EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: 19th Century Pitcher from Prince Edward Island Recently Found in Pennsylvania

Friday, May 10, 2019

19th Century Pitcher from Prince Edward Island Recently Found in Pennsylvania

As I promised in a post from earlier this week, here are better pictures of the wonderful circa 1880-1898 lead glazed red earthenware pitcher from Prince Edward Island in Canada, which was just recently found in Pennsylvania. I have wanted to own one of these pitchers for years, but have discovered that they are quite difficult to find outside of the Prince Edward Island Museum's collection.

Interestingly, the museum owns a few pitchers in this form, some of which are marked "PEI POTTERY." The coggle wheel decoration is what I really enjoy from this pottery, a style of decoration found on various forms made on Prince Edward Island. Although, it's not an exact match, but the impressed decoration somewhat resembles some English stoneware made in the 1800s, which may have served as a source of inspiration for this decoration.

According to information posted by Paul Slater in an Antique Canadian Pottery Group on Facebook, "The PEI Pottery was established in early 1880 by Frederick W. Hyndman as a business venture (he wasn't a potter by trade, but rather was listed as an insurance agent in the 1881 census). He hired Oswald Hornsby to supervise the construction of the pottery site and to become its foreman.

The pottery produced a variety of red earthenware pieces, from traditional containers to whimsies. But unfortunately the business struggled early on due to the small size of the local market, as well as cheap English imports, so by October 1885 Hyndman listed the business for sale.

In July 1886, with no buyers having stepped forward, Hyndman leased the pottery to Hornsby and another partner. Hornsby remained at the helm until leaving in 1896/97 when his son Frank took over; however, by early 1898 the pottery closed its doors permanently."

Prince Edward Island Pitcher