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.