Barbara Beem and Ken Beem
A History of Baltimore Porcelain

Ceramics in America 2012

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Postcard, The Pioneer Pottery of East Liverpool, Ohio, and Edwin Bennett (inset), ca. 1915. (Unless otherwise noted, objects courtesy of Barbara and Ken Beem; photos, the authors.) The “Pioneer Pottery” referred to in the title is, in fact, the Bennett Brothers Pottery.

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Plaque depicting President Ulysses S. Grant, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. H. 11 15/16". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Pair of plaques depicting (left) President Abraham Lincoln and (right) President James A. Garfield, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian mounted on velvet. H. 10 1/2". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Pair of vases, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1884–1886. Parian. H. of each 5". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) Each vase is in the form of a snail shell resting on a base of coral sprigs.

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Pair of two-handled vases, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Mary­land, 1884–1886. Parian. H. of each 8". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) The raised decoration is of stylized nature motifs.

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Two-handled vase, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1884–1886. Porcelain. H. 6". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) This rectangular vase is decorated with birds and flowering branches and has gold trim.

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Vase, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1884–1886. Porcelain. H. 6 3/16". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) White-on-blue pillow vase depicting Venus on a half shell being pulled by dolphins. The vase rests on twig-shaped feet.

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    American Belleek tea set, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Mary­land, 1886. Porcelain with hand-painted gold trim and honeycomb pattern. H. of teapot 6"; H. of covered sugar bowl 4 3/4"; H. of each creamer 3 3/4". 

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Bottom of one of the creamers illustrated in fig. 8, showing the letter “B” painted on one of the feet.

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Page from Edwin Bennett Pottery catalog, Baltimore, Maryland, undated. Among the items on the page is a “Parian Footed Cream.”

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Creamers, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1886–1887. Left: American Belleek creamer. Porcelain with gold trim. H. 3 3/4". Right: Three-legged creamer. Parian. H. 4 1/2". 

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Page from Edwin Bennett Pottery catalog, Baltimore, Maryland, undated. The page illustrates two “Oriental Pitchers,” each of which bears the face of a satyr under the spout.

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Pitcher, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1886–1887. Parian. H. 12 1/2". This gold-trimmed pitcher with a bamboo handle portrays the raised face of a satyr under the spout.

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Front view of the pitcher illustrated in fig. 13, showing the front view of the satyr.

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Page from Edwin Bennett Pottery catalog, Baltimore, Maryland, undated. In the lower right corner is an example of a “Parian Drayon Jug.”

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Pitcher, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1885–1887. Parian. H. 6 1/2". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smith­sonian Institution.) A reddish brown lizard forms the handle and pour spout of this “Drayon” jug.

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Stamp on bottom of white earthenware “Drayon” jug, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1885. Mark: BENNETT’S / MAY 12, 1885 / PATENT. 

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Pitcher, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1884–1887. Porcelain. H. 7". This decorative ale pitcher has gold trim and an intricate street scene in low relief. 

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Pair of mounted and framed bovine plaques, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883. Parian. H. 9 1/4". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) These plaques depict the heads of a cow and calf (left) and a bull (right) and are mounted on velvet.

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    The back of one of the plaques illustrated in fig. 19, with a label showing a copyright date of 1883.

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    “Winter” plaque, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. D. 9". 

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    “Summer” plaque, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. D. 8 3/4". 

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    “Fall” plaque, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. D. 7 15/16". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smith­sonian Institution.) 

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    “Day” (left) and “Night” (right) plaques. Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. White classical figures on parian plaques painted greenish brown. D. 6". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) 

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    “Old Age”(left) and “Child­hood” (right) plaques, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. White classical figures on parian plaques painted greenish brown. D. 5 1/4". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.) 

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    “Maturity” (left) and “Old Age” (right) plaques, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. D. 5 1/4". 

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Flowers and flower parts, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smith­sonian Institution.) 

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Flowers and flower parts, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smith­sonian Institution.)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Heads of cow and calf plaque, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1887. Parian. H. 9". 

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    State seal of North Carolina plaque, Chesapeake Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. H. 9 1/2". (Courtesy, John Collier collection.)

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    State seal of North Carolina plaque, Chesapeake Pottery or Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1883–1886. Parian. H. 9 1/2". 

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    “Innocence” plaque, Edwin Bennett Pottery, Baltimore, Maryland, 1887. Parian. D. 11 3/8". (Courtesy, Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smith­sonian Institution.)