The A. E. Hull Pottery Company began in 1905 as a developer of kitchenware. In 1918, the company added artware to its line including the production of tiles. Most collectors believe that the 1930’s and 1950’s yielded the best works from the company, including its best-known series, Little Red Riding Hood. In 1937, Hull began to produce “Old Spice” pottery containers for men. More than 11 million containers were produced.

As Hull Pottery grew, the company opened a showroom in New York, had offices in Detroit and Chicago, and established a warehouse in New Jersey. It became popular for its utilitarian pots in the brown color and grew into pastel colored artware with a matte finish and pieces for the floral industry.

In 1950, the factory was impacted by a flood and it burned down. However, Hull Pottery was so desirable that its customers continued to purchase items even while the factory was being rebuilt.

Beginning in the 1950’s after the fire, Hull began to produce glossy finished pieces, including Woodland, Flora, Parchment, Pine and several other lines. These pieces are very collectible today as are matte finished pieces.

During the 1960s, the Home ‘N Garden line was immensely popular, perhaps because it included bright colors in dinnerware. With much competition from overseas, the Hull Factory was shut down in 1987.

Incorporated in 1809.

Fulper Pottery utilized the clay found in Hunterdon County, NJ and became known as the home of ‘Bennington’ style of art pottery. Salt glazes were often used in these early pieces.

By 1909, Fulper began using ancient Greek and Chinese ceramics with matte, crystalline and flambé glazes. Fulper Pottery is well known for its striking glazes and it is estimated that there are more than 100 different ones.

Some of the well-known Fulper Pottery artists were John Kunsman, Martin Stangl, and Professor Dr. Cullen Parmelee. These men were important in the development of the Fulper brand as were its organizers from the Fulper family. However, it was really Mr. Stangl who moved the pottery forward as he developed many glazes and art forms. This occurred in 1910. Stangl also provided leadership as Fulper became the first company to introduce a glazed and solid colored dinnerware in America. Under his leadership, porcelain dolls were produced by Fulper Pottery and Stangl received a 5% commission on all doll heads sold.

Fulper Pottery introduced the Stangl line and in 1930 Martin Stangl bought the company. It became known as Fulper-Stangl. The pottery grew and a new structure was built in Trenton, NJ by James Teague from North Carolina. He and a work crew created a building for Fulper. Soon thereafter, Mr. Teague began creating pots in the North Carolina style and taught others in the region to use his styles.

Although Martin Stangl was critical to the survival of Fulper-Stangl, he did not change the name legally until 1955. At that time, it was named Stangl and his works were recognized across the country.

Stangl Pottery is stamped on it bottom of its pieces and is well known for its gold-treated finishes and for its matte colors. It is also the home to bird figurines which were patterned after the Audubon drawings. They were so popular that they were sold in the USA and Europe during WWII.

Mr. Stangl established one of the first “factory outlets” in the United States and wanted it to be a place of education as well as a place to buy pottery.

Stangl was closed in 1978 and was purchased by Pfaltzgraff Pottery in York, PA that same year.

(Source: Just Art Pottery)

(Source: Runge, Robert C. Jr. Collectors Encyclopedia of Stangl Artware, Lamps and Birds)

Established in 1945

Several of the Cash family members got their start at Southern Blue Ridge and when Ray returned from World War II, he joined them. He also purchased pottery and sold it to department stores in the south. However, he really wanted to own his own pottery.

Clinchfield Artware Pottery was the original name of Cash Family Pottery and was so named because the pottery was located on Clinchfield Street in Erwin. In 1945, Ray and Pauline Cash purchased their first kiln and began to make their own molds, baking them in their kitchen oven. They hired mold makers from the area; the most prevalent molds produced wash bowls and pitchers. They also purchased molds from across the country to expand their options.

In the 1950’s, the pottery finally carried the name of Ray and Pauline Cash. Cash Family Pottery was born. The pottery also had “family” in its name as the Cash son, Wayne, and his wife and their children worked at the pottery too. When Southern Blue Ridge closed in 1957, the Cashes bought the Blue Ridge molds for $200. Mrs. Cash shared that at least 1,000 different molds were used by the pottery. Patterns were made unique by each decorator who added their own twist to the designs and changed colors with the same design.

Royalty have been given wedding gifts from Cash Family Pottery. Princess Margaret received a gift in 1960 and Prince Charles and Princess Diana were given a tea set as a wedding present.

The pottery remained in production until the mid-1980s when Ray Cash died and when Pauline Cash had a stroke.

Founded in 1900 and name changed to RRP in 1920

The Ransbottom family began a pottery company to make pottery and stoneware, with Frank Ransbottom as the leader. Under his leadership and by 1916, the pottery grew to be the largest stoneware jar producer in the country. Ransbottom Pottery and Robinson Clay Products merged about 1920. The name was changed to RRP Company and the lines of the new company functional items, art pottery and garden ware.

Because RRP includes the name Roseville, Ohio on its marks, it is sometimes confused by Roseville. Both companies produced fine pottery. RRP endured during the depression and the major wars. It ceased production and closed the pottery in 2005.

As the pottery pieces become rare on the market, they will become even more collectible.

Source: OldAntiquePottery.info

Roseville/Zanesville, OH Founded in 1890

Roseville Pottery was founded by J.F. Weaver in 1890 and was incorporated in 1892 when George Young joined the organization. They began making household items and flowerpots, including Venetian baking pans, German Cooking wares, blended lines, and coin banks. Many of these pieces were not marked.

When Ross Purdy was hired in 1910, the company moved to Zanesville and he began to develop the Rozane line of fine art pottery. This name was a combination of Roseville and Zanesville. In 1904, the Rozane Mongol won first place at the St. Louis Exposition because of its high-gloss oxblood red color.

Gazo Fujiyama began creating Woodland and Fujiyama lines while Frederick Rhead created Olympic and Della Robbia lines around 1904. Frank Ferrell joined the Roseville team in 1917 and remained until 1954. His most popular design was the pinecone line and he also introduced 40 additional lines.

After WWII, sales began to decline, and an effort was made to revitalize the pottery by producing glossy glazes. Those most popular were Wincraft, Ming Tree, Lotus, and Artwood. These pieces are highly collectible today.

Roseville facilities was sold to Mosaic Tile Company in 1954. An era of producing these beautiful pots and artware passed, but they remain tremendously popular today.

Source: Moran, Mark F., Warman’s Roseville Pottery, Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications, 2004.

William Benjamin (W. B.) Stephen and his family moved from Iowa to Tennessee in W. B.’s youth started out in the pottery industry as the new themes in pottery were evolving. He was born in 1876 to Andrew and Nellie Stephen of Clinton, Iowa. The family relocated to Tennessee when W. B. Stephen. He helped his father as an apprentice mason and discovered some unique clay. His mother helped him experiment with different shapes and colors and in turn, he discovered his love of pottery. They created Nonconnah Pottery in 1904. After his parents died, he moved to North Carolina and began a second Nonconnah in Skyland. Stephen’s next pottery was Pisgah Forest and was in Arden, beginning in 1926. He incorporated new glazes that came about with the Arts and Crafts movement and was an avid fan of Chinese styles. Many of the Pisgah Forest pieces were sold in regional galleries and gift shops. Stephen joined the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild in 1939 and benefited for sales there.

(Source – The Third Time’s a Charm:Walter B. Stephen and Pisgah Forest Pottery. Webpage was prepared by Grace Leonard, Smoky Mountain High School and University of Richmond.)

Seagrove, NC

David and Deborah Garner have been throwing pots for 50 years and he is community-minded, serving as mayor of Seagrove. Turn and Burn Pottery opened in 1985. They have created a family owned and operated business that specializes in hand-carved pieces fired by wood. In addition to the red horse-hair technique, they also use raku.