Following the sale of a great nineteenth century two-gallon stoneware jug decorated with an incised eagle and fish, stamped "Barnabas Edmands & Co. / Charlestown," that sold this past April at Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland, I posted some other great American stoneware objects decorated with incised eagles. Although, the jug that sold was made in Charlestown, Massachusetts about 1830, and it is certainly among the most important examples of pre-1850 pottery known to exist from anywhere in New England today.
Nevertheless, there are also a number of great stoneware objects known today adorned with cobalt decorated eagles, however, I have always felt this particular jug is one of the best examples that are known to exist. This four-gallon double-handle nineteenth century stoneware jug is decorated with a magnificent eagle, a shield, arrows and two flags.
Furthermore, it is inscribed on one side with cobalt script, reading "Chapman Upson and Wright Manufacturers Middleburg O." The reverse side of the jug is decorated with more blue script, that reads, "JP Alexander and Co. Detroit Michigan leave orders here." The jug last sold at Sotheby's in New York City on January 19, 2007: https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/important-americana-including-property-approved-for-deacession-by-the-board-of-trustees-of-historic-deerfield-n08278/lot.418.html
According to revised information from a book written by Robert Treichler, titled, A History of Northeast Ohio Stoneware, there are several known pieces of stoneware that acknowledge the partnership of Chapman, Upson and Wright, and these pieces are sometimes distinguished by bold cobalt signatures, along with an inscribed base of a churn. The first two names, Edgar Chapman and Daniel A. Upson were known potters from the Middlebury, Ohio area. The third name possibly represents Oliver Wright who was related to the Chapman family, and only appears in census records with the profession of potter in 1869. Additionally, J. Park Alexander was advertising this firm's stoneware production in Detroit: https://ohiobottleclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chapman-Upson.pdf.
John Park Alexander Sr. (1834-1908) was born in Bath Township, Ohio in 1834. He was a teacher, pottery manufacturer, an agent and a sheep farmer all at the same time. He also became the owner of two oil refineries. He was an Akron City Councilman for 15-years and also served terms as state representative and state senator. He was also among those on the Board of Trade who helped to lure B.F. Goodrich to Akron. He started a pottery business on Canal Street in 1866, which became involved with dozens of other potteries and warehouses in and out of Akron. He was also the man that made the first white firebrick in Ohio.
Ohio scholar Andrew Richmond also noted that, "The Ohio History Connection has an example like this that I included in my 2011 exhibition Equal in Goodness: Ohio Decorative Arts, 1788-1860. Alexander worked with a number of Akron potters and wholesaled their wares all over via river, canal and rail."
A work of art in itself, there is another circa 1865-1870 jug known that is owned today by the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan: https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/267429/.
19th Century Stoneware Jug Manufactured in Northeast Ohio
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