A Potential Example of Locally Made 17th Century Red Earthenware Recovered from the Site of the Lovelace Tavern in New York City

According to the New York City Archaeological Repository, "The Stadt Huys Block was the location of New York City's first hall, Stadt Huys (71 Pearl Street), dating from the Dutch Colonial period. While excavations did not reveal any evidence of the Stadt Huys building, researchers did discover the remains of the Lovelace Tavern. Sir Francis Lovelace (ca. 1621-1675), New York City's second English governor, built the tavern in 1670 and it served as an interim town hall after the Stadt Huys fell out of use. The finds from this site make up one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in New York City."

The variety of red earthenware recovered at the site of Stadt Huys Block in Manhattan within eighteenth and nineteenth century archaeological contexts is rather interesting seeing that it appears like a conglomerate of domestic wares. For example, there is a wide variety of slip-decoration represented, which appears like production from places such as Long Island, Philadelphia, as well as other locations.

However, the seventeenth century context for Sir Francis Lovelace's tavern is important for multiple reasons, which include examples of the city's seventeenth century red earthenware production from immigrant Dutch potters.

The following jug has been identified by archaeologists as a potential example of seventeenth century red earthenware production from New York City. It was recovered from within a barrel at the site of the tavern. It's remarkable to see this type of production today.

17th Century Red Earthenware Jug Recovered in New York City

17th Century Dutch-Style Red Earthenware Jug Likely Made in New York City

Excavated from within a Barrel at the Site of the Lovelace Tavern

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Photo Courtesy: New York City Archaeological Repository

Another View of the Jug

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Photo Courtesy: New York City Archaeological Repository

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

A Possible Whately, Massachusetts Red Earthenware Teapot Recovered in New York City

Thomas Crafts (1781-1861) owned and operated a pottery in Whately, Massachusetts in the nineteenth century that produced both red earthenware and stoneware. Although, he might be best known today for the black-glazed teapots that his pottery produced during the circa 1821-1833 period.

It has been published that Crafts manufactured as many as 2,067 dozen teapots annually, and they were sold at a wholesale price of $1.00 per dozen. There are even reports that suggest some of the teapots from the Crafts Pottery were exported to New York City.

The Crafts Pottery teapots have also been recovered from various archaeological contexts - for instance, Anthony Butera wrote about a teapot that had been discovered in a hearth of the circa 1820 Cowan stone house in Delaware County, New York for the 2011 issue of Ceramics in America. But I have also studied examples that appear to have originated in Whately uncovered in Salem, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Berwick, Maine and Yarmouth, Maine.

However, I recently learned about another teapot that appears like production from the Crafts Pottery that was recovered by archaeologists in 1979-80 within a nineteenth century context at Stadt Huys Block in New York City. According to the New York City Archaeological Repository, "The block was the location of New York City's first hall, Stadt Huys (71 Pearl Street), dating from the Dutch Colonial period. While excavations did not reveal any evidence of the Stadt Huys building, researchers did discover the remains of the Lovelace Tavern. Sir Francis Lovelace (ca. 1621-1675), New York City's second English governor, built the tavern in 1670 and it served as an interim town hall after the Stadt Huys fell out of use. The finds from this site make up one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in New York City."

Black-Glazed Teapot Recovered in New York City

19th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Teapot

Possibly Made at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Possibly Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: New York City Archaeological Repository

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

The "Evacuation Day Jug" Owned by the Museum of the City of New York

Last week, I wrote about an incredibly important stoneware temperance snake jug made at the Cornwall Kirkpatrick (1819-1890) and Wallace Kirkpatrick (1828-1896) Pottery (active 1859-1896) in Anna, Illinois, which is currently on display at the New York Historical Society in Manhattan. The jug was made as a presentation piece for Thomas Nast (1840-1902) about 1871 in recognition of his efforts in exposing William Magear "Boss" Tweed (1823-1878), a corrupt senator in New York City who embezzled the city out of tens-of-millions of dollars. Nast published political caricatures of Tweed and his cronies in Harper's Weekly (1857-1916), which eventually helped expose the corruption that took place at Tammany Hall, especially during the circa 1868-1871 period.

I also saw the story of Nast, Tweed and Tammany Hall on display over the weekend when I visited the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan. In the middle of the exhibit is a circa 1869 photograph of Tweed.

But the museum also exhibits a wonderful display of artifacts that tell the story of the city - "New York at its Core: 400 Years of New York City History." There are other galleries, as well, such as an incredible presentation of New York City silver and a temporary exhibit devoted to Stanley Kubrick's (1828-1999) photography titled, "Through a Different Lens," which is on display until October 28, 2018.

However, while I did not view any of the artifacts, I also know the museum owns some archaeology related to seventeenth century red earthenware production in the city from Dutch immigrant potters. The archaeology was recovered in the 1970s.

There is also a great collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century locally-made stoneware from potters like Commeraw, Crolius and Remmey; whereas, the highlight of this collection is an object appropriately named the "Evacuation Day Jug," probably made by John Crolius, Jr. during the circa 1800-1805 period. The front of the jug is decorated with an inscribed fort, a flagpole, a partially raised British flag, as well as a man on the pole with a bucket.

According to the Museum of the City of New York, "Evacuation Day (November 25, 1783), when the British finally sailed away, was celebrated by generations of New Yorkers as the dawning of a new era of independence and renewed prosperity. This jug was probably made by John Crolius, Jr., a soldier and potter who returned to New York on the day the occupying forces left. The jug depicts a key moment: the attempt by departing English soldiers to grease a flagpole so that patriots could not tear down the British flag. One figure says, "Damn the rebels, I will give them some trouble," while the other says, "Slush (grease) it well, Johnny.""

The "Evacuation Day Jug"

My Nephew, Jason Admiring the "Evacuation Day Jug"

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

Early-19th Century Stoneware Jug Known as the "Evacuation Day Jug"

Probably Made by John Crolius, Jr. in Manhattan

Inscribed with a Fort, a Flagpole, a British Flag, as well as a Man on the Pole with a Bucket

One figure says, "Damn the rebels, I will give them some trouble," 
While the other says, "Slush (grease) it well, Johnny."

Circa 1800-1805

Stands 15" Tall

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

Another View of the Jug

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

Inscribed with a Fort, a Flagpole, a British Flag, as well as a Man on the Pole with a Bucket

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

One figure says, "Damn the rebels, I will give them some trouble," 
While the other says, "Slush (grease) it well, Johnny."

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

One figure says, "Damn the rebels, I will give them some trouble," 
While the other says, "Slush (grease) it well, Johnny."

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

Information Currently on Display with the Jug

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Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

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

A Wonderful 17th/18th Century Marbled Red Earthenware Pot from North Italy Recently Discovered in Ontario

This is an object that I am quite excited to have just received from a friend in Ontario, which also happens to be where this sweet little red earthenware pot was discovered. In fact, the only other example I have ever handled was owned for decades by Sheffield, Massachusetts antiques dealer, Sam Herrup. Otherwise, this is a style of production that I am only familiar with today based on archaeological evidence.

I first encountered this type of marbled red earthenware production while in the process of studying the dozens of boxes that makeup the Charlestown, Massachusetts Archaeology Collection at the Boston Archaeology Department in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. The vast majority of the sherds had been recovered within a seventeenth century archaeological context. But I later learned about related sherds that had been recovered in Salem, Massachusetts, as well as artifacts discovered by archaeologists from Salem State University within a circa 1639-1676 archaeological context at the site of the Phips Plantation in Woolwich, Maine.

This type of production is attributed to potteries in North Italy today, which apparently was intermittently shipped to the American colonies in the seventeenth and possibly early-eighteenth century. I can only begin to imagine the history that this object must retain.

North Italian Pot Recently Found in Ontario

 My Niece Pictured with the Pot to Demonstrate the Size

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 17th/18th Century Marbled Red Earthenware Pot

Attributed to North Italy

Recently Discovered in Ontario

This Type of Production has Been Recovered in Various 17th Century Contexts in New England

Stands 4 3/8" Tall

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

See Sherds Below for Examples Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

See Article for More Information 

 Another View of the Pot

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

See Article for More Information 

 Another View of the Pot

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

See Article for More Information 

 View of the Interior

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

See Article for More Information 

View of the Base

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

See Article for More Information 

North Italian Red Earthenware Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

 17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

  17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

  17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherds

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

  17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

  17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

(Left) 17th Century Marbled North Italian Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered by Archeologists in Charlestown, Mass.

See Link in Article for Sherds Recovered in Woolwich, ME

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department

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

An Important Stoneware Temperance Snake Jug Made for Thomas Nast Owned by the New York Historical Society

I have previously written about the Elie Nadelman (1882-1946) Collection owned by the New York Historical Society in New York City, which the museum acquired in 1937. The collection consists of about 15,000 objects, much of which relate to the field of American folk art.

Nadelman is described as a person who is widely known for his elegant, modernist sculptures created in the first half of the twentieth century. But the museum says, "Less familiar is the pioneering folk art collection he established with his wife, Viola Spiess Flannery (1878-1962). Nadelman was influenced by the 'peasant arts' of his native Poland, and other European countries, and began collecting after he migrated to New York City in 1914."

Nevertheless, this remarkable nineteenth century stoneware temperance snake jug is currently on display on the fourth floor of the museum beside many of the objects from Nadelman's collection. This important object was made at the Cornwall Kirkpatrick (1814-1890) and Wallace Kirkpatrick (1828-1896) Pottery (active 1859-1896) in Anna, Illinois, circa 1871. It was gifted to the museum in 1906 by Sarah (Edwards) Nast, the wife of caricaturist and editorial cartoonist, Thomas Nast (1840-1902).

According to the New York Historical Society, "Political cartoonist Thomas Nast published biting caricatures in Harper's Weekly (1857-1916) that exposed the corruption at Tammany Hall, the political machine that controlled New York City in the mid-nineteenth century.

This has also been a subject of interest for the Museum of the City of New York, "Tammany Hall, the New York Democratic political organization was founded in the eighteenth century, and is now best known for its scandals, corruption, embezzlement, fraud, and rigged elections. At the heart of it all was William Magear "Boss" Tweed (1823-1878), the corrupt man and state senator (served 1868-1873) behind the Tammany Hall political machine from the height of its power in 1868 to its eventual downfall in 1871. It is estimated that he defrauded the city out of $30 million to $200 million dollars (equivalent to $365 million to $2.4 billion dollars today). He eventually died in the Ludlow Street Jail in New York City in 1878."

Also according to the New York Historical Society, "The potter's Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick presented this jug to Nast about 1871 in recognition of his efforts. The jug's swirling snakes represent the corruption at Tammany Hall; the serpents feature the faces of ringleader William M. "Boss" Tweed and his cronies."

The Kirkpatrick Pottery in Anna is known to have manufactured a number of temperance snake jugs in the company's existence, including examples for the Civil War and the Centennial. But I have always viewed the jug that was made for Nast, representing the political corruption in New York City in the 1800s, as one of the best examples known today.

Stoneware Temperance Jug Made in Anna, IL

19th Century Stoneware Temperance Snake Jug

Made at the Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick Pottery in Anna, IL

Made as a Gift for Thomas Nast in 1871

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: New York Historical Society 

Description of the Temperance Jug by the New York Historical Society

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Photo Courtesy: New York Historical Society

William Magear "Boss" Tweed

William Magear "Boss" Tweed

Circa 1869

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

Some of Thomas Nast's Caricatures for Harper's Weekly

"Two Great Questions"

Created by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly

Published August 19, 1871

Photo Courtesy: New York Times

Caricature of Boss Tweed

Created by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly

Published October 8, 1871

Photo Courtesy: Museum of the City of New York

"What are You Laughing at? To the Victors Belong the Spoils"

Created by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly

Published November 25, 1871

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art

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

Collection of Southern Objects Owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In anticipation of visiting the the William C. and Susan S. Mariner Collection later this month at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I thought I would post some of the southern objects that I have visited in recent years. I have seen some remarkable objects at places like the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and various art museums, but I thought I would post some of the pieces I viewed last summer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

All of the following objects are southern in origin, except the circa 1845-1855 red earthenware lion made by John Bell (1800-1880) in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. However, a very similar lion was manufactured by Bell's brother, Solomon Bell (1817-1882) in either Winchester or Strasburg, Virgina during the circa 1840-1850 period, which is owned by MESDA today.

Although, the MET also owns many more southern objects besides what I have posted, such as a pair of remarkable late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century slip decorated dishes with tulips attributed to Alamance County, North Carolina that were recently acquired in 2012.

North Carolina Red Earthenware

 (Left) 18th/19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Creamer

Attributed to Alamance County, NC

(Right) 18th/19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Teapot

Attributed to Alamance County, NC

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

18th/19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Lidded Jar 

Attributed to Alamance County, NC

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

19th Century Red Earthenware Squirrel Bottle

Attributed to Rudolph Christ - Salem, NC

Circa 1804-1829

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Waynesboro, PA Lion

19th Century Red Earthenware Lion Made by John Bell in Waynesboro, PA

Circa 1845-1855

Stands 7 1/2" Tall

Similar Lion was Made by Solomon Bell in Virginia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

 View of the Lion's Face

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Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Virginia Red Earthenware

Late-19th Century Red Earthenware Washbowl

Made by J. Eberly and Co. in Strasburg, VA

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Late-19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher

Made by J. Eberly and Co. in Strasburg, VA

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art

 19th Century Red Earthenware Vase
Decorated with Applied, Bird, Flowers and Leaves

Attributed to Anthony Baecher  - Winchester, VA
Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

 19th Century Red Earthenware Sugar Bowl
Decorated with Applied, Bird, Flowers and Leaves

Attributed to Anthony Baecher  - Winchester, VA
Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

South Carolina Stoneware

19th Century South Carolina Stoneware Face Jugs

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

19th Century Stoneware Face Jug Attributed to Edgefield District in South Carolina

Circa 1860s

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

19th Century Stoneware Face Jug Attributed to Edgefield District in South Carolina

Circa 1860s

Photo Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

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

18th/19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Pan and Mug Recovered on the Property of the Paine House in Ipswich, Massachusetts

It has been almost one month since I wrote about the archaeology of the circa 1694 Paine House at Greenwood Farm in Ipswich, Massachusetts, which is owned today by the Trustees of the Reservations. The property was acquired by the museum in 1975 and the house in 1979. My interest began with this site as a result of an eighteenth or early-nineteenth century slip-decorated red earthenware pan that had been recovered within a context connected to a dairy on the property.

Yesterday, I visited the collections department at the Trustees of the Reservations in Sharon, Massachusetts in order to study the 25 boxes that made up the archaeology collection. I looked at every single piece of red earthenware recovered on the property, and the forms include black-glazed jugs and mugs (straight-sided and barrel-formed), a number of examples of milk pans decorated with a variety of glazes, and some of which were even adorned in slip-decoration.

However, aside from the slip-decorated objects, every other piece of red earthenware resembled eighteenth and early-nineteenth century production in Essex County, Massachusetts. But more specifically, they resembled the wares produced at the industry in South Danvers (today known as Peabody), Massachusetts.

It has been previously published that slip was not a style of production routinely manufactured at this industry, but I have always felt this was a subject that deserves more attention. For instance, there were dozens of businesses that consisted of this industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the general knowledge about the output from each business and family is fairly limited today.

But the swirled decoration found in the center of this pan is very similar to sherds that I recovered a few years ago in Danversport, Massachusetts, which I believe were made in South Danvers. Interestingly, the style of the slip found on these sherds seem to match the type of slip found on two known pans today; one pan is owned by Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and the other is owned privately in Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Nevertheless, all of this information was described and illustrated in a 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.'

It should also be noted that other examples of domestic eighteenth or early-nineteenth century slip-decorated wares were recovered from privies on the property of the Narbonne House in Salem, Massachusetts. These artifacts were found surrounded by a variety of other red earthenware objects, which almost all appear to have originated in Essex County, with the exception of a teapot possibly from Whately, Massachusetts, suggesting that these examples of slipware were also potentially locally-made.

Slip was also produced elsewhere along coastal Massachusetts in the eighteenth century; however, the style found on this pan does not appear to match what was produced in Rowley/Newburyport, Massachusetts, circa 1723-1799, the industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts before 1775, or the slipware produced south of Boston in the 1700s.

Note: A similar style of slip-decorated red earthenware pan was recovered by archaeologists at the site of the nineteenth century African-American Meeting House in Boston. It also appears that Essex County red earthenware was intermittently shipped to the Boston-area in the 1800s based on archaeological evidence recovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Boston Common, the Paul Revere House in Boston and Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Red Earthenware Pan and Mug Recovered in Ipswich, Mass.

18th/19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Pan

Recovered Beneath a Dairy at the Site of the Paine House on Greenwood Farm in Ipswich, Mass.

Likely Made in Essex County, Mass.
See 'Featured Redware Photo' in Right Column on this Website

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Trustees of the Reservations

18th/19th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Mug

Recovered Beneath a Dairy at the Site of the Paine House on Greenwood Farm in Ipswich, Mass.

Likely Made in South Danvers (today known as Peabody), Mass.

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Trustees of the Reservations

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