Written by an experienced antiquarian, this book explores the history of utilitarian pottery production in New York State, beginning with the Dutch in Manhattan. The subject matter ranges across the entire state, from Long Island and the Mohawk and Hudson valleys, to the St. Lawrence, Lake Erie, and the Southern Tier. This completely revised and updated edition of a highly praised 1970 book brings our knowledge of New York State potters and potteries to the present, incorporating extensive research in specific localities and information from excavations that have been carried out in recent years. The author discusses the types of wares that were made in New York potteries and suggests why the industry flourished. A general introduction to pottery types and methods of glazing and firing orient the reader in what was an important industry in early New York State. Supplemented by dozens of photographs and line drawings, this book contains the only existing lists of marks used by New York potters, as well as an appendix listing more than 1,400 of the state’s individual craftsmen, including the communities in which they worked, their active dates, and the types of ware they produced. The book will be valuable for ceramists, collectors, antiquarians, and those interested in the social, cultural, and economic history of New York State.
By William C. Ketchum, Jr.