19th Century Terracotta Drain Tile and Flower Pots from Gore Place in Waltham, Mass

The discussion of the drain tile machine made by the utilitarian redware potter, Alvin Wilcox in 1850 in West Bloomfield, New York (December 30th Report) made me think of another possible redware drain tile - which I recently saw at the University of Massachusetts (Boston) Archaeology Department. It was apart of the archaeology conducted at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts. The tile was thickly made and it really resembled the stoneware drain pipes of the twentieth century - that many people have probably seen shards from on the shores of local rivers or beaches all over America. This example appears to have been fully intact or it was neatly cut at one time. The cut may have been made by a similar machine like Alvin Wilcox owned (see photo below). The tile measures about a foot and a half in length. The reason for its thick walls is the obvious - it was intended to last a number of years exposed to the dramatic weather of New England.

 Redware Drain Tile Found at Gore Place in Waltham, Ma

Probably a 19th Century Massachusetts Potter 

Ca. 1806-1840s

Photo Courtesy: UMass Boston Archaeology Department

 

 Interior of Drain Pipe

Photo Courtesy: UMass Boston Archaeology Department

Gore Place was built for the Massachusetts Governor, Christopher Gore in 1806. Governor Gore served one term in office from 1809-1810. The mansion served as a summer home for the prominent businessman, lawyer and politician. Gore was Harvard educated and he also served as a state senator. Gore has been described as a gentleman farmer in Waltham - where he grew his own produce and sold it locally at the market in Faneuil Hall.

A large concentration of early American terracotta flower pots were found with the drain tile in Waltham. The drain pipe was probably a part of a great greenhouse system on the property that was kept full of potted flowers. The pots may have even been used for produce. I imagine it was a colorful array of flowers that were catered to the Governor's seasonal tastes.

A green house was built with the Gore Mansion in 1806. The archaeology conducted mostly showed a context between 1806 to the 1840s. Most of the flower pots appeared to be from the same manufacturer. I have always speculated that the flower pots found at Gore Place were produced at the Hews Pottery in Weston, Massachusetts since both communities bordered each other. There were also not a lot of potters who worked west of Boston in the early nineteenth century. By the 1800s, many communities tried to become self sufficient with their basic utilitarian needs. The Hews Pottery is an example of a potter who probably served many of the local needs west of Boston.

Abraham Hews founded the earthenware business in the eighteenth century. It's success continued into the Industrial Revolution when the company changed its business model and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. (I have written a few reports about Hews Pottery. You can use the search box on this website to find those write ups.) Hews Pottery probably supplied much of the Metro West area of Boston with earthenware and terracotta products in the late eighteenth and early-to-mid-nineteenth century. The flower pots found in Waltham were heavily incised with wavy and straight line decoration. The technique was comparable to the styles used in early Essex County, Massachusetts, but the lines drawn on the Waltham pots seemed to show a more smooth and gentle application than the boldly applied forms in Essex County. It is my belief that these incised lines were applied at the Hews Pottery. I have never before regarded Hews Pottery as having used this type of decoration.

 Terracotta Flower Pot Uncovered at Gore Place in Waltham, Ma

Possibly a Product of Hews Pottery in Weston, Ma

Late 18th or Early 19th Century

Photo Courtesy: UMass Boston Archaeology Department

 

Wonderful Wavy and Straight Line Decoration

Photo Courtesy: UMass Boston Archaeology Department

I think it would make the most sense to say Hews Pottery made this drain pipe, especially since the business is documented as having been a manufacturer of terracotta products during the period. There's a chance it was made by another business, but I think the local supplier makes the most sense. The drain tile likely dates around the same period of when Alvin Wilcox altered his business in Western New York to focus towards these kinds of products, but it may be a little earlier. This kind of product probably indicates an industry wide transformation seen by a number of potters throughout America. In many instances, potters were not able to alter their products lines; instead, newer more efficient and durable products phased out the need of the country potter.

Alvin Wilcox Drain Tile Machine

Made Ca. 1850

Used at the New York State Fair in Rochester in 1851

Photo Courtesy: The Redware Pottery Factory of Alvin Wilcox at Mid-19th Century

(Barber & Hamell)

I am not exactly sure how the drain tile from Gore Place was manufactured, but it was likely a similar process as Wilcox used in New York. It really shows how the country style potter changed their product line from hand turned and thinly potted flower pots and earthenware - to an extended transition of manufacturing their products by a machine and molded wares.

This is how the country potter was welcomed to the Industrial Revolution - unfortunately, many were not able to adapt - especially those who were located near major urban industries. It's really a state-by-state analysis as some areas were effected more than others.

Much More to Come...

The Circa 1825 to Early-1860s Alvin Wilcox Pottery in Western New York

Alvin Wilcox (1801-1862) is one of the many red earthenware potters who were employed in Western New York in the 1800s; although, his name is also one of the more famous from the area today. Wilcox is thought to have established his business in West Bloomfield, New York about 1825, and operated continuously until around the time of his death in 1862.

The site of the Wilcox Pottery was excavated in the 1970s by archaeologists from the Rochester Museum and Science Center, where they unearthed a wide variety of artifacts ranging from sherds, kiln furniture and wasters. According to the archaeology report, many of the artifacts recovered dated from the mid-nineteenth century period. The glazes from this pottery were often spectacular with a combination of vibrant colors; in fact, some of the bright glaze colors can resemble wares made in places like northern New England, but there were also subtle colors produced like brown.

Prior to 1850, Alvin Wilcox is believed to have made bowls, crocks, storage jars, milk pans, beakers, drain tile, jugs, flasks, porringers, roofing tile, lidded storage jars, flowerpots, flowerpot trays, candlesticks, candle molds, cake molds, and just about anything else that was a necessity for the households in upstate Western New York.

But based on advertising, it appears Wilcox's business model may have altered, as early as the late-1840s and early 1850s to the manufacture of drain pipe, candle molds and other molded wares. The earliest information that I have been able to gather about this type of production is found in an advertisement from November 1, 1849, which I think may be the earliest ad known from Wilcox. According to the advertisement, The subscriber is prepared to furnish horse-shoe Drain Tile of superior make and material. Also, Drain Pipe and Candle Moulds. The tiles are warranted not to slack for one year, which will test their durability. Price of horse-shoe Tile. $15 per thousand, or two shillings per rod. Flats $7.50 per thousand or one shilling per rod. All orders will receive prompt attention. Addres or apply to: Alvin Wilcox, West Bloomfield, New York."

Advertisement from Alvin Wilcox from West Bloomfield, NY

Advertising Tiles and Candle Molds

Dated November 1, 1849

See Article for More Information

Interestingly, the known Wilcox candle molds were manufactured with a pine frame; I have not seen anything else that compares so I believe this combination of production may be unique to Western New York. I have also tried to research where the pine frames were made, but I have been unsuccessful in determining if they were made at the pottery or by an outside source. The most prolific of these molds were marked by Wilcox, "A. WILCOX." Although, he is also known to have applied other stamps at the pottery, revealing partnerships within the business, as well as his place of operation, "A. WILCOX / West Bloomfield."

Marked Jar from the Alvin Wilcox Pottery in West Bloomfield, NY

 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Made at the Alvin Wilcox Pottery in West Bloomfield, NY

Marked "A. WILCOX / West Bloomfield"

Circa 1825 to Early-1860s

Stands 9 1/2" Tall

See Article for More Information

View of the Mark "A. WILCOX / West Bloomfield"

See Article for More Information

According to the archaeology report, The Redware Pottery Factory of Alvin Wilcox at Mid-19th Century, written by archaeologists, Daniel M. Barber and George R. Hamell - Wilcox was perhaps more than just a country potter. "The last twelve years of Alvin Wilcox's life have been fairly well documented. There not only exists the usual census, probate records, etc., but well over thirty letters which were published in Moore's Rural New Yorker in the 1850s. From these letters Alvin Wilcox emerges not as a simple, country potter, but as an intelligent farmer, businessman and a keen observer of nature."

Likewise, According to a report written in 1980 by George R. Hamell for Northeast Historical Archaeology, 'Earthenware and Salt-Glazed Stonewares of the Rochester-Genesee-Valley Region: An Overview, "The 1862 probate inventory of Alvin Wilcox's (d. 1862) estate in Ontario County, New York offers the most complete contemporary description of some of the equipment used in a local red earthenware pottery, as well as its relative values and that of some of the wares produced. 

This inventory included: 1 peddler's wagon, $20.00; 1 lot of shop boards (drying boards), $5.00; 1 tile machine with fixtures, $8.00, 1 lot of round 10-inch tiles, $2.00; 20 sets of candle molds (clay tubes, their interiors glazed, set into a wooden frame), $10.00; 1 lot of candle molds (individual clay tubes), $2.00; 1 peddler's box, $1.50; 1 clay mill (pug mill), $10.00, 1 tile press, $2.00; 1 glazing mill, $1.00; 2 clay turning lathes (potter's wheels), $4.00; 2 kilns for burning tile and red earthenware, $40.00; and 1 drying frame, $3.00."

Tile and Candle Mold Production

Sketch of a Drain Tile Machine

Exhibited by Alvin Wilcox at the New York State Fair in Rochester in 1851

See Article for More Information

19th Century Red Earthenware Candle Mold Manufactured with a Pine Frame
One of the Tubes is Marked "A. WILCOX"
These Molds were Produced in a Variety of Sizes
Circa Late-1840s to Early-1860s
See Article For More Information

View of the Mark
See Article For More Information

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Rare 19th Century Goshen, Connecticut Slip Decorated Dish

A well-known resource, who is full of knowledge in respect to early American redware - recently questioned an attribution I gave to a slip decorated redware deep dish. I said it was made by Hervey Brooks in Goshen, Connecticut  between 1820 and 1840. The questionable attribution developed from the manner in which the slip decoration was applied. After it was pointed out to me - I agreed. The potter's hand appeared too neat and steady when compared to redware shards excavated at the site of Hervey Brooks' pottery.

Everything about the dish in the photo below is correct for what is expected of Hervey Brooks - except the manner in which the slip was applied. Look closely at all the yellow slip decoration and see if you can notice what I am referring to.

 Hervey Brooks Redware Dish - Goshen, Ct

Ca. 1820-1840

Redware Shards Excavated at Hervey Brooks' Pottery in Goshen, Ct

Photo Courtesy: Unearthing New England's Past: The Ceramic Evidence - Page 60

The manner in which the inner and outer slip decoration has been applied is correct for what is expected of Brooks. The form is basically right on. It's the inner decoration that is too neatly done. This is what has always made me question the maker of this pan. Everything about it says Brooks except for that inner decoration. The pan is definitely early nineteenth century and Connecticut made. Its form matches known examples in private collections and museums attributed to Brooks. The case could be made for another potter, but the colors do not match up to any other potter working in Connecticut or New England. The potter, Nathaniel Seymour made a similar styled pan in Hartford, Connecticut, but the color of his slip was not as bright and he typically used a darker background color. I have always accepted the dish as possibly being a controversial piece of Connecticut redware that was open to debate…until recently.

Notice the Neatness of the Center Slip Decoration as Opposed to the Outer 2 Lines

It Appears Like Two Separate Potter's Hands Applied the Decoration

I was doing some research for my book a few days ago when I came across an unexpected name with an even more shocking place in which the potter traveled to. I was looking at all the seventeenth and eighteenth century Essex County potters and a name jumped out at me. The Kettel family of Charlestown and Salem/South Danvers, Massachusetts was synonymous with skilled slip decoration of the late seventeenth and eighteenth century. All the slip decorated shards I found on the shores of Danversport, Massachusetts are believed to be from this family. 

Danversport Report 1

Danversport Report 2

According to records, a well-known descendent of this family, Jonathan Kettel (b. 1758) moved from South Danvers to Goshen Connecticut in the latter years of the eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Previously, he worked in Essex County, where many of his wares demonstrated the use of yellow slip. Jonathan Kettel likely moved to work with Hervey Brooks who already had an established business in Goshen. It is my guess that the use of slip decoration faded away in New England by the turn of the nineteenth century in everywhere but Connecticut. Kettel may have moved there because of his skill with slip and it was the only state in New England that was still actively using the decorative technique. He was a potter, who had a skill and he traveled to where that skill was in demand for work. That is my understanding of why he may have left the flourishing Essex County industry for Connecticut.

It is my strong belief that the inner decoration on the bowl above is from the hand of Jonathan Kettel, who likely possessed a much more skilled hand at applying more complicated slip decorations than Brooks was able to accomplish on his own. But, the two squiggly lines that are not neatly applied, were probably done by Brooks' hand. The form was also probably made by Brooks. That is absolutely amazing to me to be able to imagine the idea of two highly important potters seen on one dish. I also do not know of any examples beyond possibly this dish that have been properly attributed to Jonathan Kettel.

Equally as interestingly, records reveal that Jonathan Kettel died in Newburyport in 1849. It is also my belief that Kettel went to Newburyport in an attempt to revive the Newburyport industry that ended when the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company ceased operation in 1799. There are no known nineteenth century potters who worked in Newburyport, despite upwards of a dozen or so potters who worked in the maritime city in the eighteenth century. I feel it is a safe bet that Kettel may have been employed in Newburyport as a potter sometime between his work in Goshen and his death in 1849. I think that could be very important information if proven true considering this may be new information…at the least, it is to me. Kettel being in Newburyport could also only be a coincidence, but that seems unlikely. I wonder what his output in Newburyport may have looked like. Could he have used slip decoration?

Much More to Come…Including my latest article in the New England Antiques Journal, which should be on newsstands in the coming days. It's a story of my favorite potter, Charles Solares turned Charles Lawrence and his fascinating story in Beverly, Massachusetts. In the report you'll learn how Boston truly got the nickname, BeanTown. Please stay tuned for more!

A Wonderful Grouping of Early 18th Century Stoneware from Charlestown and Boston, Massachusetts

The focus of this website has been red earthenware or redware for sometime now. I do enjoy stoneware, but New England is really redware country. There were very few stoneware makers up this way when compared to the huge number of redware potters. Maine and New Hampshire both saw small industries - so didn't parts of coastal and western Massachusetts. Connecticut and Vermont both had strong stoneware industries, but overall - New England was much-more a supplier of redware than it was stoneware.

I was doing some research today at an archaeology lab and it dawned on me - that I should show some interesting eighteenth century stoneware shards from a couple of my favorite archaeological districts - Faneuil Hall in Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts. The majority of the property we see today as Faneuil Hall is actually very-early filled in land. It's really one big trash fill. When early Americans ran out of land on coastal settlements the only option for additional land was to build out. They did this by carefully adding landfills all over Boston in order to create the city that exists today.

Trash deposits used as land fill were common in nearly all major coastal American cities - and believe me when I say yesterday's trash is nothing like today's. What the colonists may have perceived as trash is regarded by many today as museum quality survivors. I think Faneuil Hall is potentially one of the most important archaeological sites left in America. Very little of it has been touched. There is still an enormous amount of information left in the ground. Next time you're in the area, think about what you are walking on. The area used to be America's most important port before New York City and Philadelphia caught up to it as the American Revolution approached. Faneuil Hall is a protected area - and by no means should anyone undertake an archaeological survey on their own. I am merely suggesting that you think of the history you are walking across next time you are in that part of Boston.

I discovered this six gallon stoneware butter churn at a Maine flea market this summer. The man sold it to me for $35, but he made me promise that it was going to a good home. I promised to him it was. He told me the stoneware church was found in a barn in central Maine. The decoration on it reminded me of the hand John Burger used in nineteenth century western New York. A nationally recognized stoneware expert agreed with me that the flower decoration did appear like Burger's work, but it was instead a midwestern potter. Regardless of the maker, I was very pleased to own such a nice example with what appears to be the original lid and wooden butter churn. Stoneware lids of this nature rarely survived. They were dropped and easily broken. It's the same with redware lids - they dropped once and that was the end of them.

Six Gallon Midwestern United States Stoneware Butter Church

Very Nice Applied Flower Decoration

Mid 19th Century

The Number 6 Stands for the Six Gallons It Holds

The number 6 used to identify the number of gallons the churn holds reminds me of similar numbers used by the German potters in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Similar numbered shards can be seen in the Faneuil Hall archaeological district in Boston - and the Charlestown, Massachusetts archaeological region.

 Variety of English and German Stoneware from Faneuil Hall Archaeological District - Boston

All Early 18th Century

Notice the Number 2

 German Stoneware Jug from Charlestown, Ma Archaeological District

Early to Mid 18th Century

Notice the Number 3

Wonderful Decoration

Too Bad It's Broken!

Found at the City Square Archaeological District in Charlestown, Ma

Handle from Stoneware Tankard that at One Time Had a Pewter Lid - Notice the Hole on the Handle

Found at the Faneuil Hall Archaeological District in Boston

Early 18th Century

This following group of stoneware photos has stumped me on potential makers. A few of the shards are from potentially eighteenth century domestic potters. Can you guess which ones!?

 Stoneware Tankard Found in Charlestown, Ma Archeological District

Early to Mid 18th Century Context

 Bottom of Tankard

Found at the City Square Archaeological District in Charlestown, Ma

 Stoneware Shard Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District - Boston

Context Had a Mean Date (Average) of 1723

Bottom of Shard

Top of Shard

Probably from a Tankard

 Unusual Salt Glazed Stoneware Handle with an Impressed K

Found in Faneuil Hall Archaeological District - Boston

Context Had a Mean Date (Average) of 1727

Another Angle of the Handle

Very Nice Blue and Green Glaze

 Odd Stoneware Shard Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District - Boston

Exterior of Shard

Context Had a Mean Date (Average) of 1726

Interior of Shard
Appears German, but that Doesn't Necessarily Mean it is

Any thoughts? Do any of these shards appear domestic to you? They are all extremely early and no matter  the origin, each pretty much matches up with the earliest stoneware potters working in New York City, Philadelphia and Virginia.

Here is a report to a rare New England redware butter churn discovered sometime ago. Its use and purpose is no different than the stoneware churn shown above. The only difference is the type of clay used and how the potter fired it in their kiln.

Much More to Come...

A Monumental Redware Pitcher of Essex County Massachusetts: Part 2

Report 1

In continuation of the discussion towards the monumental eighteenth century redware jar of recent analysis; there are many similarities that link it to the industry which took place in Essex County Massachusetts between 1750 and the start of the American Revolution. The lip on the jar is almost unmistakable for the styles applied to the tops of pitchers by a number of businesses that worked in the area between 1790-1820 - as seen in the photo below.  This style has also supposedly been attributed to southeastern Massachusetts (1790-1820), but it was most prominent in the South Danvers area (today known as Peabody, Massachusetts).

Four separate Essex County businesses are represented below. Each shares similarities through form, glaze and incised decoration. All have a very similar lip and pouring spout, but each possesses a unique handle when compared to the rest. The incised decoration seen on three of the pitchers has been applied in very similar areas, which happen to be on the upper part of the body - and equally centered towards the middle of the handle.

Essex County Massachusetts Redware Pitchers

Circa 1770-1820

All Share A Similar Neck or Lip and Pouring Spout

All Four Handles Are Different


Incised Lines Seen on 18th Century Redware Pitcher
Similar Lines Seen on Three of the Pitchers

I personally do not feel any of these four pitchers shown above were made by the same potter. I believe they are the product of four separate potters.

The yellow slip decorated monumental pitcher measures 13 and a half inches tall. Its style matches exactly to shards seen at the Narbonne House in Salem, Massachusetts. The archaeological report describe those shards as, "red-blown glaze interior and  exterior with splattered slip decoration." The shards discussed in the report were found in a pre-Revolution context and were the remains of a chamber pot. Similar chamber pot remains seen in the same context were comparable to forms made in Charlestown, Massachusetts and at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The splash decorated redware chamber pot shard matches the monumental redware pitcher exactly. It is very interesting to see these shards in Salem. This is not a known style by the potters who worked to the north and south of the coastal city - where a large collection of shards have been studied.

Photo of Chamber Pot Remains from the Narbonne House in Salem, Ma

Chamber Pot's Technique to the Left is Exact to the Technique Seen on the Pitcher

(Not to be Reused Without Permission from NPS and EarlyAmericanCeramics.com)

It should also be noted the black manganese decoration on the smaller pitchers seen to the left and in front of the monumental pitcher have a similar thick manganese decoration like the spattered yellow slip decoration. Neither of these styles are commonly seen anywhere in Massachusetts, but it is very interesting to see both applied by potters who were possibly relatively close to each other in Essex County. Very few examples with this type of decoration are thought to have survived today.

Thickly Applied Manganese Decoration

Similar Technique to the Thickly Applied Slip Decoration

Lura Woodside Watkins makes mention of more than 20 potters who were employed in South Danvers, Salem and Lynnfield, Massachusetts - who were born before 1750. A handful more were born between 1750-1755, which would place them at an age where an apprenticeship was possible. The Osborn family in South Danvers was responsible for six of the twenty potters. The Southwick, Stone, Whittemore and Wilson names were all prominent in South Danvers before 1750. It's possible the pitcher was made by any of these families which very little is known of their work today.

A Salem potter could have been responsible, too - considering the Symonds family was very active in the area before 1775. A Beverly potter is also possible. It is my belief that the jar may have been made in Salem. My idea for a possible Salem attribution comes from the idea that the Salem potters were just to the west of the Narbonne House. South Danvers was even further west. It would make sense that more of Salem's potters wares made it into Salem rather than those made in nearby communities who did not ship by way of the Atlantic Ocean. This all changed after the American Revolution. The Charlestown and Newburyport examples were probably unloaded on Salem's docks, which the Narbonne House was directly in front of. The jar is also living proof that slip decoration was used in Essex County in the eighteenth century before its popularity faded in the nineteenth century, like it did in most New England states. There have been conflicting reports over the past hundred years as to whether slip decoration was applied in Essex County.

There will be much more to come including a harvest jug I would like to revisit since I have recently learned the use of kaolin clay was regularly used by John Tabor in nineteenth century South Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. It was also used by other potters in New Hampshire and Maine in the nineteenth century. There were also potters in Canada who imitated known English, German and French forms. These styles sometimes trickled down with the potters of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. The harvest jug imitates a French style, but there are similar forms known to imitate Canadian and continental European potters, which ended up as the output of other northerly American potters.

19th Century Redware Pitcher or Field Jug

Country of Origin: Presently Not Known

Height: 15 Inches

Base: 7 Inches Diameter

Opening at Top: 5 Inches in Diameter

Handle: 5 Inches Wide

Support Handle: 2.5 Inches Wide
Spout: 2.5 Inches Long

Weight: 7.2 Pounds

Please Stay Tuned...

Late 19th Century Terracotta Strawberry Pots of the Northeast

Long Island was a major supplier of bricks, clay, earthenware and stoneware in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The locals clays were reportedly as good as any clays dug in the Old World. Terracotta products became popular in the latter years of the nineteenth century.

The manufacture of terracotta flower pots on Long Island is described in the 1915 Journal, Documents of the Senate of New York, Volume 15. 

"There is a deposit of mottled blue clay on Long Island between Southold and Greenport, which is used for manufacturing flower pots at the latter place. The clay at Oakland Valley of O.B. Wheeler has also been used for this purpose."

I was recently surprised to see a terracotta strawberry pot in a prominent New York collection - which was likely made on Long Island in the nineteenth century. Its form and feel appeared about right for a nineteenth century product - and it was found on Long Island, which helps support a possible attribution. I had never before really considered the idea of terracotta strawberry pots as a part of the potter's output in New York and New England. I have always regarded redware bulb planters and strawberry pots as a popular form made in the mid-Atlantic states, and further south - neither, were products commonly associated with the early potters of the northeast. It is also likely that most of these outdoor-type products were easily broken after only a few seasons of use.

The book, Useful Art: Long Island Pottery mentions a short-lived potter who worked on Long Island in the fourth quarter of the nineteenth century, where terracotta products were manufactured. This potter may have been responsible for the strawberry pot mentioned above.

"In 1888 Austin E. Hempstead opened his pottery on Parsons Avenue at the corner of Queens Avenue in Flushing to produce earthenware flower pots, drain pipes and similar vessels such as a chicken feeder. Hempstead's firm was short lived, closing only two years after it opened." The Hempstead family name is synonymous with Long Island stoneware and redware. Austin E. Hempstead previously manufactured similar glazed and unglazed wares in the Greenport area of Long Island.

The Long Island strawberry pot reminded me of a similar formed strawberry pot I purchased from a Massachusetts antiques dealer this summer. This particular dealer cleans out homes on Boston's North Shore and in parts of New Hampshire. He had the pot with him at a flea market in August. It had been tossed in with a pile of vintage household wares - that were previously in a storage unit after they were removed from a house. The pot had wavy incised decoration, which was popular in eighteenth century coastal Massachusetts. I am not entirely sure if there is any relationship, but I am hoping future research will prove there is - with it having ties to a nineteenth century potter. Similar incised decorations were also popular in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont in the nineteenth century.

 Mid to Late 19th Century Terracotta Strawberry Pot

Possibly Massachusetts - Definitely American

 Unusual Wavy Line Incised Decoration

 Interior of Well-Used Strawberry Pot

Manufacturing Style of Bottom is Typical for 19th Century Potters

Terracotta strawberry pots were widely popular by the earthenware potters who worked from North Carolina to Georgia, but it is my belief the form was rare in New England. I do not even have a regional attribution for the strawberry pot I found. I would like to imagine it as a Massachusetts product, but I do not have enough evidence yet to say it is anything beyond American-made. 

The pot's form is very similar to the pot found on Long Island. Both have comparable rolled lips, bodies, bases and the manner in which the strawberry pockets are displayed is very similar. The incised decoration is what really sets the two apart. It's a form that was not really attempted by most potters. It's also a form that can be translated into many uses. Its suggested name recommends its intended use, but there is no reason why other types of fruits, vegetables and flowers cannot be grown from its pockets. I can envision tulips sprouting from its holes in the spring. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless.

I am not sure when the strawberry pot first became popular, but I assume the form is early. I place the idea in the same category as earthenware bird bottles made by the Poor Potter, William Rogers in Yorktown, Virigina in the early eighteenth century. Both forms are regularly reproduced today. Each is rather unique to the early utilitarian potter's industry. These were creative ideas thought up by potters, which go far beyond the traditional household wares that are expected.

Earthenware Bird Bottle or Bird House

William Rogers - Yorktown, Va

Ca. 1725-1750

Photo Courtesy: Colonial Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Va

I do not have a lot of proof, but I would suspect variations of the terracotta strawberry pot form have been produced since ancient times. The form could have provided an easier way for people to grow plants in congested urban environments and where sufficient soils may not have been sustainable. Below is an ancient Roman jar that appears similar to some of the redware bulb jars made in Pennsylvania.

Earthenware Jar Found in Roman-England

Dates Back 1,800 Years

Unknown Use, But Similar Idea to Bulb Jar and Strawberry Pots

Photo Courtesy: www.LiveScience.com

All I know for sure, is the strawberry pot's form really became popular in many parts of America in the nineteenth century. It was especially seen in the areas south of New York. The wavy incised lines of the pot I found lead me to believe it may have been a product at a local Essex County business; however, that is not entirely a tell-tale sign of its origin. It is certainly American. Its form appears similar to some products made in the northeast. Beyond that, it is a bit of a mystery. I am hopeful I will have more information to provide at a later time. There will also be more on terracotta products in the future.

Please Stay Tuned for More...

John Alld of 19th Century Biddeford and Hollis, Maine

Alld and Kendrick Report 1
(All Photos Not to be Reused Without Permission from EarlyAmericanCeramics.com)

A small collection of glazed redware shards uncovered at the home of where the nineteenth century Hollis, Maine potter, John Alld used to live - have provided much information into possible production techniques not previously known. There are really only four known publicly documented forms attributed to Alld's workshop. All are pictured in M. Lelyn Branin's book, "The Early Potters and Potteries of Maine." Each descended through families which had ties to Alld. Pictured below are a lidded stew pot, a lidded herb pot, a bottle and a jug. They all have similar glazes. The shards demonstrate Alld's more artistic side, which reveals more vibrant glazes than those that are documented in Branin's book. The glazes in Branin's book show grey and tan glazes that are freckled in brown and green. I am sure there are plenty more styles still in need of discovery. These shards are all shown in the first report - which a link has been provided to above.

 John Alld Redware Herb Pot and Stew Pot

Early 19th Century

 John Alld Redware Bottle and Jug

Early 19th Century

 
There is a fifth example that was found within the walls of the Alld house which should probably be included in this list of documented Alld forms. The form and use is very uncommon for the early potters of New England. It is a form that is more-often seen in Pennsylvania, but by no means is it common today. It happens to be a butter mold that was probably formed in a carved wooden mold. There is a chance it was also taken from a pottery mold. Similar redware molds were used elsewhere in Maine for products of unrelated industries. It can be assumed these types of utilitarian wares made by the southern Maine potters are extremely rare and almost non-existent today. I have only seen a few others. It is anyone's guess as to how many of these were really made.

 Redware Butter Mold

Probably Made by John Alld - Hollis, Maine

Found in a Wall at the Old John Alld House in Hollis, Maine

Back of Mold

A characteristic that really stood out to me with the Alld shards is the fact that most of the shards appear like Alld wiped the raw clay with some type of rag when removing it from the potters wheel. It is clearly seen in all the shards I have access to.

John Alld Redware Shard Which Shows Wipe Marks

A known jug, which has been the topic of debate recently into its possible origin - shows a similar wipe technique applied by its maker. Many have felt it was made in Maine, while others have suggested New Hampshire. The reason some say it was made in new Hampshire is because of its form and handle attachment - neither are really seen by any of the known Maine potters; however, I personally have never seen this type of glaze from a New Hampshire maker before. I would tend to lean towards a Maine maker without knowing any more information.

If you look closely at the photos below, you will see the jug's base has been wiped with some type of cloth. The clay color and the manner the exposed clay was wiped by the potter is exactly the same as is the shard found at the home of John Alld. Its glaze color is also similar to the herb pot above with a tan glaze and brown freckles.

I looked over a bunch of New England redware recently and none of it showed a bottom that had been wiped clean by the potter. I think this is a unique approach that was less often used by potters. It is very encouraging on this jug to see a very similar glaze color to a known John Alld stew pot, a clay color that matches a known Alld shard and an area which was wiped clean by a potter in a nearly exact manner also seen on the Alld shards. Based on this, I believe the jug is related to the businesses that worked in Hollis. There were two main businesses run in Hollis - a shop by John Alld and another by Thomas Truxton Kendrick, both of whom were related.

 Bottom of Jug

Shows the Wipe Technique

Comparison of Bottom of Jug and John Alld Shard

Clay Color and Wipe Technique Appear Very Similar

A few notes about this jug: It has a similar rounded foot to that seen on the documented John Alld jug. It's glaze is similar to the documented stew pot which shows a tan glaze with dispersed brown particles. The Alld shards also sometimes show a streaking glaze which is seen in the jug. It is my belief the jug is related to the Hollis industry. It isn't necessarily a product made by Alld, but it was possibly made by a potter who worked at either the Kendrick or Alld businesses - and it cannot be ruled out that Alld or Kendrick may have been the potter. At the least, the jug is a rare form that has caused a lot of discussion.

Probably a Hollis, Maine Redware Jug

Probably Made at Either the Kendrick or Alld Potteries

Early to Mid 19th Century

There really is not enough known about the potters of southern Maine to say exactly what was made where, but as research progresses - it is hopeful that more of these forms can be properly identified. I think there is a very strong case for the jug, which would be a newly introduced form for the potters who worked in nineteenth century Hollis, Maine.

Much More to Come...

19th Century Redware Milk Pans of Southern Maine

It is my belief that the state of Maine employed as many as twice the amount of potters who worked in New Hampshire during the nineteenth century. Many of the industries in New Hampshire were large - while some of those that existed in Maine were small. Both were relative to the market's needs.

The potters in New Hampshire were primarily known for black, brown, orange, yellow and green glazes. The focus typically remained with partially glazed crocks - and entirely glazed jugs, storage crocks, pitchers, stew pots and sometimes milk pans.

Maine was really led by its industries in Woolwich, Monmouth, Portland and the region which existed in the most southern part of the state. Each of these regions were mostly unique through form and glaze - but similar in the manner each business approached its craft. Milk pans and partially glazed crocks were a major emphasis. Almost all potter's output included a major attempt to manufacture forms intended for the state's dairy industry. I feel that based on a per capita demand - Maine possibly produced more milk pans than any other state in the nineteenth century.

My recent studies at the Bickford Pottery site in Buxton, Maine have revealed a large amount of milk pan shards. I personally do not know of many milk pans which have been properly attributed to the Bickford Pottery, but I will share a photo of a possible milk pan that was certainly manufactured in Buxton or at one of nearby businesses in southern Maine. A special emphasis should be shown to the  local industries of Limington, Alfred or Windham, Maine due to facts seen within the Buxton shards.

In the top center of the the following photo you can see a green dot which was possibly the result of copper impurities in the local clay supplies. Similar green dots were seen in Harrisville, New Hampshire or Cheshire County. The earthenware of that region was produced in an area commonly known by collectors today as merely Chesham - which is a neighborhood in Harrisville. Massachusetts potter Rick Hamelin and, Connecticut collector and historian Jonathan Richard have provided information in the past about the meaning behind these dots. Similar green dots are seen in additional regions of the country, but in this particular manner it is typically attributed to the southern Maine potters.

 Maine Redware Milk Pan - Possibly Either Buxton or Alfred, Me

Early to Mid 19th Century

Notice the Green Dot Seen at the Top Center of Pan

Back of Milk Pan

Pale Colored Clay - Common for the Potters who Worked in Southern Maine

The following shards demonstrate a number of characteristics that all relate to the milk pan. It is either through form, clay color or glaze. I personally feel the milk pan was made by the Weber family in Alfred, but the similarities to Buxton are apparent. There is only a twenty mile difference between both areas. Each business probably sold to a related marketplace. The shards really show how potters were influenced by other potters in the same region. This is probably the case with potters all over America - they were primarily influenced by their heritage and secondly, by their surroundings and piers.

 Redware Shard from Milk Pan

Similar Glaze Seen on Milk Pan

 Redware Shard from Milk Pan

Similar Glaze Seen on Mik Pan

Similar Clay Color Seen on Milk pan

Redware Shard from Milk Pan 

Similar Rim and Clay Color to Shard

Exact Glaze Color when Compared to Milk Pan

 Redware Waster from Milk Pan

Similar Rim to Milk Pan

 Redware Waster from Milk Pan

Redware Milk Pan Shard

Similar Clay Color to Milk Pan

This next group of photos show the milk pan in comparison to some of these shards. There are many strong similarities to suggest the milk pan was made in Buxton; however, I do believe it was made in Alfred. I can only speak for myself - I do not know of another milk pan that has been properly attributed to Alfred, either. The potters of southern Maine really did share many characteristics, especially with businesses to the west of Portland, Maine in the greater Saco River Region.

 Redware Milk Pan Rim (Top) in Comparison to Buxton, Me Milk Pan Shard

 Redware Milk Pan Rim (Exterior) in Comparison to Buxton, Me Milk Pan Shard

 Redware Milk Pan Rim (Interior) in Comparison to Buxton, Me Milk Pan Shard

Milk Pan Glaze and Glaze Found on Shard in Buxton are Very Similar

 Redware Milk Pan Rim (Top) in Comparison to Buxton, Me Milk Pan Shard

There will be more to come about the potters of Southern Maine in the future - including an extremely rare redware plate that was manufactured in Maine. The plate is possibly a product of the Weber family, too. This is the only redware plate I have ever seen made in Maine. Stay Tune….