By what is known today, one of the most well-known styles of pottery produced in this country in the 1800s were temperance jugs, whose fame likely begins today with such forms made at the Cornwall (1814-1890) and Wallace Kirkpatrick (1828-1896) Pottery (active 1859-1896) in Anna, Illinois; although, this type of jug was manufactured elsewhere in the Midwest in states like Kentucky, Missouri and Texas.
The most famous of all the temperance stoneware jugs produced in Anna may very well be a snake jug displayed at the New York Historical Society in Manhattan. The jug was gifted to the museum in 1906 by Sarah (Edwards) Nast, the wife of caricaturist and editorial cartoonist, Thomas Nast (1840-1902).
According to the New York Historical Society, "Political cartoonist Thomas Nast published biting caricatures in Harper's Weekly (1857-1916) that exposed the corruption at Tammany Hall, the political machine that controlled New York City in the mid-nineteenth century.
This has also been a subject of interest for the Museum of the City of New York, "Tammany Hall, the New York Democratic political organization was founded in the eighteenth century, and is now best known for its scandals, corruption, embezzlement, fraud, and rigged elections. At the heart of it all was William Magear "Boss" Tweed (1823-1878), the corrupt man and state senator (served 1868-1873) behind the Tammany Hall political machine from the height of its power in 1868 to its eventual downfall in 1871. It is estimated that he defrauded the city out of $30 million to $200 million dollars (equivalent to $365 million to $2.4 billion dollars today). He eventually died in the Ludlow Street Jail in New York City in 1878."
Also according to the New York Historical Society, "The potters Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick presented this jug to Nast about 1871 in recognition of his efforts. The jug's swirling snakes represent the corruption at Tammany Hall; the serpents feature the faces of ringleader William M. "Boss" Tweed and his cronies."
According to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, "The most impressive of the Anna Pottery's wares are delirium tremens whiskey jugs,. The more elaborate examples include writhing snakes, frogs, dung beetles, and human figures crawling into the jug while others try to escape. For many years scholars assumed that jugs like these were intended as propaganda for the temperance movement. This conclusion was based primarily on quotes from the Jonesboro Gazette, which interpreted the Pottery's works as illustrative of their support of temperance legislation. In truth, the Kirkpatrick brothers were not supporters of temperance. They consistently chose to advertise in other area newspapers that opposed temperance; Cornwall Kirkpatrick spoke out against it on several occasions during political speeches; and while Wallace Kirkpatrick did serve one six-month term with a local temperance group he seems to have been a bit of an embarrassment to the organization. More likely, their jugs are meant to be ironic, playful and cynical commentary on drinking and the temperance movement in general."
While touring the red earthenware and stoneware collection at Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware almost two months ago, I was delighted to see a nineteenth century whimsical red earthenware snake that was attributed to Pennsylvania. I was surprised to see this object since I could not recall having seen a pottery snake before outside of the temperance jugs that I just described. Although, I have seen pottery snakes applied to jars and such in the United Kingdom, but as far as American eighteenth and nineteenth century red earthenware production goes, this was a first.
Whimsical Red Earthenware Snake
19th Century Whimsical Red Earthenware Snake Attributed to Pennsylvania
The Base Measures About 7" Wide
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Photo Courtesy: Winterthur
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