Greetings,
I am an archaeologist working in Canada. Years as U. of Manitoba and National Historic Sites Service field archaeologist and head of artifact research. Now (37 yrs) historic and prehistoric studies in James Bay region of Quebec with Fed/Provincial teams and now (22 yrs) with Waskaganish Cultural Institute. Mix of studies for native patterns of land-use, stories & legends, collections of historic photos, genealogies & family histories, hist/prehist site surveys & excavations… and more (kind of wild, eh?). Waskaganish was 1st colonial English settlement on Hudson Bay (1668-1686/ 1776-present). We do get fragments of 18th cent redwares with slips and ‘clear’ glazes. We very much enjoy your website and commentaries. Would love to get around to ordering some of your well-researched and executed pieces sometime to show…”were like this” because frags do not inspire much excitement… lol lol. Just wanted to tell you we appreciate your work (hands and writings). ~~ Jim Chism, Curator of Archaeology, Waskaganish Cultural Institute, Waskaganish, Quebec, PO Box 60, zip J0M 1R0
Jim, Thanks so much for the kind note! In college I studied anthropology (but majored with a BFA), and worked on a dig in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. Dug up lots of shards. Spent most of the time washing and labeling them… Still, it was a fantastic 3 months.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your awesome blog! Do you happen to have any information on a 19th century Providence, Rhode Island pottery? I’m researching a book about the Brown Brothers Pottery in NY. I’ve come across an interesting conglomeration of CT, MA and NY potters who show up on the Providence cencus records, but I can’t seem to pin down a pottery in Providence. Just thought you might know. I think you should make your blog into an ebook, by the way, and I can’t wait to see your pottery in person!
Thanks
Karen karenraelevine@aol.com
Karen,
Thanks so much for the kind note. I’ve looked into potters in Rhode Island and have only found vague references by non-specialists. Others have said nobody in Rhode Island needed to set up a pottery as they were sandwiched between busy hands in CT and MA. Surrounded by potters! I’m not sure that alone is proof of anything, but still – there just didn’t seem to be much beyond brick making in Rhode Island. If you find anything I’d love to hear about it.
As for the ebook idea, as it happens, way back when I began this thing, the intention was to force myself to get writing in preparation for a book. It still might happen. Another thing on the list of stuff to do.
Finally, check out my schedule on the events page, in case you’re at a show I’m in. Always like to say hi to people!
Well then, I might be on to something good. If there are potters, then there must be a pottery! I found The Providence Pottery Co. in an 1881 business directory. The potters at that time were Frederick Caire (Poughkeepsie and Huntington), George Bennett and George’s son, Walter (Somerset), all of whom are related to the Huntington Pottery either directly or by marriage. I also read in Watkins that some States family potters migrated to Rhode Island.
I’ll be in RI and MA this weekend for a quick fact-finding trip. I don’t think you happen to have a show, so I’ll have to make a special trip for the next one. On Sunday I’ll be at Old Sturbridge Village, making a dinner set of redware pottery. After so much research into dead potters, I’m so excited to get my hands dirty, really feel what it’s like, and create something new.
Your blog has helped a lot along the way and you’re really a terrific writer. Um, I have a confession to make. One day, during a fit of procrastination, I put all your posts into ebook form with the references consolidated at the end. I use it as a reference for my own research. I’d be happy to send it to you. Maybe it will give you a jump start. You really are a very good story teller. So many of the pottery books are full of great info but they’re so dry. It’s so much more fun to learn and laugh at the same time.
I too recall Lura Woodside Watkins mentioning something about a RI pottery. If it was after the 1880’s, I generally lose interest, but still it could be interesting to see what they were up to.
I used to work at OSV. Are you doing a workshop there? If it is an organized event, I’d love to hear about it. I haven’t been back in a while. If you cross paths with Jeff Freidman (pottery shop manager, or used to be) please say hello for me.
As for all the old books on pottery, during my time at OSV I read about every book in their research library. Yes, most were pretty dry. But almost every one has a few pearls buried deep inside. Most of the first couple years of my blog were taken from my notes of those times. Sort of a ‘greatest hits’ thing. As for the ebook thing, it’s crazy how easy it is to put those things together, isn’t it? I would love to see what it looks like. I think if I ever got around to actually publishing, I’d have to do some re-arranging, some re-editing of a few entries, adding to a few, dropping a few altogether, and I’d try to include a lot more pictures. Nobody would take a book on pottery seriously without pictures, after all…
Anyway, its fun talking about this stuff. Then again, if this was supposed to be a ‘hobby’ I could be in trouble. Spending all day in the shop, then all night writing about it? Doomed.
Here’s the OSV site for the pottery workshop, “Crafts at Close Range”: http://www.osv.org/event/crafts-at-close-range#Pottery.
For me it’s a craft, for you it’s an art! The instructor is Rich Giordano, but I’ll keep an ear open for Jeff Freidman. Yes, it seems you are doomed, and so am I, in a funny/good way. I think that to have a passion is a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse.
I’ve self-published two books and the third is in the editing process. Two are historical fiction and one is nonfiction for children. I started with print-on-demand paperbacks, but the children’s book on color blindness did so well that I started a company and I sell a hardcover version from an inventory. Just letting you know I have some experience in the process, if you need any advice. Misery loves company??? 😉
My passion on the pottery front started when I moved into the house that George Brown built next to what once was the Brown Brothers Pottery. The shards I’ve collected from the beach and the property are threatening to take over the house! I started learning so much about the history that I decided I might as well write a book about it. Now I’m looking for a pottery in Providence. Doomed!
When I was at OSV the Crafts at Close Range program had been shelved. Good to hear it’s back on. I know Rich as well. Tell him I said hello too!
Your past experience with ebooks sounds interesting. You asked me how you should send the ebook file to me. As I don’t really know what it is, I don’t know how to respond. It must be a pretty hefty file. Does it need to be on a disk? WordPress allows for both tags and categories. You mentioned something about these. I wonder if they can be converted into a sort of index. That would be really cool.
Anyway, your house sounds great. The Brown Pottery was quite well known, and very colorful, in it’s day (and now). I came very close to purchasing a house (with a pottery shop on the property) right next to the site of the Orcutt and Belding stoenware pottery in South Ashfield, MA several years ago. It was too small for us, but too bad.
The ebook is just a word file at the moment, which means it’s your posts up to two months ago with a table of contents, formatted for an upload to a service like createspace. I can send it to you as an email attachment, unless there’s someplace on this blog site that I can dump a file. I won’t be able to get to it until next week anyway. My husband and I are leaving for our New England adventure tomorrow and I’m busy packing my finest mud-larking and pottery-making outfits!
I had a blast at Sturbridge Village. Rich says hi and I got to hear about your 300 doorknobs a day when you were an apprentice. Also saw some of your pieces in the basement workshop. Here’s Rich explaining pottery making back in the day: http://youtu.be/jcza4QEdliA What a great guy!
This Day in Pottery History
August 25, 2009 at 7:51 pm |
Greetings,
I am an archaeologist working in Canada. Years as U. of Manitoba and National Historic Sites Service field archaeologist and head of artifact research. Now (37 yrs) historic and prehistoric studies in James Bay region of Quebec with Fed/Provincial teams and now (22 yrs) with Waskaganish Cultural Institute. Mix of studies for native patterns of land-use, stories & legends, collections of historic photos, genealogies & family histories, hist/prehist site surveys & excavations… and more (kind of wild, eh?). Waskaganish was 1st colonial English settlement on Hudson Bay (1668-1686/ 1776-present). We do get fragments of 18th cent redwares with slips and ‘clear’ glazes. We very much enjoy your website and commentaries. Would love to get around to ordering some of your well-researched and executed pieces sometime to show…”were like this” because frags do not inspire much excitement… lol lol. Just wanted to tell you we appreciate your work (hands and writings). ~~ Jim Chism, Curator of Archaeology, Waskaganish Cultural Institute, Waskaganish, Quebec, PO Box 60, zip J0M 1R0
August 26, 2009 at 1:42 am |
Jim, Thanks so much for the kind note! In college I studied anthropology (but majored with a BFA), and worked on a dig in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. Dug up lots of shards. Spent most of the time washing and labeling them… Still, it was a fantastic 3 months.
Anyway, again thanks.
Steve Earp
September 25, 2013 at 7:44 pm |
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your awesome blog! Do you happen to have any information on a 19th century Providence, Rhode Island pottery? I’m researching a book about the Brown Brothers Pottery in NY. I’ve come across an interesting conglomeration of CT, MA and NY potters who show up on the Providence cencus records, but I can’t seem to pin down a pottery in Providence. Just thought you might know. I think you should make your blog into an ebook, by the way, and I can’t wait to see your pottery in person!
Thanks
Karen
karenraelevine@aol.com
September 25, 2013 at 10:00 pm |
Karen,
Thanks so much for the kind note. I’ve looked into potters in Rhode Island and have only found vague references by non-specialists. Others have said nobody in Rhode Island needed to set up a pottery as they were sandwiched between busy hands in CT and MA. Surrounded by potters! I’m not sure that alone is proof of anything, but still – there just didn’t seem to be much beyond brick making in Rhode Island. If you find anything I’d love to hear about it.
As for the ebook idea, as it happens, way back when I began this thing, the intention was to force myself to get writing in preparation for a book. It still might happen. Another thing on the list of stuff to do.
Finally, check out my schedule on the events page, in case you’re at a show I’m in. Always like to say hi to people!
September 25, 2013 at 10:51 pm |
Hi Steve,
Well then, I might be on to something good. If there are potters, then there must be a pottery! I found The Providence Pottery Co. in an 1881 business directory. The potters at that time were Frederick Caire (Poughkeepsie and Huntington), George Bennett and George’s son, Walter (Somerset), all of whom are related to the Huntington Pottery either directly or by marriage. I also read in Watkins that some States family potters migrated to Rhode Island.
I’ll be in RI and MA this weekend for a quick fact-finding trip. I don’t think you happen to have a show, so I’ll have to make a special trip for the next one. On Sunday I’ll be at Old Sturbridge Village, making a dinner set of redware pottery. After so much research into dead potters, I’m so excited to get my hands dirty, really feel what it’s like, and create something new.
Your blog has helped a lot along the way and you’re really a terrific writer. Um, I have a confession to make. One day, during a fit of procrastination, I put all your posts into ebook form with the references consolidated at the end. I use it as a reference for my own research. I’d be happy to send it to you. Maybe it will give you a jump start. You really are a very good story teller. So many of the pottery books are full of great info but they’re so dry. It’s so much more fun to learn and laugh at the same time.
Keep those wheels turning!
Karen
September 26, 2013 at 1:45 am |
Karen,
I too recall Lura Woodside Watkins mentioning something about a RI pottery. If it was after the 1880’s, I generally lose interest, but still it could be interesting to see what they were up to.
I used to work at OSV. Are you doing a workshop there? If it is an organized event, I’d love to hear about it. I haven’t been back in a while. If you cross paths with Jeff Freidman (pottery shop manager, or used to be) please say hello for me.
As for all the old books on pottery, during my time at OSV I read about every book in their research library. Yes, most were pretty dry. But almost every one has a few pearls buried deep inside. Most of the first couple years of my blog were taken from my notes of those times. Sort of a ‘greatest hits’ thing. As for the ebook thing, it’s crazy how easy it is to put those things together, isn’t it? I would love to see what it looks like. I think if I ever got around to actually publishing, I’d have to do some re-arranging, some re-editing of a few entries, adding to a few, dropping a few altogether, and I’d try to include a lot more pictures. Nobody would take a book on pottery seriously without pictures, after all…
Anyway, its fun talking about this stuff. Then again, if this was supposed to be a ‘hobby’ I could be in trouble. Spending all day in the shop, then all night writing about it? Doomed.
Later,
Steve
September 26, 2013 at 1:19 pm |
Here’s the OSV site for the pottery workshop, “Crafts at Close Range”: http://www.osv.org/event/crafts-at-close-range#Pottery.
For me it’s a craft, for you it’s an art! The instructor is Rich Giordano, but I’ll keep an ear open for Jeff Freidman. Yes, it seems you are doomed, and so am I, in a funny/good way. I think that to have a passion is a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse.
I’ve self-published two books and the third is in the editing process. Two are historical fiction and one is nonfiction for children. I started with print-on-demand paperbacks, but the children’s book on color blindness did so well that I started a company and I sell a hardcover version from an inventory. Just letting you know I have some experience in the process, if you need any advice. Misery loves company??? 😉
My passion on the pottery front started when I moved into the house that George Brown built next to what once was the Brown Brothers Pottery. The shards I’ve collected from the beach and the property are threatening to take over the house! I started learning so much about the history that I decided I might as well write a book about it. Now I’m looking for a pottery in Providence. Doomed!
Karen
PS How should I send the ebook files?
September 26, 2013 at 8:52 pm |
Karen,
When I was at OSV the Crafts at Close Range program had been shelved. Good to hear it’s back on. I know Rich as well. Tell him I said hello too!
Your past experience with ebooks sounds interesting. You asked me how you should send the ebook file to me. As I don’t really know what it is, I don’t know how to respond. It must be a pretty hefty file. Does it need to be on a disk? WordPress allows for both tags and categories. You mentioned something about these. I wonder if they can be converted into a sort of index. That would be really cool.
Anyway, your house sounds great. The Brown Pottery was quite well known, and very colorful, in it’s day (and now). I came very close to purchasing a house (with a pottery shop on the property) right next to the site of the Orcutt and Belding stoenware pottery in South Ashfield, MA several years ago. It was too small for us, but too bad.
Steve
September 27, 2013 at 12:24 am |
The ebook is just a word file at the moment, which means it’s your posts up to two months ago with a table of contents, formatted for an upload to a service like createspace. I can send it to you as an email attachment, unless there’s someplace on this blog site that I can dump a file. I won’t be able to get to it until next week anyway. My husband and I are leaving for our New England adventure tomorrow and I’m busy packing my finest mud-larking and pottery-making outfits!
September 27, 2013 at 1:33 am |
no problem. enjoy OSV and the trip. it’s a great place this time of year.
steve
October 1, 2013 at 11:29 pm |
I had a blast at Sturbridge Village. Rich says hi and I got to hear about your 300 doorknobs a day when you were an apprentice. Also saw some of your pieces in the basement workshop. Here’s Rich explaining pottery making back in the day: http://youtu.be/jcza4QEdliA What a great guy!