GEORGE OHR IN HIS NINETEENTH-CENTURY CONTEXT: THE MAD POTTER RECONSIDERED BY ELLEN LIPPERT Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Henry Adams Department of Art CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY January 2009 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of _____________________________________________________ candidate for the ______________________degree *. (signed)_______________________________________________ (chair of the committee) ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ (date) _______________________ *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations 4 Abstract 9 Introduction 11 Chapter Discussion 22 Previous Scholarship and Theory 27 Larger Issues of Method 33 Part I: Ohr the Man 41 Chapter One: The Rediscovery of George Ohr 41 The First Generation—The Ohr Legend Is Born 44 Significance of the Mad Potter 46 Ohr as a Prophet 48 Revisionist Writing 49 Chapter Two: Biography and Early Literature 57 Childhood/Early Life 57 Later Life 66 Contemporary Reception of Ohr 72 Positive Reviews 80 Fairs and Expositions 84 Social Influences—Diversity 85 The Midway 89 Visual Display 93 Architecture 98 Chapter Three: Ohr, Advertising, and the Artistic Persona 101 James McNeill Whistler 104 The Emergence of Mass Media: Ohr and Elbert Hubbard 111 Ohr and Barnum 116 Chapter Four: Ohr as a Southern Character 120 Southern Humor 126 Southern Characters in Northern Periodicals 133 Chapter Five: Socialism and Individualism 135 Socialism 135 Socialism in Mississippi 139 Sumner Rose 144 J. A. Wayland 146 Fairhope, Alabama 148 William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement 149 Chapter Six: The Beauty of the Grotesque 155 J. K. Huysmans 157 Oscar Wilde 160 Omar Khayyám 163 Part II: Ohr as a Potter 169 Chapter Seven: American Pottery in the Nineteenth Century: Its Three Traditions 169 Ohr’s Experience as a Traveling Potter 172 New Orleans Art Pottery and Newcomb Pottery 175 Joseph Meyer 179 The Woodward Brothers 181 New Orleans as Cultural Center 189 The Process of Making Pottery 192 Turning or Throwing Pots 194 Glazing 197 Construction of a Kiln and Firing 199 Similarities and Differences Between Ohr and Folk Potters 202 Chapter Eight: Ohr’s Pottery, Its Types, and Its Development 204 The 1894 Fire and the Dating of Ohr’s Work 205 Types of Pots 208 Early/Derivative Forms 208 Functional Pots 209 Trinkets 210 Art Pottery 213 Common Motifs 217 Crumpling 217 Ruffling 218 Twisting 219 Tubing 220 Snakes 220 Types of Glazes 221 Metallic Glaze Pots 224 Unglazed Pots 225 Spontaneity, Strategy, and Working Practices 227 Issues of Social Class 231 Classic Forms 234 Shapes 240 Imagery 247 Conclusion 251 Experiencing His Oeuvre 254 2 Illustrations 260 Appendix I: Listing of Northern Artists Who Worked in the South 295 Works Consulted 297 3 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. George Ohr, vase, c. 1895-1900, 6 ½ inches. Figure 2. George Ohr, footed vase, c. 1895-1900, 7 ½ inches. Figure 3. George Ohr, pitcher with snake, c. 1895 – 1900, 7 inches. Figure 4. Vase by Van Briggle, c. 1900, 8 inches. Figure 5. Vase by Teco, c. 1900, 8 ½ inches. Figure 6. Vase by Rookwood, c. 1900, 12 inches. Figure 7. Vase by Grueby, c. 1898-1902, 10 inches. Figure 8. Vase by Newcomb Pottery, c. 1900, 8 inches. Figure 9. George Ohr, feces creamer, date unknown, approximately 3 inches high, 2 inches across. Figure 10. George Ohr, vase, c. 1898, 6 ½ inches. Figure 11. George Ohr, two double-necked bisque (unglazed) vases, c. 1898-1910, 7 ¼ in (left), 5 ¾ inch (right). Figure 12. George Ohr, unglazed vase, c. 1892-94, 4 inches. Figure 13. George Ohr, teapot, c. 1902, 6 ½ inches. Example of pink bubble glaze. Figure 14. George Ohr, tall vase, c. 1895-1900, 13 ½ inches. Example of metallic glaze. Figure 15. George Ohr, handled vase, c. 1895-1900, 8 7/8 inches. Example of ruffling. Figure 16. Peter Voulkos, untitled plate, 1995, 5 inches high and 20 inches in diameter. Figure 17. Peter Voulkos, Noodle, 1996, over 47 inches. Figure 18. Jasper Johns, Ventriloquist, 1983. Figure 19. Vase by James Pottery of Chester County, 1824 (left), vase by George Ohr, c. 1895-1900 (right). Figure 20. Vase by Anthony Baecher of Winchester, VA, c. 1870-89 (left), vase by George Ohr, c. 1898-1907(right). 4 Figure 21. Vase by George Ohr, c. 1895-1900 (left), vase by Christopher Dresser, c. 1879-92 (right). Figure 22. George Ohr, collection of coin banks, various dates, ranging from 3 inches to 5 inches. Figure 23. George Ohr, “brothel tokens,” various dates. Figure 24. George Ohr, pig flask, 1882. Figure 25. Cornwall Kirkpatrick, pig flask, 1871. Figure 26. Ohr’s first studio, c. mid 1893. Figure 27. Ohr’s second studio, c. late 1890s. Figure 28. George Ohr, c. 1900. Figure 29. Pots Ohr sent to the Smithsonian in 1889. Figure 30. George Ohr, umbrella stand, c. 1900. Figure 31. Interior of Ohr’s studio, 1896. Figure 32. Ohr’s studio, mid 1905. Figure 33. Ohr at the Cotton States Exposition, 1884. Figure 34. Ohr at the Cotton States Exposition, 1884. Figure 35. George Ohr, “vagina bank,” date unknown. Figure 36. George Ohr, puzzle mug, date unknown. Figure 37. George Ohr, assortment of novelty items. Figure 38. Front view of the Ho-o-den building at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. Figure 39. Caricature of Whistler, c. 1868. Figure 40. Illustration from cover of Mary Tracy Earle’s The Wonderful Wheel, c.1896. Figure 41. Ohr’s ad in the Philistine, 1901. Figure 42. Caricature of Elbert Hubbard from The Philistine, c. 1910. 5 Figure 43. Ohr c. late 1880s. Figure 44. Ohr, c. 1890s. Figure 45. Pot signed with just the word “Biloxi.” Figure 46. Pot inscribed “mud from the channel of Biloxi water,” 1906. Figure 47. Ohr’s studio with banner reading “Welcome Miss. S.P.A.,” c. 1901. Figure 48. Sign from Ohr’s studio. Figure 49. Photograph of Ohr as “Art Potter,” c. 1892. Figure 50. Vase from Sung Dynasty, 960-1280 (left), Ohr vase c. 1895-1900 (right). Figure 51. Greek vase, fifth century (left), Ohr vase c. 1900-1905 (right). Figure 52. Bernard Palissy, platter, c. 1510. Figure 53. William Woodward, drawing, c. 1889. Figure 54. William Woodward, watercolor, c. 1890. Figure 55. Joseph Meyer, pitcher. Decorated by Gertrude Smith, c. 1915, 10 inches. Figure 56. Example of Newcomb Pottery’s trademark design, c. 1900, 8 inches. Figure 57. Ohr with donkey mill c. 1896-97. Harry Portman stands in the background and Ohr’s “killed babies” are along fence. Figure 58. Puzzle jug, 10” high, date unknown. Figure 59. Ring jug, c. late 1770s. Figure 60. Monkey jug, c. 1990. Figure 61. Examples of face jugs, c. 1890s. Figure 62. Examples of salt glazing. Figure 63. Example of alkaline glaze pot, c. 1870, 16 inches tall. Figure 64. Ohr’s kiln after the 1894 fire. Figure 65. Backyard of Ohr’s pottery, April 1896. 6 Figure 66. Photograph of Ohr with unglazed functional ware on ground and “killed babies” on the fence behind him, c. 1895. Figure 67. George Ohr, three handle loving mug, c. 1900, 8 inches. Figure 68. George Ohr, teapot, c. 1895-1900, 7 ¾ inches. Figure 69. George Ohr, teapot, c. 1895-1900, 10 inches. Figure 70. George Ohr, codagon teapot with double spouts, c. 1895-1900, 8 inches. Figure 71. George Ohr, codagon teapot, c. 1898-1907, 5 ½ inches. Figure 72. George Ohr, vase, c. 1895-1900, 5 ½ inches. Example of crumpling. Figure 73. George Ohr, footed vase, c. 1895-1900, 7 3/8 inches. Example of twisting. Figure 74. George Ohr, vase, c. 1898-1907, 7 ¾ inches. Example of tubing. Figure 75. George Ohr, handled vase with snake, c. 1895-1900, 4 1/8 inches. Example of snake motif. Figure 76. Japanese pottery with asymmetry, late 1800s. Figure 77. George Ohr, vase, c. 1898-1907, 8 ¾ inches. Figure 78. George Ohr, vase series, c. 1898-1910. Figure 79. George Ohr, vases, c. 1895-1900, 6 inches (left), and c. 1895-1900, 7 ½ inches (right). Figure 80. Example of fake Ohr pot. Figure 81. George Ohr, pitcher series, c. 1895 – 1907, 3 inches (top left), 3 5/8 inches (top right), 3 ½ inches (bottom left), 3 inches (bottom right). Figure 82. George Ohr, ring jug, c. 1900. Figure 83. Example of folk pottery pitcher. Figure 84. George Ohr, early pitcher in folk pottery design, c. 1885. Figure 85. George Ohr, small pitcher, c. 1895-1900, 3 ¾ inches. Figure 86. George Ohr, pitcher, c. 1895-1900, 8 5/8 inches. 7 Figure 87. George Ohr, pitcher, c. 1895-1900, 9 inches. Figure 88. George Ohr, tall handled vase, c. 1895-1900, 10 ¾ inches. Figure 89. George Ohr, vase with Victorian stylings, 1894, 14 ½ inches. Figure 90. Example of Sung Dynasty celadon glaze. Figure 91. Example of Sung Dynasty oil spot glaze. Figure 92. George Ohr, tall vase, c. 1895-1900, 17 inches. Figure 93. Vase by Van Briggle vase, c. 1900, 9 ½ inches. Figure 94. George Ohr, vasec. 1895-1900, 3 7/8 inches high. Figure 95. George Ohr, teapot, c. 1897-1900, 6 ¾ inches. Figure 96. George Ohr, large pitcher, c. 1897-1900, 7 ½ inches. Figure 97. George Ohr, two pots, c. 1897-1900, 7 ¾ inches (left), 6 inches (right). Figure 98. George Ohr, bank, c. 1897-1900, 4 ½ inches. Figure 99. George Ohr, teapot and coffeepot, c. 1900. Figure 100. Trick photographs of Ohr standing on his head, c. 1890s. Figure 101. George Ohr, two tiles, “Biloxi Waterfront Scene” (left) and Log Cabin (right), c. 1907.