The Continued Study of the Dodge Family Pottery of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Centuries in Portland, Maine

I wanted to share this information that I have been meaning to post for some-time now; the following red earthenware five-gallon butter churn was purchased from the Dr. Burton Pearl Collection last August at an auction held in Blue Hills, Maine. I have always wondered about the churn's origin. The auction house described the churn as a Maine-made product from the nineteenth-century; however, no more information was provided than that.

In recent months, new information has come forward about the Dodge Pottery of Portland, Maine, revealing that some products, which have been a deep-routed attribution to other potters in Maine for years now, could have actually been made by the Dodge Family in Portland. This could potentially break beliefs that date back decades. Here is a link to a recent report that I would suggest reading that shows how this kind of attribution has swayed from one area(s) of Maine to Portland.

The Doge Pottery was established by Benjamin Dodge (1774-1838) in the late-eighteenth-century in Maine (when the land was still Massachusetts) - and, continued well into the 1870's, under the guidance of Dodge's son, Benjamin Dodge, Jr. (1802-1876).

What's fascinating about this butter churn is that it is stamped with a number '5' - a very similar number '5' stamp is seen on a lid and a jar that I own that is likely made at the Dodge Pottery. Previously, these kinds of jars and lids have been attributed to the Thomas Truxton Kendrick (1827-1877) Pottery in Hollis, Maine; however, a signed jar by Benjamin Dodge was recently compared to these jars - and, my interpretation is that all of these jars were made at the Dodge Pottery. I believe that could also be the case for this butter churn, which would be a significant discovery since so little information about this business is known today. In theory, I believe the Dodge Pottery was actually a centralized potter's business in Maine in the 1800's - and, it should be considered one of the most important Maine-based businesses today. I really feel there is a lot to be learned about this business, which could potentially lead to additional newly realized information from other potter's business in the state.

 My Niece, Alexis with the Red Earthenware Butter Churn

 19th Century 5-Gallon Red Earthenware Butter Churn Reportedly Made in Maine

Possibly Made at the Dodge Pottery in Portland, Maine

Ca. 1820-1860

Ex Dr. Burton Pearl Collection

Stands 16 1/8" Tall

 View of One Side

 View of the Lid

 View of the Interior

 View of the Stamped '5' Mark

 19th Century Red Earthenware Lids and Jar Likely Made at the Dodge Pottery in Portland, ME

Previously, Thought to Have Been Made in Hollis, ME

Ca. 1820-1860

Here are all of the stamped '5's' as seen on one of the lids, the jar and the butter churn above. The '5' on the butter churn is larger than those that are seen on the lid and the jar. In my opinion, the butter churn's '5' is really similar to the others - even the top line on the '5' dips down like that seen on the jar and the lid. I find this very interesting!

 View of the '5' Mark on the Butter Churn

 View of a '5' Mark on One of the Lids

View of Two '5's' on the Jar

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

A Rare Nicely Glazed Hand-Thrown 19th Century Red Earthenware Vase Possibly from Coastal Massachusetts

No matter the maker, a vase is a rare form to see today from traditional red earthenware potters, who worked in a variety of regions in America in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries. The form became more popular in the latter-half of the nineteenth-century, but by no means was it a common style. I don't have proof, but I can't imagine that it was a universal form that transcended from one potter's business to the next. Personally, I just don't see every major potter's business producing such an object; although, it was a form that was definitely made by a number of potters, who stretched from the South, to Virginia, Pennsylvania, the Midwest, Western New York - and, throughout all of New England. The form was not only limited to red earthenware potters, either - some stoneware potters also embraced the form in the late-1800's. When it comes to this form, I personally enjoy a double-handled vase more than a traditional (handleless) vase; although, that's just my personal preference. In my opinion, the handles give the vase more character. The handles add detail to a simpler handleless object. A double-handled vase often has more of a personality - and, the handles really give it a sense of flare that speaks to the aesthetic and design movement that happened across America after 1870.

What I'd like to do in this report is reveal a rare double-handled vase that I purchased in recent years - and, through form, style and decoration, this vase embraces the idea of the kind of design that I have just previously described within the traditional red earthenware potter's community in the nineteenth-century.

Purely speaking, from a visual context,  this double-handled vase is absolutely incredible! I would describe it as 'stunning.' It was sold to me by friends a little more than a year ago - and, it was picked many years before that. This vase is an example of a traditional utilitarian potter, who opted to make a decorative vase - rather, than the traditional household wares that most New England red earthenware potters are known for today before the Arts & Crafts Movement happened. This is not a vase that was made by a design company or an art potter during the nineteenth-century; it was made by a potter, who was also producing crocks, pots and pans. This is an example of a potter, who made household products - and, they decided to also make a vase. It's possible they decided to make a number of vases like this; however, this is the only vase like this that I know of today.

I believe this vase was possibly made in the potter's industry in Southeastern, Massachusetts, where there were dozens of potters employed at multiple businesses in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries, manufacturing both red earthenware and stoneware. This is also an area, where most of the products that have survived today predate 1830; however, the red earthenware businesses in this part of New England actually operated in Southeastern Massachusetts into the 1850's in Somerset at the Purinton Pottery - and, the Boyce Pottery appears to have even operated later, possibly as late as the 1880's or the early-1890's. I believe there is still much to be learned about the wares made in this part of New England after 1830 today. Personally, I don't think everything is known.

The glaze style seen on this vase is similar to some hand-thrown red earthenware rundlets that were entirely glazed in this part of New England before 1830 (ca. 1790-1830). The rounded foot is also somewhat reminiscent of some of the rounded feet seen on the more traditional household products also made in Southeastern Massachusetts before 1830. This is just a great form with a beautiful multicolored glaze.

 19th Century New England-Made Hand-Thrown Double-Handled Red Earthenware Vase
Possibly Made at a Potter's Business in Southeastern Massachusetts

Ca. 1850-1890

Stands 7 1/2" Tall

 View of One Handle

 View of the Other Handle

 View of the Glaze Base

 View of the Footed Base

View of the Interior

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

A Few Examples of Pottery Discovered Today Along Coastal Southern Maine

Soon after I visited Todd's Farm Flea Market this morning in Rowley, Massachusetts - I visited the Arundel Flea Market in Arundel, Maine. Similar to Todd's Farm earlier this morning - the Arundel Flea Market was also full of dealers. Most of the dealers seemed to have been local to Maine that is different from Todd's Farm, which can appear like a regional New England and upstate New York flea market during the peak spring, summer and fall months when the weather is nice.

 Arundel, ME Flea Market

 Arundel, ME Flea Market

Arundel, ME Flea Market

In Arundel, I discovered a really interesting hand-thrown handled red earthenware cooking (food) pan with a brown glaze that was likely made in Maine in the 1800's. The dealer told me he discovered it in a home in South Paris, Maine over the winter. I've never seen this form before.

South Paris, ME Marked on the Map
Bridgton, ME is Located a Few Miles to the Southwest

Photo Courtesy: Google Maps

My initial reaction when I saw the unusual hand-thrown mold was if it could be a product made at the Kitson Pottery in the first-half of the nineteenth-century in nearby Bridgeton, Maine. The author, M. Lelyn Branin discussed the Kitson Pottery in detail in his book, 'The Early Potters and Potteries of Maine.' In the book, Branin described what he handled at the North Bridgton Museum with products related to this business: "I have seen and photographed at the North Bridgton Museum a number of glazed and unglazed pieces of redware attributed to the Kitsons, and they reflect both skill and imagination on the part of the craftsmen. Included are such items as bean pots in several types and sizes, a large milk pan, a pie dish, vases in several shapes and sizes, several reproductions of simple classical pottery, plain with relief decorations, or painted and gilded, handles mugs, (food) molds and molded pieces, including a large rosette with relief decorations, pieces of kiln furniture (stilts), and other items. Several of the pieces have a yellow-green glaze, which seems to reflect a preference of the potter, while other pieces are in tones of medium brown."

 Unusual 19th Century Hand-Thrown Handled Pan with a Brown Glaze

Possibly Made at the Kitson Family Pottery in Bridgton, ME

Stands 2 1/2" Tall

Measures 11" Across with Handles

Found Today at the Arundel, ME Flea Market

Originally Discovered in a House in South Paris, ME

 View of the Base

 View of the Handle

 View of the Other Handle

Another View of the Base

After the flea market, I proceeded a few miles north to a junk shop in the Portland, Maine area, where I discovered this very-well made sewer tile bust of a boy. I don't know a lot about it, but it definitely has piqued my interest into where it may have been made in the nineteenth or twentieth-century.

 19th/20th Century Sewer Tile Bust of a Boy

American-Made - Possibly Western Pennsylvania or Eastern Ohio

Measures 6 3/4" Tall

Discovered in a Junk Shop in the Portland, ME Area

 Closer Look at the Sewer Tile Bust

 View of One Side

View of the Back

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

A Great Pair of Discoveries for a Bargain Price Found Today at Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Massachusetts

I was skeptical late last night, after watching the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, whether I would wake up at 5:00 am this morning for the weekly Sunday morning Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Massachusetts. Honestly, I was tired when my alarm clock went off; however, I couldn't imagine missing the opportunity to discover something at the flea market that I may regret down the road; believe me, when I tell you, that it has happened before. With that in mind, I dragged myself out of bed to witness a beautiful sunrise over the Merrimack River in Newburyport, Massachusetts - and, yet, another sunrise over the Parker River in Rowley.

 Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

 Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

 Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

 Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

A Sample of the Stoneware that was For Sale Today

 Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

Todd's Farm Flea Market - Rowley, MA

I was surprised with how full the two fields were today that consisted of regular weekly dealers; although, there were also a lot of dealers, who were only setting up for today - these were not the dealers, who are there every week. Regularly, these are the dealers that I prefer since they often bring fresh inventory, but you never really know what's going to show up with any given dealer.

I actually walked around the fields a couple of times, as the dealers were setting up - and, it appeared that today may be a day that I could come home empty handed. However, that quickly changed on my way out, when I walked up to a dealer, who was just unloading his vehicle. Unfortunately, I don't know who the dealer was, but he brought a number of nice objects with him to the flea market. I picked up a pair of plates that were stacked on top of each other on top of one of his tables. He said to me, "Those are the real deal!" I quickly said, "How much?" He replied, "Ten-bucks each!" He also told me that he thought they came from a house in Kittery, Maine, but he wasn't positive of it - he told me he does a lot of house clean outs - and, that's where he thought the pair of plates came from. I quickly gave him twenty-dollars - and, I went on my way very-happy with the purchase.

Delftware: "1714, from Delft, town in Holland where the glazed earthenware was made."

According to 'The Old China Book' by N. Hudson Moore, "During the reign (1558-1603) of Queen Elizabeth (England) there were imported from Germany numbers of stoneware jugs, generally called Bellarmines, which superseded for drinking purposes home-made vessels. Not only these German vessels but Delft ware and occasional pieces of Oriental and Italian faience also crept into England. From this period, about 1560, may be dated the use of the potter's art in England, and many utensils were made which were not lacking in artistic feeling and suitability for the purposes for which they were used. Fifty years later the mugs and jugs with many handles, the posset-pots and flagons were turned in a superior style of material, design and workmanship.

The very early Staffordshire (England) potters commenced with what must be called 'English Delft,' though properly that term should only be given to such ware as was made in England in direct imitation of the Dutch ware and covered with tin glaze. However the term 'Delft' was applied long after tin glaze had been superseded by translucent glaze, and was broad enough to cover the painting of birds and flowers in the Chinese style which was so popular with the Dutch china painters and imitated by the English.

'Old Delft' properly speaking, is that faience made in Holland during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, covered with a heavy opaque glaze of tin, which like salt glaze, has many tiny holes in its surface. It is very friable, and chips and scales easily, as nearly all pieces of genuine old Delft will testify. English Delft with tin glaze was made in Bristol and Liverpool, as well as in Staffordshire and Lambeth."

Delftware or tin glazed earthenware products have been discovered in many seventeenth and eighteenth-century archaeological contexts in America - for example, a huge collection of sherds were discovered inside a seventeenth-century context during the archaeology conducted in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the 1980's. Sherds have also been discovered in an archeological context at Fanueil Hall in Boston that predate 1742. Ultimately, tin glazed earthenware or delftware has been discovered in archaeological contexts all-over the American eastern seaboard in contexts from before 1800. It was a product that was exported from Europe (and imported) into the American colonies in the 1600's and the 1700's.

Today, at Todd's Farm Flea Market, I purchased a pair of delftware plates from the dealer, who's conversation I previously discussed. I believe these are a pair of eighteenth-century Dutch examples in wonderful condition; however, I am not positive of that. What I find exciting about both of these plates is that they may have been discovered in Kittery, Maine, which has strong ties to European trade along the Piscataqua River - and, even neighboring Portsmouth, New Hampshire from the seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries.

 18th Century Delftware Plate Possibly Made in Holland

Measures 9" in Diameter

Discovered Today at Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Mass.

Originally Thought to Have Been Found in Kittery, ME

 18th Century Delftware Plate Possibly Made in Holland

Measures 9" in Diameter

Discovered Today at Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Mass.

Originally Thought to Have Been Found in Kittery, ME

 Both Plates Pictured Together

Back of Both Plates

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

Another Pottery Discovery in Plymouth, Massachusetts

According to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, " (The) Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati (Ohio) was the largest and most important of more than one hundred art potteries in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, lasting from 1880 to 1967. The American Art Pottery movement was largely a reaction to the perceived inferiority of American ceramic ware exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Maria Nichols was so impressed by the ceramics of Japan displayed at the centennial that she persuaded her wealthy father to provide the funds to establish her own pottery. She named it Rookwood after the Longworth country estate. Over the next several years she hired good chemists and excellent artists, who helped to make Rookwood the high-quality art pottery it became. Rookwood was different from usual commercial enterprises. All those involved felt strongly that Rookwood pottery should be marketed as fine art."

Rookwood pottery is represented in museums and prominent collections all-over the United States today (i.e. Smithsonian, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Arts and a countless number of other art museums) - and, in some cases, the world-over.

Yesterday, I was, yet, again in Plymouth, Massachusetts for something I had to pick up - so, rather than just driving south of Boston and back to the North Shore - I decided to check out the group shops in the area that I already had visited last weekend. Surprisingly, I discovered a large example of fine Rookwood Pottery that I may have walked directly passed, without taking notice, less than a week ago - or, it may have been brought into the shop by the dealer earlier this week. Either way, I really don't have an answer; although, I was certainly surprised to see it sitting on a shelf in the middle of the shop. I don't normally seek out examples of pottery from this business (I've never actually owned an example before); however, for only ten-dollars - I couldn't afford to leave it there. I have since given it to my mother. The painted flowers are really quite attractive - initially, they are what drew my eye to this piece. After handling and studying this pot for the past day, I can definitely see why certain examples of Rookwood Pottery are competitively sought out today by collectors, dealers and museums.

 Main Street Antiques - Plymouth, MA

 Main Street Antiques - Plymouth, MA

 Main Street Antiques - Plymouth, MA

Rookwood Pottery Discovered at Maine Street Antiques in Plymouth, MA
Picture was Taken Moments After I had Purchased it in the Back of my Jeep

 Late-19th Century Rookwood Pottery Jardiniere - Cincinnati, OH

Ca. 1890's

Stands 8" Tall

Measures 12" Across at Widest Point

Discovered Yesterday in a Group Antique Shop in Plymouth, MA

View of the Base and the Mark

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

Our First Visit in 2015 to the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Massachusetts in Search of Artifacts Related to an Important Potter's Business from the 18th and 19th Centuries

After a tough winter that many of us experienced this year - I figured there would be a number of artifacts that may have emerged in Merrimacport, Massachusetts, where the important eighteenth and nineteenth-century potter, William Pecker made red earthenware and stoneware (ca. 1790-1820) adjacent to the Merrimack River. This waterway was undoubtedly employed by Pecker - and, any of his workers to transport wares to places like Newburyport, Massachusetts and the small communities in the area that bordered the river. I've been contemplating visiting the area for the past few weeks in hopes that I may find some new discoveries and insights into Pecker's operation. After Pecker's death in 1820, the Merrimacport tradition carried on through his nephew, James Chase - along with his family into the 1880's; however, I firmly believe that the precise area that I have discovered is likely the place of Pecker's operation based on the kind of evidence that I have discovered in the past year.

Two days ago (Wednesday), my eleven-year-old nephew, Jason and I were collecting broken sewer tile from the early-twentieth-century along the Merrimack River in Newburyport for a garden that we are currently building in the front of my house in Newburyport - when we noticed that it was low tide. I figured this would be a great opportunity to see if anything new had materialized on the shore of the Merrimack River over the winter - my reasoning behind this thought is that it appears Pecker dumped some of his kiln waste into the river, while bad coastal storms have caused erosion in recent years that have forced some damage to the local land in Merrimacport pulling previously hidden sherds and related artifacts from the land into the river and along the shoreline.

We didn't spend a lot of time searching the shoreline for artifacts yesterday; although, I would say we probed the area for a solid half-hour. Surprisingly, there was not a lot of new discoveries to be found, which is contradictory to some of our previous visits. I had thought that all of the winter storms from a few months ago would have forced new evidence from Pecker's operation onto the shore. Rather, it's possibly that the storms may have actually further hidden a lot of that evidence. None-the-less, we did find a small collection that I would like to share today.

 My 11-Year-Old Nephew, Jason Peers Out at the Merrmack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

At Least Three Potter's Businesses Are Known to Have Made Wares in this Area

Bodge Pottery: Before 1790

William Pecker Pottery: Ca. 1790-1820

Chase Family Pottery: Ca. 1820-1880's

 Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

My 11-Year-Old Nephew, Jason and Our Bags of Artifacts

Red Bag: Redware

Blue Bag: Stoneware

We did find a few more examples of evidence (kiln furniture) of Pecker's stoneware production in Merrimacport, which will be added to the dozens-and-dozens of examples that we have already discovered. We also found a few plainly decorated salt-glazed sherds - unfortunately, none of these are as exciting as some of the cobalt decorated and incised sherds that we have found in the past - even though, this is still important evidence of a stoneware production that is still under investigation today.

 Stoneware Kiln Furniture Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Stoneware Sherds Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Naturally, the Pecker Pottery is almost entirely known for its red earthenware production today - so, it wouldn't have been a complete visit to Merrimacport if we didn't bring home a few red earthenware sherds. As far as I can see - none of these glazes have ever been attributed to Pecker today. The understanding of Pecker's palette of glaze colors is rather limited today despite sherd evidence that reveals he experimented with upwards of twenty-or-more decorative colors.

Red Earthenware Shers Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Unusual Glaze Colors for What is Known Today for Merrimacport, MA Products

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