19th Century Red Earthenware Figural of a Monkey Holding a Bucket in the Collection of the Adams County, Pennsylvania Historical Society

I am finalizing a feature story for publication later this year about the multi-generational Miller family red earthenware pottery of Adams County, Pennsylvania, which was first cited in detail in Jeannette Lasansky's book, Central Pennsylvania Redware Pottery, 1780-1904. 

It was noted in the book how some of the family members peddled their wares, whereas it was also mentioned that the Millers produced some whimsical and special objects. Lasansky also said that the Millers employed a number of migrant German potters through the years, which I speculate may or may not have included Anthony Weis Baecher (1824-1889). 

Nevertheless, I recently came across this nineteenth century red earthenware figural of a monkey holding a bucket in the collection of the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The historical society suggests that it may have been made at the Speese family pottery in Gettysburg, although I have never seen anything like this attributed to the Speeses before. Could this figural have been made at another pottery in Adams County, perhaps even made by a member of the Miller family or a journeyman potter who worked for them in the 1800s?

Much of the Speese family's red earthenware production was utilitarian wares and some decorative objects produced in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In fact, in the summer months they setup an outdoor stand for the tourist trade that came to the area to remember and see the land where the Battle of Gettysburg took place. They sold miniature cannonballs, canteens, jugs and other tiny objects to be used (and kept) as souvenirs. Where the locally sourced clay came from was also a major selling point for these objects, seeing that it was described as coming from the Gettysburg battlefield.

Note: Here is a link to many of the Speese Pottery objects owned by the Adams County Historical Society: https://achspa.catalogaccess.com/search?search=%22speese%22&includedFields=Objects%2CPhotos%2CLibrary%2CArchives%2CPeople&page=1&size=10&withImages=false.

19th Century Red Earthenware Figural of a Monkey Holding a Bucket

19th Century Red Earthenware Figured of a Monkey Holding a Bucket

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Photo Courtesy: Adams County Historical Society

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