept by the Power of God"

"Put on the whole Armour of God" This soldier image was used in many Biola University publications starting in the teens.

"If my fireplace pleaseth thee..." later version

The Church in Thy House plaque created for Go-Ye Fellowship members. Tracts were created often so people could switch out the tract and display a new look in the church.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace..."

The Victory Vase plaque - see the wording at the Victory Vase link.

"The Quartet" - A.E. Mitchell may have created the wording on the strip below the quartet only, but we do have the mold for the entire piece so it is a bit of a mystery. See the Research section.

"Its the Songs you Sing and the Smiles you Wear..."

"Its the Songs you Sing and the Smiles you Wear..." - smaller

Globe and Bible bookends - A very rare and unique 3-D "plaque"

Inside of the globe bookends is a view of Heaven. The inside reads "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. " copyright 1939

Globe bookends together different look.jpg

"I will never leave thee..." in unpainted plater

Kaare Wilhelmsen, Andrew's son-in-law, working in the plaque workshop

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

"Kept by the Power of God" - another variation of this plaque. Shield shape.

Andrew Mitchell and son-in-law Kaare Wilhelmsen with the Sequoia plaque in 1948

Jennie Mitchell's sister Nellie with her granddaughter Kathy Jensen, and assistant Ralph Leonard looking at some plaques in the plaque workshop at the Mitchell compound in Los Angeles in the 1950s.

Unknown newspaper story about Andrew and his plaque designs

"Earth has no sorrow..." This plaque was used for the plaque "God Bless America" as well, written in the scroll area.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"

"All things are yours whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life or death..."

"I wil never leave thee nor forsake thee." brown

"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." - blue

"Looking Unto Jesus", "Be Strong and of Good Courage", and "Till He Come"

"Put on the whole armour..." and "Behold! God Himself is with us..."

"It's the songs you sing and the smiles you wear..." blue with flowers

This is a curious code phrase Andrew put on the back of a plaque. Can you figure it out?

"The elevator to success..." Very rare plaque

Andrew and Jennie featured in the LA Times with his plaques.

Detail of the Earth Hath no Sorry plaque - vertical

Plaque pricing in the Foursquare bookstore - 1928

If my fireplace pleaseth thee plaque older brown.jpg

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace..." - side view

Andrew, Jennie and Jennie's sister Nellie in Brazil with a plaque in the Portuguese language.

"Praise the Lord" and "Love Never Faileth"

"We are unto God a sweet savor..." paint style comparison

Very rare cowboy plaque. "Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." —Proverbs 16:32

Rubber mold for a rare soldier-themed plaque

A.E. Mitchell's grandson David Mitchell holding a plaque. David passed away in 2025.

Andrew, Jennie and Jannie's sister Nellie in Brazil, 1960. The plaque is in Portuguese.

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Plaque Brochures

A.E. Mitchell was talented at promoting his art work and his ministry, and that is not always the case for artists. Aimee Semple McPherson called upon him to create attractive marketing pieces for Angelus Temple and LIFE Bible College in Los Angeles, and his promotional materials for his art and for Go-Ye Fellowship were very well-done. We have created an ephemera section on this website for promotional materials, letterhead, etc., but below you will see his materials advertising his plaques.

Plaque Directions and Ministry Story Brochure page 2 outside.jpg

Plaque Ministry Story Brochure page 1 inside.jpg

Our Walls

by A.E. Mitchelll

Have you ever thought of how much we are impressed by what hangs upon our walls? And have you noticed how they are changing?

The picture molding is no more and the door-post is fast passing. Cheap bric-a-brac is filling the corners and prints in tinseled frames have taken the place of paintings.

Modern architecture will soon have us in guilded caves for we are in the grip of a machine age. Let us make a plea for the word of God. Let us insist upon a place for scripture: where we and our neighbor can see it, as we pass in and out.

It was no idle exhortation that God gave Moses to place His Word upon our gates and door-posts and thus have the days of heaven upon earth. Indeed if we were to hang it up in front of the steering wheel we might live longer. We are but pilgrims, traveling through. We are left here for the express purpose of being impressed by the Word of Our Creator and Redeemer. David, understanding the Divine desire said,

“My heart standeth in awe of thy word: yea I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil.”

As we allow them their place on our walls; let them be dignified, readable and in good taste.

Could we suggest:

First - Deliberately making room for scripture in every room—even in the kitchen; we need it there especially.

Second - By inviting the neighbors and strangers to share our home —allowing him to see the Gospel in both English and foreign words upon our walls. This allows the Spirit of God something to work with.

Third - And best of all, at every opportunity, deliberately take it down from your wall and give it to the neighbor and stranger, even as you would share your table with him. Replace it at once with another. You will find that the act will develop your love for the stranger and the new motto will refresh your own soul. As you practice this you may take the last step which is to induce him to do the same with the motto he receives from you.

This will make of your home a fountain of living waters with the Word of God flowing to the ends of the earth. Try it. Our missionaries do this. Are we ashamed to? Let us never sell our walls; they are too valuable for the business of the Kingdom.

- A.E. Mitchell

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