On our way to New York City over the weekend, my niece Alexis and myself stopped at some of the antique and collectible type group shops in Connecticut that were not far from the highway in the direction that we were driving. Our best find was this excellent glazed circa 1830s-1840s red earthenware jar from Western New York, whereas the jar is marked “A. Wilcox / West Bloomfield.”
Interestingly, the style of glaze that adorns this jar is well-represented in the Wilcox Pottery archaeology owned by the Rochester Museum & Science Center in Rochester, New York (see below for some examples), which was also the site of the Griffin Wheeler and the Alvin Hurlbert potteries, which preceded and followed Wilcox's business. Furthermore, this glaze is probably one of the more desirable vibrant glaze styles that was produced by Wilcox, seeing that it is a combination of yellow, cream and cranberry, along with some veining in the glaze.
According to an archaeology report written in 1971 by archaeologists, Daniel M. Barber and George R. Hammel for the Society of Historical Archaeology, titled, The Redware Pottery Factory of Alvin Wilcox at Mid-19th Century: "Alvin Wilcox (1801-1862) was born in Ontario County, New York in 1801, the son of Ezra and Lovisa Wilcox. His father, Ezra, originally from Massachusetts, had been a resident of the county for at least three years previously, and is considered to be among the earliest settlers of the town of Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York.
Alvin Wilcox lived his entire life in the small village of West Bloomfield, New York. His home and business were located a little west of the town on the south side of the "State Road" (present day Routes 5 and 20).
Alvin Wilcox was not the first, nor was he the only potter to have worked in the area. In 1793 William Berczy, a resident of a small community just south of Genesea, New York, mentions purchasing earthenware from a potter in the general Bloomfield area. Berczy did not mention this potter by name, but there is some tentative archaeological evidence which suggests a connection between this unknown potter and the Alvin Wilcox Pottery site.
The last twelve years of Wilcox's life have been fairly well documented. There not only exists the usual census, probate records, etc., but also well over 30 of his letters which were published in Moore's Rural New-Yorker in the 1850s (which was founded in Rochester, New York in 1850).
From these letters Alvin Wilcox emerges not as a simple, country potter, but as an intelligent farmer, businessman, and a keen observer of nature. The letters deal mainly with contemporary farming practices, but do reveal a little information about his life prior to 1850."
Additionally, all of the pictures shown in this post will be published in my forthcoming 800-900 page Western New York book, due out sometime in 2024.
Marked 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar from Western New York
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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