An Exception Colonial Slip-Decorated Cup that Appeared at Antiques Week in New Hampshire

I attended most of the antique shows this week in New Hampshire, trying to see as much American pottery as possible, and this slip-decorated red earthenware cup was by far the rarest piece of pottery that I saw. A friend purchased it for his private collection in New England, but it was found in the booth of South Egremont, Massachusetts antiques dealers, Elliot and Grace Snyder who exhibited at The Collector's Fair at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.

I asked the Snyders if the cup came with any kind of history, and they said it retains a history of twentieth century ownership in collections in central New England. But any history previous to that is currently unknown.

Nonetheless, there is a very good chance that this great small eighteenth century cup was made at the Colonial pottery industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 1635-1775. It probably dates from the mid-eighteenth century period or so, circa 1740-1775.

The reason I suggest this cup could have been made in Charlestown is because of the overall form, the ribbed mid-section, the way the footed base was manufactured, how part of the handle was made, the color of the glaze along with the green dots, as well as the slip technique. This type of ribbed mid-section is also found with eighteenth century red earthenware manufactured in Philadelphia. But in one way or another, all of these characteristics are found in the archaeology that I have studied from the Charlestown archaeology collection at the City of Boston Archaeology Program in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

When I first handled this object, I instantly thought there could be a Charlestown connection, although I also considered the idea that it may have been made by an eighteenth century Essex County, Massachusetts potter or even a Portsmouth, New Hampshire manufacturer. But the more I thought about it, I realized that the form and the slip technique did not match with what I have studied from these locations. It did not really fit in with any of the wares that I have seen made in the Salem, Massachusetts area, nor did it compare to what I could remember studying from the pottery made in Newburyport, Massachusetts. This cup really resembled some of the locally made artifacts that I have seen from Charlestown.

As simple as it might be, the style of the slip found on this cup is represented on an important heavily slip-decorated Charlestown double-handled lidded bowl that I was able to identify a few years back at an auction in Maine. That bowl is thought to have been made at the Parker family pottery in Charlestown sometime before 1755.

Interestingly, the size of this cup is also represented in the Charlestown archaeology collection; however, from what can be seen on that artifact, the style of the slip is different. But the size and the base is very similar. I should also mention that this style of base is found on locally made mugs of various sizes throughout the Charlestown archaeology collection.

For all that, though seeing this object was quite exciting since it is potentially an example of Colonial Charlestown pottery, where very little survives from this industry today. I try to document every piece of surviving Charlestown red earthenware known, and for all of the red earthenware that these potters made for about 140 years, I can count less than ten surviving examples in existence today.

Exceptional Slip-Decorated Cup

 18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Cup

Possibly Made at the Colonial Industry in Charlestown, Mass.

Likely Circa 1740-1775

Stands About 3" Tall

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Elliot & Grace Snyder Antiques

 Another View of the Cup

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Elliot & Grace Snyder Antiques

 Another View of the Cup

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Elliot & Grace Snyder Antiques

View of the Interior

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Elliot & Grace Snyder Antiques

View of the Handle

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Elliot & Grace Snyder Antiques

Important Slip-Decorated Bowl from Charlestown, Mass.

 18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Handled Bowl

Attributed to the Parker Family Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Circa 1750

See Article for More Information

View of the Handle

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View of the Lid

See Article for More Information

Comparison of Slip Techniques

 Comparison of Some of the Slip Found on the Cup

See Part of the Slip-Decoration Found on the Bowl Below

Some of the Slip Applied on this Bowl is Comparable to How it was Applied on the Cup

See Article for More Information

Charlestown, Mass. Archaeology

(Left) Remains of Colonial Charlestown, Mass. Cup 

Similar in Size and Shape to the Cup Above

(Right) Remains of Colonial Charlestown, Mass. Mug

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

Colonial Red Earthenware Chamber Pot with Lots of Green

Recovered on the Site of the Parker Family Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Similar Glazed Pottery Manufactured in England in the 1700s

Circa 1717-1755

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

Popular Glaze Color with Wares Made in Colonial Charlestown, Mass.

Attributed to the Parker Family Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Circa 1717-1755

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

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

An Interesting Stoneware Face Vessel Found in Bella Vista, Arkansas

This is a stoneware vase vessel that I would like to learn more about, which was found some time ago by Zach Miller, owner of Zachery Miller Antiques in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Although, this face vessel was actually discovered in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

The thought is that this object may have been made to hold tobacco, a popular form of production with various types of manufacturers in the nineteenth century. But I have not been able to find a comparable jug or vessel with this style of facial expression, even though I would like to know more about it should anyone reading this happen to have seen a similar piece.

On another subject, I will be visiting the George H. Myer Collection of Early American Face Jugs at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York next week with my nephew and niece, and I will certainly be looking to see if anything like this is on display. I have heard that the entirety of this face jug collection may be exhibited next at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia.

Stoneware Face Vessel Found in Arkansas

 Probably Late-19th Century Stoneware Face Vessel

Found in Bella Vista, AR

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Zach Miller

 Another View of the Face Vessel

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Zach Miller

 View of the Interior

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Zach Miller

View of the Base

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Zach Miller

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

Amazing Western New York Artifacts Recovered on Brigham Young's Property in Mendon, New York

Last week I wrote that I was in conversation with the Museum of Church History in Salt Lake City, Utah for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to write about artifacts collected by New York state historian, Sheldon Fisher (1907-2002) that were recovered at the site of Brigham Young's (1801-1877) home in Mendon, New York. I am pleased to write today that the museum has sent me pictures of all of the locally made pottery recovered on Young's property, and some of these remains may be surprising to see since some of the glazes can commonly be interpreted as New England production. The collection of artifacts are attributed to potters in Mendon, West Bloomfield, as well as Rochester, and I would not be surprised to learn if there is a relationship with these potters that came together with Brigham Young.

Fisher wrote in the October 1980 issue of New York History, "Like the other founders of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young has been studied as a spiritual leader and as an administrator. That he earned his bread in the early years as a carpenter and other homely tasks has been mentioned only in passing by his biographers, and his workaday life in Mendon, where he was living when he became interested in Mormonism, has not been studied at all.

One reason for this neglect is the lack of historical sources for Young's earlier years. After he joined the Mormon Church in 1832 he began to keep a journal. And from that time to the end of his life, he and his contemporaries left a clear record of his activities. It is not surprising that there are no similar accounts of Brigham's youth and his years as a young carpenter and builder in Mendon. He had not yet distinguished himself from the general population of farmers and artisans who then inhabited Western New York.

But in addition to his own terse references in later writings, sources for Brigham Young's Mendon years do exist. One is literary - a group of documents relating to my own ancestors, the Sheldon family of Mendon, contemporaries of Brigham Young. The other is physical - the artifacts and related evidence recovered in six summers of archaeological excavation at the site of Brigham Young's mill site in Mendon.

Having determined the site of Young's house and shop, I obtained exclusive digging rights in 1972 from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hutchinson, who then owned the property, and began an archaeological investigation that would lead to additional information about Brigham Young's years in Mendon, and possibly to fresh insights into his life and character during that time when he began his great spiritual adventure."

Among the most interesting artifacts recovered from the Brigham Young site are some slip-trail decorated red earthenware sherds attributed to Heber Kimball's (1801-1868) business in Mendon, New York; the decoration adorning these artifacts is similar to the decoration found on a multi-colored trail-slipped jar that Heber's son, Solomon Kimball (1847-1920) donated to the Museum of Church History in 1870, saying that it was made by his father. This jar is the reason that another jar was just identified at Crocker Farm's most recent auction in Sparks, Maryland.

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, "Heber C. Kimball was born on June 14, 1801, in Sheldon, Vermont. He was ordained as one of the original 12 Apostles on February 14, 1835, and later sustained as first counselor to President Brigham Young who was also from Vermont, on December 27, 1847. Kimball died on June 22, 1868, in Salt Lake City, at the age of 67. He was a potter by trade, and he frequently referred to the Saints as "Clay in the Hands of the Potter." He delivered his discourse on April 2, 1854."

Furthermore, twentieth century historian, Stanley B. Kimball (1926-2003) wrote about his grandfather, "The energetic Heber could turn out 20 dozen milk pans on a hard day at the potter's wheel. Apparently he specialized in common brownware made from fine-textured clay burned to a very high degree and covered by a hard brown glaze. It was used mainly for simple kitchen and table items - jars, crocks, pitchers, bottles, mugs, pots, milk pans, cups, churns and plates"

Nevertheless, this is the collection of locally made pottery that was recovered on Brigham Young's property, and thought to have been owned by Young when he occupied the area, dating from the 1820s to the 1830s.

All of these attributions come from Sheldon Fisher, but I would also like to note the form and glazes found on the jugs and mugs that Fisher says were made at the Kimball Pottery, and how these objects could easily be misinterpreted for New England production today, thus showing proof as to why an attribution should never be developed on just a glaze.

Alvin Wilcox Pottery, West Bloomfield, NY

19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl 

Attributed to Alvin Wilcox's Pottery in W. Bloomfield, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

19th Century Red Earthenware Candle Mold 

Attributed to Alvin Wilcox's Pottery in W. Bloomfield, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 Nathaniel Rochester Pottery, Rochester, NY

19th Century Red Earthenware Artifact

Attributed to Nathaniel Rochester's Pottery in Rochester, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History 

Heber Kimball Pottery or Alvin Wilcox Pottery

19th Century Red Earthenware Artifact

Attributed to Either Heber Kimball or Alvin Wilcox in Western New York

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

Heber Kimball Pottery, Mendon, NY

 19th Century Slip-Trailed Red Earthenware Sherds

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Mug

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Pan

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Pan

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 19th Century Red Earthenware Object Possibly a Mug

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds

Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY

Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

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

19th Century American Black Glazed Teapot Recovered from Brigham Young's Property in Western New York

I wrote earlier this week that I was in conversation with the Museum of Church History in Salt Lake City, Utah for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to write about artifacts collected by New York state historian, Sheldon Fisher (1907-2002), recovered at the site of Brigham Young's (1801-1877) home in Mendon, New York. While I have not seen the locally produced wares, yet, I was sent pictures of some of the imported ceramics recovered at the site, such as mochaware, pearlware and transfer-decorated wares, much of which are related to Young's occupancy.

Fisher wrote in the October 1980 issue of New York History, "Like the other founders of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young has been studied as a spiritual leader and as an administrator. That he earned his bread in the early years as a carpenter and other homely tasks has been mentioned only in passing by his biographers, and his workaday life in Mendon, where he was living when he became interested in Mormonism, has not been studied at all.

One reason for this neglect is the lack of historical sources for Young's earlier years. After he joined the Mormon Church in 1832 he began to keep a journal. And from that time to the end of his life, he and his contemporaries left a clear record of his activities. It is not surprising that there are no similar accounts of Brigham's youth and his years as a young carpenter and builder in Mendon. He had not yet distinguished himself from the general population of farmers and artisans who then inhabited Western New York.

But in addition to his own terse references in later writings, sources for Brigham Young's Mendon years do exist. One is literary - a group of documents relating to my own ancestors, the Sheldon family of Mendon, contemporaries of Brigham Young. The other is physical - the artifacts and related evidence recovered in six summers of archaeological excavation at the site of Brigham Young's mill site in Mendon.

Having determined the site of Young's house and shop, I obtained exclusive digging rights in 1972 from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hutchinson, who then owned the property, and began an archaeological investigation that would lead to additional information about Brigham Young's years in Mendon, and possibly to fresh insights into his life and character during that time when he began his great spiritual adventure."

The remains of this black-glazed red earthenware teapot were recovered by Fisher on Young's site within such a context that this teapot may very-well have been used when Brigham Young lived on the property. These remains potentially date from the 1820s to the early-1830s, which would have been the same period that Thomas Crafts business was making black-glazed teapots in Whately, Massachusetts, circa 1821-1833.

I cannot say for sure that this is a Whately teapot; although, the handle and lid certainly do appear like some of the Whately artifacts that I have studied from the Lura Woodside Watkins (1897-1982) Collection at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. But the teapot's body and base are what force me to question if this could be from another manufacturer. Nevertheless, though the archaeological context is without a doubt fascinating, and the Whately teapots are known to have been shipped all over, including places throughout New England, New York City and reportedly Philadelphia.

Teapot Remains Recovered from Brigham Young's Property in Mendon, NY

 19th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Teapot Remains

Recovered in the 1970s at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY

Recovered Among Early-19th Century Ceramics
Possibly Found in an 1820s-1830s Archaeological Context

Thought to Have Been Used When Brigham Young Lived on the Property

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 View of the Base

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 View of the Handle

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 View of the Lid

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 Another View of the Lid

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

 Another View of the Lid

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

Another View of the Lid

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History

Thomas Crafts Pottery Archaeology, Whately, Mass.

 Some of the Artifacts Recovered at the Site of the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.
Lura Woodside Watkins (1897-1908) Collection
Some of these Artifacts were Published in 1950 in Early New England Potters and Their Wares

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Round and Oval Lids Recovered at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Three Different Teapot Bases Recovered at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Round and Oblong Teapot Rims Recovered at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Four-or-Five Different Handles Recovered at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Another View of the Handles

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

 Teapot Spout Recovered at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Mass.

Circa 1821-1833

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian 

 The Artifacts I Studied Revealed that the Holes Punched Varied from Six-to-Eight Holes

Seven Punched Holes was the Most Common

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

  View of a Seven Hole Punched Spout

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

View of a Six Hole Punched Spout

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

View of Another Seven Hole Punched Spout

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian

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

William Lyle: A Scottish-Born Poet-Potter Employed in Rochester, New York

It may not be widely known today that William Lyle, a Scottish-born potter who migrated to America and manufactured pottery in Western New York and possibly New Jersey was also a skilled poet. He was praised as an outstanding Scottish poet, upon Thomas C. Latto's (1822-1894) death in 1894, a prominent poet also born in Scotland, who was living in New York City. Latto's obituary reading in part, "His death leaves William Lyle, the potter-poet (formerly of Rochester, NY, but now in Woodbridge, N.J.) the most prominent Scotch verse writer in the United States."

According to the Volume 6 issue of The Magazine of Poetry, published in 1894, "William Lyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1822. His father having died at a comparatively early age, the entire responsibility and care of  the boy developed upon his mother, a noble Scottish woman who, with limited means and a sincere faith in God's goodness, earnestly strove to perform the duty allotted to her. 

He received the rudiments of his education in the Lancasterian school of his native city, and at the age of twelve years removed with his mother to Glasgow, where a few years afterward he became apprenticed to a potter. He continued his education in a night school and became well advanced. In 1849, he married Janet Wylie of Kincardine on the Fourth, who still brightens his home. 

In 1862 Mr. Lyle was offered and accepted a position in England, and while there published a number of meritorious poems which commanded a great deal of attention, one in particular, "The Grave of Three Hundred," which was honored with acceptance and thanks from Her Majesty.

Some years later Mr. Lyle decided to emigrate to America. On his arrival here, he took up his residence in Rochester, New York, where he long held a position of trust and responsibility. He now resides in Woodbridge, New Jersey."

Furthermore, New York state archaeologist and museum specialist, George R. Hamell cited Lyle's work in the pottery industry in an article he wrote in 1980 for Northeast Historical Archaeology, titled, Earthenwares and Salt-Glazed Stonewares of the Rochester-Genesee Valley Region: An Overview. "American sewer pipe pottery or sewer pipe folk art includes objects of sewer pipe clay and glaze which were made by employees of sewer pipe factories for their personal use. This special class of salt-glazed stoneware has long been associated with the Ohio area, where it has its greatest collecting interest. However, four of the earliest and best-documented examples have a Rochester, New York origin. More importantly, the three earliest of the preceding examples were thrown on a potter's wheel with additional incised, hand-modeled, and sprigged-on decorations. The later decorations were made from molds taken from decorations on contemporary English Doulton pitchers. These three early examples are pitchers of between one and two quarts capacity which were made at Otis & Gorsline's Rochester Sewer Pipe Company on Oak Street, Rochester, New York. 

The pitchers are hand-inscribed on the base by their makers and bear the dates of 1888, 1889, and 1890 respectively. The early two pitchers can be attributed to William Lyle, an immigrant Scottish potter and foreman (later superintendent) at the company between the years 1875-1892. The third pitcher was made by William Hirzel, an immigrant German potter, employed at the factory from about 1889-1917."

Interestingly, there are also some matching pitchers known today that were not signed, but can be attributed to William Lyle and William Hirzel's employment at the Rochester Sewer Pipe Company. Personally, I feel this is an aspect of production that can be overlooked today, which I think is just terrific to see. And as for Lyle's poetry, his original work was regularly published in American magazines and newspapers during the period.

Mugs Made at the Rochester Sewer Pipe Company

 Mug Made by William Lyle at the Rochester Sewer Pipe Company in Rochester, NY

See Caption Above for Information

See Article for Additional Information

Photo Courtesy: George R. Hamell

 Late 19th Century Mug Made at the Rochester Sewer Pipe Company in Rochester, NY

Made by Either William Lyle or William Hirzel
Although this Mug is Not Signed

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm Auction of American Redware and Stoneware

 Another View of the Pitcher

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm Auction of American Redware and Stoneware

 Another View of the Pitcher

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm Auction of American Redware and Stoneware

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