19th Century Stoneware Production in Portland, Maine and Its Ties to Exeter, New Hampshire and Peabody, Massachusetts

As I noted in a post from yesterday, "An important piece of stoneware history in the Peabody, Massachusetts area is partly a result of Joseph Reed (1809-1884), who acquired the old Osborn Pottery in Peabody in the 1850s, but he was listed as a “retired potter” in the 1870 United States Federal Census in Peabody. It was about this time that he had leased the business to Rufus Lamson (1844-1928) of Exeter, New Hampshire and later Charles F. Worthen (1852-1930), a businessman born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. There is some stoneware today that bear’s Worthen’s name, although he ordered the pottery from another American manufacturer.

Interestingly, the Exeter Historical Society owns a crock marked "F.H. LAMSON / EXETER, N.H.," which is decorated with similar birds in cobalt that are known from some of the stoneware impressed with Worthen's name. This likely indicates the two businesses were using the same manufacturer to order stoneware in wholesale amounts; the Moses Paige Pottery, which followed Worthen's company in Peabody, operated in a similar style in the late nineteenth and twentieth century, using a comparable business model selling a variety of goods purchased in wholesale amounts from other American manufacturers, as well as locally produced red earthenware."

This connection between Peabody and Exeter also spread to Portland, Maine; Eban Swasey (1843-1906) apprenticed as a potter in Exeter, although in 1875 he partnered with Rufus Lamson in Portland, establishing the Portland Earthen-Ware Factory. The firm produced both red earthenware and stoneware.

The firm split about 1890, which is when Swasey established E. Swasey & Co., producing a variety of pottery at 273 Commercial Street. This company remained in business until about 1930.

Note: For more information about stoneware production in Portland - see my seventh published book, titled, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth Maine: https://historicbeverly.net/product/from-one-town-came-many-the-red-earthenware-industry-of-ancient-north-yarmouth-maine/.

19th Century Stoneware Production in Portland, Maine

19th Century Two-Gallon Stoneware Crock Adorned with Cobalt Decorated Bird

Impressed "LAMSON & SWASEY / PORTLAND, ME"

Circa 1875

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

A View of the Mark

Impressed "LAMSON & SWASEY / PORTLAND, ME"

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

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

A Preview of Forthcoming Two-Volume, Tenth Book: Stoneware Impressed with Names from Exeter, New Hampshire and Peabody, Massachusetts

Even though there was no local stoneware production in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, my forthcoming two-volume,1,660-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, will include some very interesting archaeological artifacts and other examples of American and German stoneware owned in eighteenth and nineteenth century contexts in the Danvers, Peabody and Salem, Massachusetts area. The book is due out in the winter of 2026.

For example, one very interesting comparison that I came across is an unmarked nineteenth century stoneware crock owned by Historic New England adorned with a cobalt decorated bird, which retains an original context of family ownership in Salem. This crock matches other examples impressed with the name of a merchant in Lynn, Massachusetts. There are also a number of examples of early Charlestown stoneware recovered from archaeological contexts in the area that will be illustrated in the book.

However, an important piece of the area's stoneware history is partly a result of Joseph Reed (1809-1884), who acquired the old Osborn Pottery in Peabody in the 1850s, but he was listed as a “retired potter” in the 1870 United States Federal Census in Peabody. It was about this time that he had leased the business to Rufus Lamson (1844-1928) of Exeter, New Hampshire and later Charles F. Worthen (1852-1930), a businessman born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. There is some stoneware today that bear’s Worthen’s name, although he ordered the pottery from another American manufacturer.

Interestingly, the Exeter Historical Society owns a crock marked "F.H. LAMSON / EXETER, N.H.," which is decorated with similar birds in cobalt that are known from some of the stoneware impressed with Worthen's name. This likely indicates the two businesses were using the same manufacturer to order stoneware in wholesale amounts; the Moses Paige Pottery, which followed Worthen's company in Peabody, operated in a similar style in the late nineteenth and twentieth century, using a comparable business model selling a variety of goods purchased in wholesale amounts from other American manufacturers, as well as locally produced red earthenware.

Note: There will be more information included in the forthcoming book about the Lamson Pottery in Exeter and the company's involvement in the Salem area.

In the meantime - see my second published book, titled, The Moses B. Paige Company: The Last of the Peabody Potteries: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-moses-b-paige-company-the-last-of-the-peabody-potteries/.

A Preview of Forthcoming Two-Volume, Tenth Book

A Preview of Forthcoming Two-Volume, Tenth Book

Crock to the Left is Impressed with the Name of a Peabody, Mass. Merchant

Crock to the Right is Impressed with the Name of a Manufacturer in Exeter, N.H.

See Article for More Information

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

A Recap of Some of My Favorite Published Writing from 2025!

2025 was one of my most successful years to date in terms of writing with two-books published, one of which was two-volumes in length, a research story published in Americana Insights and numerous feature/cover stories that ran in different publications. In fact, I will likely be presenting the story behind the Americana Insights article at Historic Trappe in southeastern Pennsylvania in March! 

However, I'm hoping 2026 will also be successful with two more books in the works, one of which will be two-volumes and over 1,400-pages, and hopefully a lengthy eighteenth and nineteenth century Baltimore red earthenware story will finally be published that has been discussed with a publisher for a few years now. Nonetheless, though, these were some of the highlights for my writing in 2025.

One exclusive feature story that I really liked was discovered by Boston City archaeologist Joe Bagley in storage at the Boston Public Library, which was published on pages 24-25 in the March 14, 2025 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, A Rediscovered Battle Of Bunker Hill Claims Book From Charlestown, Mass. 

Note: For a complete list of all of my published writing through the years - see this link: https://earlyamericanceramics.shop/.

A Recap of Some of My Favorite Published Writing from 2025!

An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses

Published in February 2025

709-Pages

Link: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/

See Article for More Information

America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York

Published in April 2025

Two-Volumes; 1,400-Pages

Link: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/

See Article for More Information

This is the 2025 Issue of Americana Insights

Link: https://americanainsights.org/

See Article for More Information

Nathaniel Sellers: A Postmaster and Potter of Upper Hanover, Pennsylvaia

Published in the 2025 Issue of Americana Insights

See Article for More Information

A Rediscovered Battle Of Bunker Hill Claims Book From Charlestown, Mass.

Published on Pages 24-25 in the June 20, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

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Charles Graham's Brooklyn Stoneware Pottery Production

Published on Page 16 in the June 20, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

A Red Earthenware Pitcher Discovered At The Reverend Jonathan Atkinson House

Published in the August 1, 2025 Issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

Published in the December 12, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth: The Father Of American Beekeeping

Published in the November 14, 2025 Issue of Antiques & Auction News

See Article for More Information

The Singer Family Pottery Of Haycock Township, Bucks County, Pa.: A Brief Examination

Published in the October 10, 2025 Issue of Antiques & Auction News

See Article for More Information

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

A 19th Century Painted Ancient Style Water Bottle Found in an Estate in New Hampshire

This is something I acquired last winter and had saved for a Christmas present for my mother that I wanted to share...it came out of an estate in central New Hampshire, although I have no idea how it ended up there. But it will be published in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,468-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, due out in the winter of 2026.

This is a nineteenth century British ancient style red earthenware or terracotta water bottle with its original stopper and under-plate. It is adorned with ancient hand-painted figures and design, perhaps depicting Hermes (the Roman Mercury), the messenger of the gods and the guide of souls. The base of the plate and bottle are also both signed by the artist and the year “1877.” This was produced during the same period and similar to types made in Beverly, Chelsea and Cambridge, Massachusetts, etc. 

Interestingly, I researched it for almost a year, and could not find anything like it, although I checked with a number of British dealers and collectors and they all said it was English in origin. There are pieces that are more mass-produced types of this shape, but nothing that I could find adorned with hand-painted ancient figures. I think it is a really interesting comparison to very similar wares that were made in and around the Boston area during the same period, where this exact type of design was also displayed by American and European manufacturers, as part of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. Perhaps because of its popularity in Philadelphia, this type of object was shipped to the United States in 1877, possibly explaining how it end up in a somewhat rural part of New Hampshire.

In fact, the A.H. Hews & Company Pottery of North Cambridge, Massachusetts was awarded a medal for this type of design at the exposition in 1876, leading to a company catalog exclusive to ancient terracotta painted wares that was published in 1877.

Note: For more information about the A.H. Hews Pottery - see a feature story I wrote for the March 17, 2023 issue of Antiques and the Arts Weekly, titled, The Abraham Hews Pottery Of Weston & North Cambridge, Mass.: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/03/new-published-story-in-antiques-and.html.

Also for another article about nineteenth century British terracotta - see a feature story I wrote for the June 2, 2023 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, The Other John Bell: Not A Pennsylvania Potter But London Sculptor: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/05/new-research-article-in-antiques-and.html.

Ancient Style Water Bottle Adorned with Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods

British Ancient Style Water Bottle Adorned with Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods

Hermes was also the Guide of Souls

All Hand-Painted with Original Stopper and Plate

Signed by Artist and the Year "1877"

See Article for More Information

A View of the Artist's Signature and the Year "1877"

See Article for More Information

This is Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods and Guide of Souls

See Article for More Information

This is How the Object Will be Published in My New Book

See Article for More Information

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

Another Preview of Forthcoming Eleventh Book - A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont

Just a F.Y.I. - with the near completion of my forthcoming two-volume, 1,422 page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, due out in the winter of 2026 -- I am now working on an eleventh book with a group of people, including New York author and historian Warren Broderick, titled, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont. This book should also be published in 2026 and will run 500-600 pages: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2025/12/a-preview-of-forthcoming-eleventh-book.html.

The book will include some great new research, where these names will be covered from Western Massachusetts and Vermont: Goldthwaite, Norton, Wadsworth, Titus, Brooks, Whiting, Crafts, Wait, Field, Upton, Clark, Wells, Bradley, Hutchinson, Bailey, Fenton, Woodman, Ward, Day, Farrar, Drake and Wright, among others. 

The book will also identify the work of a potter who was the first to produce red earthenware in Vermont, predating the wares made by Captain John Norton (1758-1828) in Bennington by almost a decade. Tons of great archaeology will also be included in the book.

If anyone has any unusual examples of red earthenware from Vermont or archaeology that they would like to contribute - please contact me: https://earlyamericanceramics.shop/get-in-touch/.

Another Preview of Forthcoming Eleventh Book

New Book Scheduled for 2026 Publication Date

See Article for More Information

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

A Preview of Forthcoming Eleventh Book - A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont

As previously mentioned on this website, my forthcoming 500-600 page, eleventh book, titled, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont, will include research from other contributors, such as New York historian and author Warren Broderick. This book will in some ways be a continuation of some of my past and future publications, including my 709-page, eighth book, titled, An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.

The subject of red earthenware production in Vermont in the late eighteenth and nineteenth century has lacked detail in scholarship in past publications; for instance this new book will present information that shows when red earthenware production actually began in Vermont in the 1780s, predating the previous published documented information by about a decade. It was thought that Captain John Norton (1758-1828) was the first in Bennington, Vermont, but current research by Warren Broderick has proven otherwise, where the history of another potter will be presented. 

Posted here is a newspaper advertisement from what is perhaps a completely forgotten short-lived enterprise by the Clark family. According to Warren Broderick’s research, “...Published in the June 6, 1826 issue of the Vermont Patriot in Montpelier, Vermont, this ad may represent Francis Clark (1771-1831), who came to Barre from Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, circa 1800. Even if he was not an active potter, he certainly would have learned a lot given the household where he grew up. He may have possessed serious knowledge in pottery management and marketing. His son, Francis Clark Junior (1805-1876) had a farm in Barre, but not the City of Barre we are familiar with, rather the large rural Town of Barre. His farm was located very close to the Plainfield town line. This may represent the “F” Clark in the partnership, where the “D” Clark might be Daniel Clark Junior (1793-1862), the potter from Concord, New Hampshire, who spent a few years in Barre/Montpelier helping his cousin and uncle. Note that in the partnership “F” comes before “D.”.

Also according to Broderick, “...We don’t know who actually operated the pottery in Plainfield, Vermont owned by Ira Day (1777-1853) between circa 1808 and the mid-1820s. I wonder if the Clarks had a hand in this business. The northeast part of Montpelier and the north part of Barre Town are not far from the Plainfield pottery site. I doubt this could be proven but it is interesting speculation, nonetheless!”

Note: My goal is to have the Western Massachusetts & Vermont book published in 2026…so stay tuned for more details! The Clark family will also be included in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,422-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts. This book is due out in the winter of 2026: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2025/12/coming-in-winter-of-2026-early-industry.html.

A Preview of Forthcoming Eleventh Book

Published in the Vermont Patriot on June 6, 1826

This Notice is for a Red Earthenware Business in Montpelier, Vermont

See Article for More Information

An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses

Available Now!

Published in the Winter of 2025; 709-Pages

https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/

See Article for More Information

An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses

Available Now!

Published in the Winter of 2025; 709-Pages

https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/

See Article for More Information

An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses

Available Now!

Published in the Winter of 2025; 709-Pages

https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/

See Article for More Information

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

A Preview of Forthcoming Tenth Book: Two Eighteenth Century Red Earthenware Objects Dated in Slip

These are two late eighteenth century red earthenware objects that will be included in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,660-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

These are ridiculously rare objects to see today; the pitcher (left) dated in slip "1789" will be published in Volume I, while the jug (right) dated in slip "1797" will be published in Volume II. I suspect both of these objects were manufactured in Essex County, Massachusetts.

Two Eighteenth Century Red Earthenware Objects Dated in Slip

Both Objects Will be Illustrated in Forthcoming Two-Volume Tenth Book

Both Possibly from Essex County, Mass.

The Pitcher Shown to the Left is Dated in Slip "1789"

The Jug Shown to the Right is Dated in Slip "1797"

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collections

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

A Preview of Forthcoming Tenth Book - Swirled Slip Designs Found in the Greater Salem, Massachusetts Area

Shown below is a good large eighteenth or early nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware jar that was found about ten years ago in an old estate in southern Connecticut. It was found alongside an early nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware jar likely from West Hartford, Connecticut. These objects were then published in a chapter in my sixth book, titled, A City on the River: The Early Red Earthenware of the Hartford, Connecticut Area: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-city-on-the-river-the-early-red-earthenware-of-the-hartford-connecticut-area/?add-to-cart=2685.

However, this jar will be published again in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,660-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

There has been a lack of understanding through the years about the types of slip decorated pottery produced in the Danvers and Salem area, where it was previously published that little or no slip decorated red earthenware was produced in the area after 1710. Although, archaeology over the past few decades has proven otherwise. In fact, the swirled or circular slip design on this large jar is found in various archaeological contexts in the greater Salem area (Danvers, Marblehead, Ipswich, etc.), as well as an existing eighteenth or early nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware pan owned by Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. This type of swirled design was also recovered from a late seventeenth and early eighteenth century context at the site of the James Kettle (1664/65-1712) Pottery in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts.

Nonetheless, in the meantime, for more information - see a four-page feature story I wrote for the November 2017 issue of the New England Antiques Journal, titled, Digging into the Peabody Potteries: Archaeology and red earthenware: https://www.scribd.com/document/363670648/Peabody-Potter-s-Industry-NEAJ-November-2017.

Swirled Slip Designs Found in the Great Salem, Massachusetts Area

All of These Objects Will be Illustrated in Forthcoming Two-Volume Tenth Book

See Article for More Information

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

18th and 19th Century Red Earthenware Candlesticks Recovered in New England

Candlesticks do not appear to have been produced regularly by early red earthenware potters in New England in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, although there are some examples known today. For instance, shown below is a nineteenth century red earthenware candlestick with no glaze that was recovered a few years ago near Topsham, Maine. The inspiration for the form is not clear, but it may have been inspired after a glass form. 

For reference: Topsham is situated along the Androscoggin River, which flows into Merrymeeting Bay, a large tidal estuary connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. It is located near Brunswick and Bath along the mid-coast of Maine.

Nonetheless, the most prolific American red earthenware candlestick is likely one that was made by Anthony Baecher (1824-1889) in Winchester, Virginia, circa 1880. That candlestick sold for $50,000 plus the buyer's premium at Pook & Pook in Downington, Pennsylvania in 2014: https://live.pookandpook.com/online-auctions/pook/virginia-redware-candlestick-ca-1880-by-anthony-5098097.

Furthermore, also shown below is the remains of a colonial eighteenth century red earthenware candlestick or candleholder recovered by archaeologists in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the 1980s. It is likely inspired after a slip decorated earthenware form produced in Staffordshire, England, such as an example posted below that was recovered in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

Note: For information about red earthenware candlesticks - see my first book, titled, The Beverly Pottery: The Wares of Charles A. Lawrence: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-beverly-pottery-the-wares-of-charles-a-lawrence/.

Also see my third book, titled, The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-dawn-of-independence-the-death-of-an-industry/.

Red Earthenware Candlesticks Recovered in New England

19th Century Red Earthenware Candlestick Recovered in Topsham, Maine

Likely Made in Northern New England

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

18th Century Red Earthenware Candlestick or Candleholder

Uncovered at the Maudlin Street Archaeological District in Charlestown, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

18th Century Slip Decorated Earthenware Candleholder Made in Staffordshire, England

Recovered in Williamsburg, Virginia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

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

Coming in the Winter of 2026 - An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts

Coming in the winter of 2026! My tenth book, two-volumes, 1,660-pages, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

Volume I - 753 Pages

Back Cover Information: The Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts area has a deep-rooted history, dating back to the seventeenth century, perhaps best-known today for the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and Salem’s maritime trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. However, the area was also the location of one of New England’s most important red earthenware industries, dating back to the 1600s. The area’s pottery businesses were also intertwined with red earthenware production in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution, and the industry in Bristol County, Massachusetts, as well as other parts of New England. This book is the first of its kind to explore the red earthenware produced in this part of coastal Massachusetts through archaeology, historical records and surviving objects.

Volume II - 907 Pages

Back Cover Information: The Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts area has a rich history of Quakers, many of whom were intertwined with local red earthenware production, as well as Quaker potters living elsewhere in New England. The early history of these Quakers is marked by persecution, although it took a long time, but they were eventually met with acceptance. This area was also home to some potters in Salem after 1750, as well as migrants, who influenced local production from France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. This book is the first of its kind to explore the red earthenware produced in this part of coastal Massachusetts through archaeology, historical records and surviving objects.

Front and Back Cover Photos for the Two Volumes of the New Book

See Article for More Information

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

17th Century Spanish Earthenware Storage Jars with Examples Found in Charlestown and Newburyport, Mass.

Earlier this year, I learned from an Instagram post made by Joaquin Montes Fernandez, a speciality ceramics dealer in Spain about a style of seventeenth century painted earthenware storage jar made in Triana, Spain. Two the jars posted were painted green, while the third was not painted; these types of jars were made from both white and red earthenware. 

The reason this piqued my interest is because I own a related storage jar with original green paint, which came out of a Federal Period house in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The history of the jar dates back with the family to at least the early 1800s. I suspect it was imported into America, although I do not know the history of it in the seventeenth or eighteenth century.

This type of jar has also been recovered from various archaeological contexts in the American colonies, including an example that was not painted, which was recovered by archaeologists from the circa 1638-1658 James Garrett House site in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the 1980s. Garrett was a wealthy merchant who moved from England to Maudlin Street in Charlestown in 1635 (right across the street from the U.S.S. Constitution today) to escape the conflicts of the English Civil War. He lived on the property with his family until leaving to return to England in 1656, selling his land and house to Samuel Beadle. Nonetheless, I suspect the jar I own retains a similar history in the New England colonies, although it is currently undocumented.

Note: For more information about Garrett - see my third book, titled, The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-dawn-of-independence-the-death-of-an-industry/.

17th Century Spanish Earthenware Storage Jars from Spain

17th Century Painted Earthenware Storage Jars Made in Triana, Spain

The Green Paint is Original to Production

These Types of Jars were Imported to the American Colonies

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Joaquin Montes Fernandez

17th Century Painted Red Earthenware Storage Jar from Spain

The Green Paint is Original to Production

Very Similar to the Examples Made in Triana, Spain

Retains a Lengthy History of Ownership with a Family in Newburyport, Mass.

Related Jar Recovered from a 17th Century Context in Charlestown, Mass.

See Article for More Information

 17th Century Red Earthenware Storage Jar from Spain

Uncovered at the James Garrett Site in Charlestown, Mass.

Circa 1638-1658 Archaeological Context

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

Another View of the Jar

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

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

A Late 18th or Early 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bottle or Flask

This is a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware bottle or flask that recently sold on eBay, which piqued my interest, although I don't know the manufacturer or the area it was made. The rounded foot is a type found with early production along coastal Massachusetts and with the Clark family in New Hampshire, etc. - https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.

However, the bottle or flask was sold out of Virginia, and this type of footed base was also produced in places like southeastern Pennsylvania so I'm not sure where it originated. But it is an early object that I thought was rather appealing.

It sold very reasonably; $220.50.

Note: This type of foot produced in New England will also be included in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,404-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bottle or Flask

Late 18th or Early 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bottle or Flask

Stands 5 1/4" Tall

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: eBay

A View of the Rounded Foot at the Base

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: eBay

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

19th Century Red Earthenware from Hagerstown, Maryland, Nathaniel Rochester's Western New York Business and the Index of American Design, Etc.

For anyone who has never checked it out before - the online database of the Index of American Design is a noteworthy resource displaying thousands of works of art painted for the National Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in the 1930s and early 1940s. By definition: the Index of American Design was a Depression-era WPA Federal Art Project (1936-1942) that employed artists to create over 18,000 detailed watercolor illustrations of American folk and decorative arts objects, from colonial times through 1900, to document the nation's design heritage, now housed at the National Gallery of Art as a visual archive of American material culture.

This is a database that I always reference for all of the books that I have written, which was the case last week for my forthcoming two-volume, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, South Danvers, Peabody and Salem, Massachusetts. 

Nonetheless, while scrolling through the images of the works of art - I came across this watercolor of a nineteenth century multi-color slip decorated red earthenware pitcher. It was painted by Eugene Shellady in 1936. There is no accompanying information, although the pitcher closely resembles some types associated with the early potters in Hagerstown, Maryland. For instance, a very similar pitcher sold at Crocker Farm in Maryland in 2019 adorned with a very similar slip technique: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2019-10-26/lot-153/Very-Rare-Early-Hagerstown-Redware-Pitcher-possibly-Peter-Bell-or-John-Bell/.

Interestingly, it is documented that Nathaniel Rochester's (1752-1831) circa 1818-1831 red earthenware business in West Bloomfield, New York shares some characteristics with slip techniques manufactured in Hagerstown. The potter or potters who worked for Rochester has never been identified, but he did come from Hagerstown so the transition of Hagerstown type wares migrating north is certainly feasible. 

Nonetheless, for more information - see my recently published two-volume, ninth book, titled, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/.

Note: I also wrote a feature story for the June 7, 2024 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, Nathaniel Rochester's Red Earthenware Pottery: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/05/new-published-feature-story-in-antiques.html.

19th Century Red Earthenware Pitchers Likely from Hagerstown, Maryland

19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pitcher

Painted by Eugene Shellady for the Index of American Design in 1936

Likely Made in Hagerstown, Maryland

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: National Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution

19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pitcher

Likely Made in Hagerstown, Maryland

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm

19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Handled Pot Made in Western New York

Made at the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in West Bloomfield, New York

Cica 1818-1831

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Personal Collection of Nancy and Gene Pratt

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

Some South Carolina Pottery Stories that are in the National News

Two subjects that are in the national news right now....

1) The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has returned stoneware made by the enslaved Edgefield, South Carolina potter Dave Drake (ca. 1800-1873) to his heirs, where I suspect this partially stemmed from the recent exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the MFA, titled, "Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Edgefield, South Carolina."

Quick story I was at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. a few years ago working on a book and the curator told me that some of Dave's heirs visited the museum and they began to cry because it was so emotional for them to see and touch his work.

2) The McKissick Museum is closing at the University of South Carolina, which was the subject of a cover story I wrote, titled, "Thomas Chandler's Pottery Production: McKissick Museum Of The University Of South Carolina Holds Innovative Exhibition.

Nonetheless, in Volume II of my forthcoming two-volume, nearly 1,400 page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, South Danvers, Peabody and Salem, Massachusetts, there are two sections at the end that identify southern pottery from the 1800s and early 1900s found in early contexts in the north, including a face jug from Edgefield owned by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, etc. Also shown is a stoneware jug that I found with my niece a few years ago in Boston, which may have ties to Dave Drake early production in Edgefield, marked with an inscribed "X" or a cross.

Note: Here are two articles that I posted to this website about the Hear Me Now exhibit when it was displayed in New York City and Boston:

MET Article: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2022/12/now-on-display-at-met-in-new-york-city.html

MFA, Boston Article: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/03/now-on-display-at-mfa-boston-hear-me.html

Here is also an article about the exhibit at the McKissick Museum: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2019/07/swag-and-tassel-innovative-stoneware-of.html

Some Info About South Carolina Pottery

My Niece Alexis Holding an Early Edgefield, South Carolina Stoneware Jug Found in Boston

Possibly Related to Dave Drake's Production

Marked with an "X" or a Cross

See Article for More Information

Another View of the Jug

See Article for More Information

My Nephew at the McKissick Museum in 2019

See Article for More Information

Feature Story Written About the McKissick Museum Exhibit in 2019

See Article for More Information

Feature Story Written About the McKissick Museum Exhibit in 2019

See Article for More Information

Feature Story Written About the McKissick Museum Exhibit in 2019

See Article for More Information

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

New Published Feature Story in Antiques And The Arts Weekly - The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

This is the print version of my latest feature story published on page 10 in the current December 12, 2025 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

Here is a link to a PDF of the story: https://www.scribd.com/document/960901137/1212-D-010-ANA-Southwick

New Published Feature Story in Antiques And The Arts Weekly

The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

Published on Page 10 in the Dec. 12, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

Published on Page 10 in the Dec. 12, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.

Published on Page 10 in the Dec. 12, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

This is the Dec. 12, 2025 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Article for More Information

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

An 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bowl Owned by the Historic Ephrata Cloister in Pennsylvania

This is a red earthenware bowl that I recently came across owned by the Historic Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is described by the museum and historic site as having been made in the late eighteenth century, where it is also stated as being original to the Cloister because the bowl was present when the Cloister was acquired by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1941.

The manufacturer is not identified, but the community was established in 1732 by the German immigrant and religious leader Johann Conrad Beissel (1691-1768), as a Protestant monastic spiritual center, known for its distinct Germanic architecture, vibrant music, illuminated manuscripts (Fraktur), and printing press producing religious works. The community sharply declined after Beissel's death in 1768.

Nonetheless, there is no indication that this bowl was made by a potter working at the Ephrata Cloister, but the idea of it reminds me of forty nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware bowls that were made at the John Bell (1800-1880) Pottery in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Those bowls were made for the Snow Hill Nunnery in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and used for serving stew during the Society’s love feast. The love feasts were held regularly by the community throughout its existence, from its founding in 1798 until the death of the last celibate member in 1895. All of the bowls were then auctioned off by Horst Auction Company in Pennsylvania in August 1997: https://oldehope.com/antique-glazed-redware-bowl/.

Note: For more information about the John Bell Pottery - see a three-page cover story I wrote for the December 7, 2018 issue of Antiques and Auction News, titled, The Bell Pottery Collection At The Renfrew Museum in Waynesboro, Pa. - http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2018/12/feature-story-published-in-antiques-and.html.

An 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bowl

Late 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bowl

Owned by the Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster, PA

Measures 11 3/4" in Diameter

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Historic Ephrata Cloister

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