New York State was a hotspot for historic pottery this weekend! While scholars were busy learning at Dish Camp—a fantastic event held in Eastern New York—there was also a great event taking place in Western New York. Co-sponsored by the LeRoy Historical Society and the Genesee Country Antique Dealers Association, this special regional program brought out a fantastic crowd of about seventy-five collectors and historians. I spoke with Western New York dealer and collector Gene Pratt to share the stage and showcase a spectacular pop-up exhibit. Featuring rare pieces from both private and museum collections, it was easily the largest display of local red earthenware seen in decades, if not longer!
A true highlight of the evening's exhibition was the inclusion of an extraordinary group of red earthenware attributed to the Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831) Pottery of West Bloomfield, New York. Active during the first quarter of the nineteenth century from circa 1818 to 1831, this short-lived operation produced some of the most spectacularly colorful, slip-decorated red earthenware found anywhere in the state. Because these survivors are exceptionally rare, bringing so many together under one roof was a momentous occasion. In fact, this pop-up display likely represented the largest and most diverse collection of Nathaniel Rochester pottery gathered in a single room since the business was originally operating over two centuries ago!
The event also provided a meaningful opportunity to honor George Hamell. His immense contributions—both in identifying early pottery and through archaeology—laid the foundational groundwork for the modern understanding of Western New York red earthenware. Much of his research materials and artifacts are preserved today in the collections of the Rochester Museum & Science Center.
The night also highlighted my ninth book, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York. This two-volume, 1,400-page project was published in the spring of 2025, and it was incredible to share and discuss the book with the community that made it possible. Key contributors like Gene Pratt and Vince Martonis were there, alongside some of the museums that I have spent the last decade collaborating with on research articles, such as the Das Haus Museum in Niagara County, in preparation for the book.
Nonetheless, for more information about the book (and how to purchase one or both volumes) - see this link: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/.
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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