Finding this nineteenth century presentation sewer tile flowerpot at the antique shows yesterday in Brimfield, Massachusetts was quite a shock, seeing that it has previously been published and was formerly owned by New York archaeologist and museum specialist George R. Hamell. This piece was also a part of Hamell's collection at the Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, New York, although I was told it was just deaccessioned by the museum through Kelly Schultz in Clarence, New York.
Aside from retaining its museum accession number (78.376) and Hamell's collection number (GRH 161), this is certainly among the earliest dated pieces of American sewer tile known to exist today. In fact, I have been unable to find an earlier dated piece, and it may even be perhaps the earliest known dated example of sewer tile folk pottery.
The flowerpot was made in Rochester and it is inscribed on the base, "C.A. Gibson / -To Rose- / Dec. 19th - 1884." I have yet to do any research on this piece, but I would guess that C.A. Gibson mad this piece as a Christmas present for his wife.
According to an article I previously posted to this website in 2019 about Rochester sewer tile, where I cited Hamell's research, "American sewer pipe pottery or sewer pipe folk art includes objects of sewer pipe clay and glaze which were made by employees of sewer pipe factories for their personal use. This special class of salt-glazed stoneware has long been associated with the Ohio area, where it has its greatest collecting interest. However, four of the earliest and best-documented examples have a Rochester, New York origin. More importantly, the three earliest of the preceding examples were thrown on a potter's wheel with additional incised, hand-modeled, and sprigged-on decorations. The later decorations were made from molds taken from decorations on contemporary English Doulton pitchers. These three early examples are pitchers of between one and two quarts capacity which were made at Otis & Gorsline's Rochester Sewer Pipe Company on Oak Street, Rochester, New York.
The pitchers are hand-inscribed on the base by their makers and bear the dates of 1888, 1889, and 1890 respectively. The early two pitchers can be attributed to William Lyle, an immigrant Scottish potter and foreman (later superintendent) at the company between the years 1875-1892. The third pitcher was made by William Hirzel, an immigrant German potter, employed at the factory from about 1889-1917."An Important Western NY Presentation Flowerpot
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