Rustic Wares Made at Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia in the 1880s

A few weeks ago, I posted this nineteenth century cabinet card on Facebook hoping that someone may recognize the rustic footed flowerpot shown to the right of the unidentified girl. Cabinet cards are photographs mounted on stiff pieces of cardboard. They were introduced in the 1860s, peaked in popularity in the 1880s and their desirability declined in the 1890s. 

The main reason I wanted to know if anyone recognized this pot is because the image was taken by photographer Pirrong & Son in Philadelphia, and this type of production did take place in Philadelphia around the 1880s. Based on what I can see in the photograph - the flowerpot is decorated with a frog sitting on a branch with leaves and flowers.

Interestingly, this type of rustic production was advertised in the 1880s as having been made at Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia, such as an ad published in The American Florist, Volume IV in 1889. 

Furthermore, a 40-page company catalog from 1880 is available online through the Library of Congress, and it shows a wide variety of fancy and rustic production, including hanging logs, hangings baskets, flowerpots, window boxes, garden seats, vases, flower stumps, jardiniers, fern cases, aquariums and aquarium ornaments; nearly the entire catalog is devoted to rustic ware production. 

In fact, illustrated on page 29 (see below) in the catalog is a rustic pitcher and mug; my nephew Jason and myself found an entire set of this type of production in 2019 in Columbia, Pennsylvania, which had just been discovered at an estate auction in southeastern Pennsylvania. The idea behind the pitcher and mug set is similar to types made by the Remmey family in Philadelphia, among other potters in the 1880s and 1890s. 

It is also possible that the mug and pitcher illustrated in the catalog may be related to two rustic mugs that have appeared at Crocker Farm in Maryland in recent years (mug 1 and mug 2) marked with the name "John Fritz / Philadelphia." 

Here is a link to Jacob C. (and H.C.) Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works 1880 company catalog: https://archive.org/details/fair-hill-terra-cotta-1875-a/page/40/mode/2up?view=theater

Rustic Wares Made at Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia

Probably a Circa 1870s-1880s Cabinet Card

Photo Taken by Pirrong & Son in Philadelphia

Shown to the Right of Girl is a Rustic Flowerpot with a Large Frog on a Branch

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Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

A Closer View of the Flowerpot

Possibly Made at Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia

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Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

An 1889 Ad for Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia

One Type of Rustic Ware Made at the Company is Illustrated

Although, the Company Made Dozens of Types of Rustic Wares in the 1880s

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Photo Courtesy: The American Florist, Volume IV, 1889

My Nephew Jason with a Rustic Pitcher and Four Mugs Found in 2019 in Columbia, PA

Although, They Had Just Sold at an Estate Auction in Southeastern PA

Possibly Made at Jacob C. Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works in Philadelphia

A Matching Shaped Pitcher and Similar Mug are Illustrated in the Company's 1880 Catalog

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Page 29 - Top Right and Middle Show a Rustic Pitcher and Mug

These are Very Similar to the Pitcher and Mug Set Shown Above

These are Illustrated in  Jacob C. (and H.C.) Cassel's Fair Hill Terra Cotta Works 1880 Catalog

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Photo Courtesy: Library of Congress

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...