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Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society The First Ladies and Their China Ellen Denker

he has always held setting for world diplomacy. Our fo- T a special fascination for people cus here is on the china. around the world—not so much for The history of White House particular occupants, but because the china is more than the pretty dishes President's house is the first house of that graced the President's table dur- Americans. Built and furnished largely ing official political and diplomatic with public funds, the White House is entertaining. It is also the story of in- a symbol of the hospitality of the ternational fashion and trade during American people that is conveyed to the nineteenth century and of the the world through the heads of state emergence of the American nation from foreign lands who are entertained and its china industry during the in its reception rooms. The tables of the twentieth century. State Dining Room, set with impecca- According to the United States ble linen, gleaming crystal, fine china Appropriation Act of 1826, all furnish- and glowing silver, provide an elegant ings for the President's house that were purchased with public funds were to be made in America “as far as practicable.” In fact, early was made by leading fac- tories in China, France and England, and carried the decorations that were internationally popular. Chinese blue- Contents and-white china was used by our ear- liest presidents, while French china, The First Ladies and Their China with its bold colors and elegant de- Ellen Denker ...... 1 signs, demonstrated presidential taste Annual Meeting ...... 5 and America's close friendship with France during most of the 1800s. Review: Ceramics in America Throughout the nineteenth century, 2018 ...... 6 the Great Seal as a decorative and symbolic motif took second place to Website Update ...... 7 Chinese export porcelain service plate made fashion. But after our Centennial cele- about 1785 from a set owned by George Washington. In the center is the Angel of bration in 1876, the US gained an in- ternational reputation as a successful The Potteries of Trenton Society is a non Fame bearing the insignia of the Society of -profit organization dedicated to the the Cincinnati designed by Pierre-Charles democracy and emerged as an indus- study and preservation of Trenton’s trial nation with a distinct identity. ceramic past. Officers: President— L'Enfant. The Society of the Cincinnati is Patricia Madrigal; Treasurer—Ellen a hereditary society founded in 1783 to First evidence of these changes Denker; Secretary— Sally Lane Board: may be seen in the Hayes Service of Ellen Denker, John Hatch, Richard preserve the ideals and fellowship of officers Hunter, Meta Janowitz, Sally Lane, of the Continental Army who served in the 1879. First Lady Lucy Hayes was in William Liebeknecht. Newsletter Editor: Revolutionary War. (Continued on page 2) Patricia Madrigal Page 2 Trenton Potteries

Left: The design of the plate from the Polk dessert service shows the French rococo revival taste of the mid 1800s that was popu- lar in the US. The set was made in Paris, France in 1846.

Right: Harrison service breakfast plate designed by Caroline Harrison features corn border and American eagle in center. Made in France in 1892. (Continued from page 1) take a photograph of the President's the White House conservatory one cabinet. When Mrs. Hayes described day choosing fern fronds to send to her purpose for the fronds, Davis Theodore Haviland, who was design- strongly advised that it was an oppor- ing a new White House dessert service tunity to design a service that featured and bon bon dishes that would be the flora and fauna of the United made at his factory in France, when States. Mrs. Hayes was so taken by Da- she was met by Theodore Davis, an vis's enthusiasm for the idea that she artist-reporter for Harper's Weekly and changed her plans immediately and the New York photographer G.W. put Davis in charge of the design. Pach, who were at the White House to During the summer of 1879, Davis worked in a makeshift studio on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ devising the scheme and making the watercol- ors that were used by Haviland to pro- duce the full dinner and dessert ser- vice in Limoges, France. The various dinnerware forms were emblazoned with turkeys, bobcats, catfish, and a wide variety of American flora and fauna. Mrs. James G. Blaine, then wife of the senator from Maine, wrote of the Hayes service that “It is worth a trip from New York to Washington to see the table at a State Dinner at the White House.” When Caroline Harrison be- Turkey platter from the came First Lady in 1889, she felt that Hayes Service designed the Hayes Service was out of fashion. by Theodore Davis and Being a china painter herself, Mrs. made in 1879 by Harrison designed a service that fea- Haviland, Limoges, tures a corn motif (the Harrisons were France. (Continued on page 3) Trenton Potteries Page 3

(Continued from page 2) A comparison of the Great from Indiana) in gold print on a bright Seals as rendered on china blue border and the American eagle made for Wilson (1917, top) with shield proudly displayed in the and Truman (1951, bottom) center surrounded by stars. Although administrations shows the this service was also made in Limoges, evidence of Truman's order France, it had broken through foreign after World War II that the design influence by focusing on a sig- American eagle in the Great nificant American agricultural crop Seal should face the olive and showcasing the most potent sym- branch of peace, whereas bol of American sovereignty. earlier services featured the First Lady eagle facing the tokens of war. searched the American ceramics in- dustry to find a manufacturer that could provide a high quality table ser- vice suitable for presidential entertain- ing. The American firm of Knowles, Taylor and Knowles of East Liverpool, Ohio, was approached, but declined to make the service because they felt the commission was so large that it would significantly disrupt their regular pro- duction schedule. The new service was produced by England's Wedg- wood factory instead. It was classical in design and featured the Great Seal in the border. The Wedgwood china served during the Roosevelt and Taft admin- istrations, but part way through Woodrow Wilson's first term, the Service would have told Mrs. President and First Lady decided to Wilson the story of Walter Scott Lenox's replace it. Edith Bolling Galt was Wil- boyhood in Trenton and his desire to be son's second wife and was widowed an artist, a desire that he eventually when he met her in 1914. Her first turned toward industry. She would husband had been in the jewelry and have heard about the rise of Trenton as silver business in Washington, DC. So the “Staffordshire of America” and the it was mostly out of courtesy that the gradual perfection of American porce- china dealers, Dulin and Martin, old lain by the Trenton firms with which professional friends of Mrs. Wilson, Lenox had worked as design director invited her to visit their special exhibit before establishing his own firm in 1889. of Lenox china in 1917. After showing And she would have heard if Lenox's Mrs. Wilson through the display, Le- final triumph in wedding art to indus- nox's representative Charles Service try through the development of exquis- mentioned discreetly that if the Wil- ite dinnerware. sons were interested in new china for Shortly thereafter the White the White House, Lenox would like to House asked Dulin and Martin to have be considered for the commission. Lenox prepare some designs for the Page 4 Trenton Potteries

1918, negotiations were complete and the order placed for a service of 1,700 pieces, the first White House china made in America. Throughout the twentieth cen- tury, First Ladies continued to turn to Lenox for White House china. New Lenox services were designed for Elea- nor Roosevelt, , and . commissioned a service fea- turing American wild flowers from Castleton China in New Castle, Penn- sylvania, and recent special services ordered by and were supplied by Pickard Chi- (Continued from page 3) In 2000, Hillary Clinton na in Antioch, Illinois, near Chicago. commissioned from Lenox President and First Lady to consider. I hope that I have been able to China a service of 300 place The Wilsons were particularly keen to demonstrate that a study of White settings to commemorate have something that was patriotic, be- House china is more than a succession the 200th anniversary of the cause of the war in Europe, and of plates of many colors. It is also a White House. It features a agreed that the Great Seal should be study of developments in the ceramics variety of borders taken the principal motif. In the final design industry, of the changes in internation- from architectural details of by Frank Holmes, the Great Seal is al fashion, of the development of the White House. centered on the service plate and me- American identity, and of the tastes ticulously rendered in raised gold and desires of our Presidents and First paste set off by brilliant sapphire blue Ladies. Perhaps you will have an op- and etched gold borders. In March portunity to visit the White House

Nancy Regan commis- sioned a state china service of 220 place settings. Mrs. Regan worked with Lenox designers to create a bold pattern that featured bands of scarlet red, her favorite color. Trenton Potteries Page 5

POTS Annual Meeting

he Potteries of Trenton Society upcoming exhibition and catalog that T held its 2019 annual meeting on explores the phenomenon of majolica April 6th at the Trenton War Memori- in Victorian England and America, al, Trenton. Museum consultant and “Majolica Mania Transatlantic Pottery independent scholar Ellen Denker, a in England and the United States, 1850 founding POTS board member, spoke –1915.” In her talk, she will focus on about the First Ladies and Their China the Trenton makers and show their (summarized on page 1). work in national and international The 2020 membership meeting contexts. The exhibition is being orga- will be held on April 4 in the New Jer- nized by Bard Graduate Center and sey State Museum Auditorium. Dr. the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Laura Microulis, Research Associate where it opens in late April. for Bard Graduate Center, New York Be sure to visit our website and City, has agreed to be our speaker. sign up for our email list in order to The lecture is free and open to the receive details about the meeting and public. Laura has been busy with an updates about other POTS goings on.

Majolica pitcher from Joseph S. May- Ellen Denker speaking at the 2019 mem- er’s Arsenal Pottery, Trenton, 1880s. bership meeting. Page 6 Trenton Potteries

Ceramics in America 2018 Reviewed by Ellen Denker

eramics in America 2018, featur- century American, British and German C ing articles concerned largely ceramics, particularly those objects with contemporary American potters used for consuming alcoholic beverag- inspired by historical ceramics, was es, especially punch drinking, a social published by the Chipstone Founda- practice known for leading to exces- tion in early August. This issue of the sive consumption. Basically, contem- hardcover annual publication is dis- porary potters riffed off of a variety of tributed by Oxbow Academic and early ceramic drinking vessels while available from your bookseller of commenting on public drunkenness as choice. For those unfamiliar with this a topic in American social and political publication, it is an interdisciplinary history. The resulting exhibition, “The journal for collectors, historical ar- Last Drop: Intoxicating Pottery Past chaeologists, curators, decorative arts and Present,” included Chipstone's students, social historians, and studio historical objects paired with the con- potters, publishing articles on the temporary potters' efforts. It was on broad role of historical ceramics in the view at the North Carolina Pottery American context. Center in late December 2017 and ear- Articles in the 2018 issue ap- ly January 2018. Photographs of the proach ceramics history through the paired results are also included in eyes and hands of contemporary Hunter's article along with comments American potters: by the participating potters. Robert Hunter relates the his- Robert Hunter also contributed tory and outcome of a project that an article that examines the work of brought together potters associated Michelle Erickson, a contemporary ce- with the North Carolina Pottery Cen- ramic artist who has mastered colonial ter of Seagrove and the Chipstone -era ceramic techniques which she us- Foundation's collection of 17th and 18th es in her creation of 21st century social, political, and environmental narra- tives. Stephen C. Compton traces the history of ceramics in North Carolina in his article “In the Pale Moonlight: Jugs and Alcohol in North Carolina” by focusing on objects associated with storing and drinking alcohol. Redware and stoneware objects are included. Potter Stephen Earp examines his personal journey of discovering historical ceramics in his article “A Potter Considers the Traditional Deco- rative Arts.” Throughout his essay he visits with contemporary American potters who are working in historical (Continued on page 7) Trenton Potteries Page 7

(Continued from page 6) lead-glazed earthenwares in museum pottery styles to discuss their aesthetic collections. approaches and techniques, including Finally, Scott Hamilton Suter's Ken Henderson, Joe Jostes, Ned Foltz, article relates the history of a Shenan- Wesley Muckey, Greg Shooner, Tam- doah Valley industrial pottery making my Zettlemoyer, Mary Farrell and oth- fancy ware. Local investors in Harri- ers. sonburg, Virginia, partnered with Wil- “As Real as It Gets: Lead Glaz- liam W. Sherratt, late of Trenton, New ing and Traditional Wood-Firing” by Jersey, to build a state-of-the-art pot- Greg Shooner and Brenda Hornsby tery to make press-molded rocking- Heindl probes potter Shooner's quest ham and yellow ware such as Rebecca- to duplicate the forms and glaze ef- at-the-Well teapots and fancy cuspi- fects observed on historic American dors. Suter describes the ups and lead-glazed earthenware. Through his (mostly) downs of Sherratt's enterpris- pursuit he discovers the chemistry un- es as he struggled with obtaining relia- derlying the often misunderstood sur- ble and economical resources, includ- face appearance of venerated antique ing clay, coal and water.

Web Site Update

n 2018 the Potteries of Trenton So- tent management system for the web- I ciety received a grant from the site was designed to support the addi- Mercer County Division of Culture tion of the database, and will allow us and Heritage, in partnership with the to link the two together and create a New Jersey Historical Commission, better user experience. Division of Cultural Affairs/ The database contains an im- Department of State, to update our mense amount of historical infor- website. mation and stories about the pottery POTS hired Surface Impression industry and associated history. Our to create a new, modern and user- goal is to make this information easily friendly website. Surface Impression available to researchers, pottery en- is a web design firm that specializes in thusiasts, and POTS members and cre- helping non-profit organizations such ate a resource that will also be useful as museums, historical societies, cul- for students, educators (of all levels), tural organizations and educational genealogists, and the local communi- institutions make the most of digital ty. media. The updated website launched The Trenton Potteries Database at the end of 2018. is scheduled to go live at the end of POTS received a second grant 2019. Please be sure to visit at in 2019 to integrate the Trenton Potter- www.potteriesoftrentonsociety.org. ies Database into the website. The con- Phone: 609-695-0122 We’re on the web! Check us out at Fax: 609-695-0147 www.potteriesoftrentonsociety.org Email: [email protected]

120 W. State Street Trenton, NJ 08608

Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society

POTS Membership

Membership in the Potteries of Trenton Society is open to all interested in Trenton’s pottery industry and the ceramic products manufactured here. We welcome pottery workers, historians, archaeologists and col- lectors. Your contribution is used to support newsletter, lecture, meeting, and conference costs.

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