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Vol 13, Issue 1 T RENTON

Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society A Sugar Bowl of William Young & Sons or William Young’s Sons Richard W. Hunter

n interesting early product of lighter grey to a light tan or yellowish A Trenton’s industrial potteries was cream. The coloring appears to have recently acquired on ebay by POTS been much affected by use and age, member Robert Cunningham of Ham- and was probably originally a light ilton, New Jersey. Apparently made cream. The vessel falls into the broad either by William Young & Sons or by category of ironstone and was the successor firm William Young’s most likely considered as cream- Sons, this specimen is an oval bowl, colored by its manufac- slightly over four inches tall, roughly turers. Although its function is not five by four inches across at the rim, entirely certain, its size and shape, and 4.75 by 3.75 inches at the base. The along with the fact that it had a lid, vessel has a bulbous form, a low foot lead one to suppose it was probably a ring and a seat for a lid. The lid does sugar bowl. not survive. Applied at the shoulder, Slightly off-center on the base one at either end of the vessel, are two is a black transfer-printed makers’ Contents molded faces that are remarkably remi- mark consisting of an eagle with its niscent of – although somewhat small- wings raised and partly outstretched, A Sugar Bowl of William Young er than – the distinctive faces that the and its legs planted firmly on a & Sons or William Young’s Sons Richard W. Hunter ...... 1 potter James Rhodes some- (or prey). Beneath this motif are the times attached to the shoulders of his letters “W. Y. S.” No previously pub- Molly Merlino, Founding jars, and perhaps also flower pots, dur- lished image of this mark has been POTS Member ...... 3 ing the brief period that he was active found, although Edwin Attlee Barber

2014 Trenton in Trenton, circa 1774-84 (Liebeknecht has ascribed it to the firm of William Symposium ...... 4 and Hunter 2003; Skerry and Hood Young & Sons and avers that the 2009:205-206). Indeed, one wonders if marks employed by this company The Alice Maddock Collection: the makers of this bowl had seen and “were, in 1858, an eagle; from 1858 to A Gift to the City of Trenton .. 6 been inspired by examples of Rhodes’s 1879, the English Arms” (Barber

Winterthur Ceramics work. 1904:44-45). No supporting infor- Conference ...... 7 The basic bowl shape was made mation is provided for this statement, in a mold, as shown by the vertical but numerous subsequent publica- seams that are visible at opposing ends tions on American marks have The Potteries of Trenton Society is a non -profit organization dedicated to the of the vessel. The sprig-molded faces repeated Barber’s claim. study and preservation of Trenton’s have in fact been applied over the The pottery manufacturing past. Officers: President— Patricia Madrigal; Treasurer—Jay seams, partly concealing them from firm William Young & Sons originat- Lewis; Secretary—Brenda Springsted. view. The bowl is fashioned as highly ed in 1853 as William Young & Com- Board: Ellen Denker, Richard Hunter, Meta Janowitz, Jay Lewis, Emma Lewis, fired earthenware and its lightly pany, a partnership of William Young William Liebeknecht, Brenda Spring- crazed, lead-glazed exterior and interi- and his sons, Edward, John and Wil- sted, Rebecca . Newsletter Editor: or surfaces range in color from a dirty liam, Jr. with Richard Millington and Patricia Madrigal dark grey through several shades of John Astbury. The company initially Page 2 Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1

leased the pottery works of Charles Hattersley and erected their own new Hattersley, newly built on the east pottery works a short distance to the bank of the Delaware and Raritan Ca- northwest on the opposite side of the nal, adjacent to the east side of the canal. This site later became known Camden and Amboy Railroad branch as the Excelsior Pottery. Here the line, at the southwest corner of Perry company and its successors grew rap- and Carroll Streets. This site later be- idly into one of Trenton’s foremost came well known as the City Pottery and produc- and eventually developed into one of ers, enjoying more than half a century the main production hubs of Thomas of industrial prominence. In March of Maddock’s Sons. The early produc- 1860, Millington and Astbury left the tion of William Young & Company Youngs to establish their own pottery concentrated on porcelain door hard- in partnership with Theophilus Poul- ware, notably door knobs, escutch- son on a site adjacent to the City Pot- eons and door plates, but within a tery. At this point William Young & year or so the firm had expanded its Company reorganized as William repertoire to include two increasingly Young & Sons, an entity that operated popular types of hard, high-fired under that name until William Young, earthenware known as white Sr.’s death in 1871. Shortly after the ware and C.C. (cane or cream-colored) elder Young’s demise, the firm reor- ware. ganized again as William Young’s In 1855-56, William Young & Sons, continuing in business under Company parted ways with Charles that name until it was bought out by Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1 Page 3 the Willets brothers, Joseph, Daniel Site, Southard Street Bridge Replace- and Edmund, in 1879. It was during ment Project, City of Trenton, Mercer the period of the Willets Manufactur- County, New Jersey. Report on file, ing Company ownership from 1879 to New Jersey Historic Preservation Of- 1917 that the Young family’s pottery fice (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey. works became known as the Excelsior Pottery and attained its reputation as Skerry, Janine E. and Suzanne Findlen a maker of fine porcelain wares, in- Hood cluding the much revered Belleek 2009 Salt-Glazed Stoneware in Early (Liebeknecht et al. 2005; Hunter Re- America. The Colonial Williamsburg search, Inc. 2013). Foundation, Williamsburg, Virginia. Based on the historical infor- mation above, the eagle and “W.Y.S.” Molly Merlino mark are thought to reference either Founding POTS Member William Young & Sons or William Young’s Sons as the maker of this sug- OTS is saddened to report the ar bowl, and the date of its manufac- P passing of Molly Merlino, one of ture may be pegged as between 1860 our founding board members. and 1879. Any further insights on this Molly was an enthusiastic unusual vessel are welcome. member of POTS in the early years. She was the only board member who References: actually worked in Trenton’s pottery industry, having worked at Lenox, first Barber, Edwin Attlee in the department and later in 1904 Marks of American Potters. Pat- fine china. Her contacts with and in- terson & White Company, Philadelph- sight into the ceramic and commu- ia, Pennsylvania. nity were instrumental in helping to establish POTS. Hunter Research, Inc. Molly was an advocate for the 2013 The Trenton Potteries Data- arts on a local and statewide , and base. Updated DVD issued by Hunter she was active in a number of Trenton- Research, Inc. and the Potteries of based organizations, including The Trenton Society, Trenton, New Jersey. Friends of the New Jersey State Muse- um, the Trenton City , and Liebeknecht, William B. and Richard The Mill Hill Playhouse. She managed W. Hunter the shop of the Trenton City Museum, 2003 The Richards Face – Shades of which was named "Molly's" in her hon- an Eighteenth-Century American Bel- or. She brightened the lives of all who larmine. Ceramics in America 2003, ed- met her. ited by Robert Hunter, pp. 259-261. Molly is survived by her chil- The Chipstone Foundation, Milwau- dren and grandchildren. Her service kee, Wisconsin. and accomplishments are numerous; for a full listing of her activities and Liebeknecht, William, Nadine honors, please visit http:// Sergejeff, Rebecca White and Richard obits.nj.com/obituaries/trenton/ Hunter (Hunter Research, Inc.) obituary.aspx? 2005 Historical and Archaeological pid=168073169#sthash.rNxgQtjc.dpuf Investigations at the Excelsior Pottery Page 4 Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1

2014 Trenton Ceramics Symposium Isaac Broome: America's First Ceramic Sculptor he Potteries of Trenton Society is tional, political and industrial re- T pleased to partner with the New forms. He also continued as a modeler Jersey State Museum and the Trenton for potteries in Ohio and Trenton, in- Museum Society to present our elev- cluding the Trent Co. and the enth annual Trenton Ceramics Sym- Providential Tile Co. in Trenton, pro- posium on April 5, 2014. This year our ducing major work as late as 1917, speakers will celebrate the life and when he modeled a parian portrait work of sculptor Isaac Broome, the bust of Walter Scott Lenox for the Le- first sculptor to work in the American nox Company. ceramics industry. Although perhaps The Symposium will open best known for his famous Baseball with registration and reception from 9 , created for Ott & Brewer's dis- to 10 a.m. Light refreshments will be play at the Centennial Exhibition in served. Lectures in the morning with Philadelphia in 1876, Broome made examine Broome's life and work. After other models for that display, and he a catered lunch in the State Museum's was also a , modeler and galleries, the afternoon talks will ex- manufacturer of in Trenton and amine Broome's famous Baseball Vase Brooklyn. from many aspects. An American sculptor, ceramic This year's keynote speaker modeler and teacher, Isaac Broome will be Molly Randolph. Randolph, (1836-1922) was educated at the Penn- who recently completed her thesis on sylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Isaac Broome for her master's degree Philadelphia, where he was elected an in the history of from Academician in 1860 and taught in the the Smithsonian-George Mason Uni- Life and Antique department from versity program, will present an over- 1860 to 1863. In 1854 he assisted view of Broome's life and work. She is Thomas Crawford with the statues on currently the curator of the Old Gov- the pediment of the Senate wing of ernor's Mansion at College in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Milledgeville, Georgia. and tried unsuccessfully to establish a Michael W. Padwee, an histo- firm for architectural and rian and collector of garden ornaments in Pittsburgh and tiles, will examine “Isaac Broome and New York. Beginning in 1875, Broome the Spirit of Innovation and in was employed as a modeler by Tren- the Tile Industry after the Centennial ton's Ott & Brewer pottery. The parian Exhibition.” Padwee has published "A porcelain he created for Field Guide to the Key Patterns on the their display at the Centennial Inter- Backs of United States Ceramic Tiles, national Exhibition of 1876 in Phila- 1870s-1930s" and writes a regular col- delphia won medals for ceramic arts. umn, "Tile Back Views," for Following his success at the Exhibi- "Flashpoint, the Newsletter of the Tile tion and at the Exposition Universelle Heritage Foundation" and for the of 1878 in Paris, for which he was ap- THF's e-newsletter. pointed USA Special Commissioner, Ellen Denker will present he was active as a teacher and lecturer Broome's famous Baseball Vase as a and was keenly interested in educa- Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1 Page 5

2014 Trenton Ceramics Symposium key document in the history of Ameri- Members of the Potteries of Trenton can baseball and as the first work in Society, the Friends of the NJ State Mu- American officially classified as seum, and the Trenton Museum Socie- art. She may be assisted in this en- ty may attend for $30, if paid in ad- deavor by members of the Neshanock vance. Everyone who pays at the door Base Ball Club, a group of re-enactors will be charged $40. Registration in- from Flemington, New Jersey, who cludes all lectures, lunch, and the will be costumed in authentic uni- Ellarslie reception. A mail-in registra- forms of the late 1800s and who will tion form may be downloaded and explain the game as it was played in printed from POTS website: Broome's day. www.potteriesoftrenton.org; or inter- The day will finish with a closing re- ested parties may contact POTS Presi- ception sponsored by the Trenton Mu- dent Patricia Madrigal at 609-695-0122 seum Society to be held at Ellarslie, x 100 or president@ potteriesoftrenton- the Museum of the City of Trenton, in society.org. POTS cannot take credit Cadwalader Park. Participants will be cards, but checks are welcome. able to view the Society's collection of Trenton ceramics, including an exhibi- tion case devoted to Broome's work. POTS has been able to secure a group of tickets for the Trenton Thun- der game on April 5 for Symposium registrants who would like to linger over baseball. The Thunder is an East- ern League Class AA Affiliate of the New York Yankees, and has been rec- ognized as the "Nation's Best Fran- chise" for providing an outstanding and unique fan experience. The April 5 game will be one in the Thunder's season-opening series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, an affili- ate of the Toronto Bluejays. The Thun- der and the Fisher Cats finished the 2013 regular season in second and third place, respectively, in the East- ern League's Eastern Division. Those who register in advance will be able to add tickets for the April 5 game to their order for the Symposium. No tickets will be available to late regis- trants.

The Trenton Ceramics Sympo- Isaac Broome’s Base Ball Vase sium is open to the public. The regis- as pictured in Jennie Young, tration fee is $35 if paid by March 14. The (1878) Page 6 Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1

The Alice Maddock Collection: A Gift to the City Of Trenton

or more than 100 years, Trenton, are broken and repaired and some are F New Jersey was one of the two chipped, but they, like Trenton, are major pottery centers in the United beautiful even with the scars of time. States. By 1880 hundreds of independ- Other donors also contributed ent potteries operated within the city to the study collection at the School of of Trenton, employing thousands of Industrial Arts over the years, and potters, modelers, decorators, gilders pieces from their collections will be and . In response to the included in the exhibit as well. Ed- need for skilled workers, the School of ward C. Stover, a treasurer of the Industrial Arts (most closely associat- school, donated Chinese ed with the 1910 Cass Gilbert- and other decorative arts pieces in- designed Kelsey Building on West cluding a reticulated lobster on dis- State Street) was opened in1898 to play. Edmund C. Hill, the man re- train potters and other young people sponsible for bringing Frederick Law in their trades. Olmsted to Trenton to design Cadwal- Mrs. Alice Maddock, wife of ader Park, donated money to the Thomas Maddock of the British pot- school so that it could purchase im- tery family, saw the need for ceramic portant pieces including a Minton, models at the school for students to footed urn pâte-sur-pâte on teal blue study – including objects that could be ground decorated by Leon Solon with handled and patterns that could be a Greek goddess and captur- emulated. She had developed “one of ing a putti in her web. Members of the most comprehensive collections of the Pottery and Porcelain Manufactur- blue and white china of the period ers of Trenton raised funds for the contemporary with the Revolutionary purchase of the John Hart Brewer Col- War” which she bequeathed to the lection in honor of one of the owners city of Trenton in 1902 for use and dis- of Ott & Brewer, creators of some of play at the School of Industrial Arts. the most outstanding in The Trenton City Museum is the United States, which they then do- proud to announce an exhibit of the nated to the school. Alice Maddock Collection as seen at In 1941, the School of Industri- the School of Industrial Arts in 1903. al Arts was renamed Trenton Junior Over 200 pieces from her collection College. In 1967, it merged with Mer- are on display including beautiful cer County Community College, and blue transfer print platters made by in 1972, when the college opened its mid 18th century British potters, a new campus in West Windsor, the Copeland parian pitcher with a mold- collection was packed away and ed design of putti gathering grapes moved to West Windsor. In the 1980s, ca1850, and a Mason’s Patent Iron- then mayor Arthur B. Holland began stone pitcher with a peony and bird a successful campaign to return the pattern ca 1820-1825. Some interest- collection to Trenton to be part of the ing pieces are broken and included in permanent collection at the Trenton the collection to demonstrate early City Museum which had opened its repair techniques – metal staples. To doors in 1978. this constantly handled study collec- The collection as received at tion, time has not been kind. Pieces (Continued on page 7) Trenton Potteries Vol 13, Issue 1 Page 7

Winterthur Ceramics Conference Wilmington, Delaware

Image Is Everything! Ceramics and County Archaeologist Ceramics from the People Who Owned Them The Lost Towns in Maryland, 1650–1730 Julie Emerson, The Ruth J. Nutt his year’s Winterthur Ceramics Curator of Decorative Arts, Seattle Art T Conference considers how past Museum, Seattle West Meets East: The owners interacted with their ceramics, Evolution of the Ceramics Collections at whether they were acquiring - the Seattle Art Museum able new dinnerware or figures dur- To learn more about the confer- ing the 1700s or, later, were research- ence, please call 800.448.3883 or view ing and collecting antiques. Join Win- the conference brochure at terthur and an international cast of www.winterthur.org. For additional scholars as they study both Chinese information on scholarships, download and Western ceramics and their con- the scholarship application. texts over time. Experience lectures presenting Registration begins January 21, 2014. new research as well as hands-on workshops offering up-close access to the Winterthur collection. The speak- ers and formal lectures include: Dr. Jan Daniël van Dam, Sen- ior Curator Ceramics & , Rijks- museum, Amsterdam (1989–2012) The History of Dutch Ceramics Influ- enced by Chinese and Japanese Porcelain, 1600–1800 and European Redwares: Drinking Tea in Holland, , and Germany, 1680–1920 Leslie B. Grigsby, Senior Cura- The Alice Maddock tor, Ceramics & Glass, Winterthur Collection The Image of Perfection: Ceramic Figures as a Reflection of 18th- and 19th-Century Society (Continued from page 6) Ron Fuchs, Curator of the the museum has been cataloged by the Reeves Collection, Washington & Lee volunteers of the Trenton Museum So- University, Lexington, VA ciety and will be on display in its en- The Euchlin and Louise Reeves’ Collec- tirety in the second floor galleries of tion of Chinese Export and European Ce- the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in ramics. Cadwalader Park from February 21 – Thomas Michie, Russell B. and June 15, 2014. The opening reception is Andrée Beauchamp Stearns Senior Curator of European Decorative Arts on February 21 from 6-8 pm and is free and open to the public. and Sculpture, Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston “Bought of Nobody for Almost Nothing”: Anne Allen Ives and China Collecting in 19th-Century New Eng- land. Al Luckenbach, Anne Arundel

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Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society

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