19th Century Porcelain from New York City Utilized at the Mount Lebanon Shaker Community in New York

Yesterday, I posted an article about some of the pottery utilized at the Mount Lebanon Shaker community in New York, which included these three pieces of nineteenth century porcelain. These objects are currently on display at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

I had written that I knew these objects were American-made, but I wasn't sure what business was responsible for their production. However, I was told by Gary Hammond, who is a museum specialist for the Nassau County Museum System on Long Island, that these objects were actually manufactured at the Union Porcelain Works (ca. 1863-1922) in Brooklyn in New York City in the 1880s. He also kindly provided a document from the Mount Lebanon Shaker Museum, which further describes this specific production: "An 1887 entry in a sister's diary from Mount Lebanon's Church Family mentions some new dishes bought for the family - she wrote, "We have a set of new dishes on our table [this] morning, marked Shakers, Mt. Lebanon, they are pretty and costly we know.

Further examination of Shaker records expanded the sister's initial comment about new dishes. Church family trustee, Brother Benjamin Gates and family deaconess Sisters Cornelia French and Mary Hazard went to New York City on October 12, 1886 "on business concerning dishes for table use; to be made by order." Exercising their duty to see to the domestic concerns of the family, they placed their order for new china with the Union Porcelain Works, once located in the Highpoint (now Greenport) section of Brooklyn, New York. The manufacture of the dishes is clearly identified by the UPW trademark on the bottom of each dish. The trademark on the Mount Lebanon dishes include the numberals "12" and "86" or "1" and "87" indicating that they were made in either December 1886 or January 1887 - a period that fits perfectly between the date the Shakers went to New York and the date the dishes appeared on the family's table. Only two pieces in the Museum's collection, two shallow saucers, bear the 1887 date, suggesting that most of the order was completed in 1886.

To date, no documentation of the cost of the new dishes has been discovered, but an entry in another Shaker sister's diary suggests that it was not cheap. She wrote, "We have a surprise of great value, on our breakfast table, a set of new dishes. Porcelain ware marked for us. We hope it may be long before we need another set."

Porcelain Made for the Shakers at Mount Lebanon in New York

 19th Century Pitcher from the Shaker Community at Mount Lebanon in New York

Marked "SHAKERS MT. LEBANON N.Y." 
Manufactured at the Union Porcelain Works in Greenpoint in Brooklyn in New York City

Currently Part of an Exhibit at the National Museum of American History

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 19th Century Bowl from the Shaker Community at Mount Lebanon in New York

Marked "SHAKERS MT. LEBANON N.Y." 
Manufactured at the Union Porcelain Works in Greenpoint in Brooklyn in New York City

Currently Part of an Exhibit at the National Museum of American History

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

19th Century Plate from the Shaker Community at Mount Lebanon in New York

Marked "SHAKERS MT. LEBANON N.Y." 
Manufactured at the Union Porcelain Works in Greenpoint in Brooklyn in New York City

Currently Part of an Exhibit at the National Museum of American History

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

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