The Dodge Pottery, established around 1798 by Benjamin Dodge Sr. (1774-1838) and continued by his son Benjamin Dodge Jr. (1802-1876) until 1875, was a cornerstone of Portland, Maine’s early maritime economy. As one of the region's red earthenware businesses in the Portland and North Yarmouth, Maine area, this particular pottery became renowned for its high-quality, utilitarian items that often featured distinctive artistic flourishes. For example, the infilled slip inscription of various kitchen ingredients on lidded jars is a signature characteristic of the Dodge family's work. They were well-known for creating these specialized, lidded spice jars with slip-trailed labels for common household ingredients, which were perhaps inspired after British production.
This type of jar reflects both the practical needs of nineteenth century New England households, as well as the cultural legacy of the Dodge family, whose craftsmanship is even believed to have inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s (1807-1882) poem "Keramos."
Nonetheless, this jar with its original repaired lid adorned with "CREAM TARTAR.," just sold as part of Crocker Farm's Spring 2026 Sale in Sparks, Maryland for $1,200 plus the buyer's premium: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2026-04-10/lot-495/Rare-Redware-CREAM-TARTAR-Jar-w-Lid-attrib-Dodge-Pottery-Portland-Maine-c1825/.
Note: For more information - see a three-part series that I wrote about the Dodge Pottery in 2022 for Antiques And The Arts Weekly, as well as my seventh 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/.
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