EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: Upcoming Spring Presentation About the C.A. Lawrence Pottery at the Beverly, Mass. Historical Society

Friday, February 1, 2019

Upcoming Spring Presentation About the C.A. Lawrence Pottery at the Beverly, Mass. Historical Society

It was about a decade ago, when I first began studying red earthenware made at Charles A. Lawrence's pottery in Beverly, Massachusetts. But there was not a whole lot of published information about this business. In fact, there was not a lot of information available anywhere on the subject, especially the painted Grecian-style wares that Lawrence was the first in America to produce in 1872. Although, he doesn't entirely get the credit he so much deserves for this production today since other businesses, who produced their own Grecian products get more credit, especially from some museums.

But my interests in the Beverly Grecian wares really piqued when I learned about an example of this production displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The base of this jug is stamped, "Beverly Pottery / C.A. Lawrence / Antiquarian / Ceramics / Beverly Mass."

While Lawrence and other potters are responsible for manufacturing the pottery in Beverly, an artist from Marblehead, Massachusetts, Thomas Pitman was hired to paint the wares. He was also employed as a salesperson.

Through the years, I have been able to identify about 15-20 examples of this type of painted production in existence today, owned by both museums and collectors, all of which were clearly painted by Pitman. All of this information and plenty more will be presented in detail when I speak at an upcoming event at the Beverly Historical Society this spring. The event will cover everything from traditional red earthenware production, slipware, Grecian wares, commemorative objects, monumental pieces, advertising, the employees, Japanese pottery, Lawrence's immigration to America, his training, his influences, the expansion of his pottery, his export business, wares recently identified in the Beverly Historical Society's collection, and so much more. I will announce the date on this website once it has been finalized, but it will be a Saturday in either April or May.

Nonetheless, among the objects I learned about a few years ago is a great privately owned painted vase, which closely resembles the jug owned by the MET. I have always viewed this vase as a special piece since it very much looks like the object that my studies began with about ten years ago. But in spite of that, it should also come at no surprise that I was thrilled to acquire this object from a friend yesterday for my personal collection.

Grecian-Style Vase Made in Beverly, Mass.