Rookwood Pottery - Early Years and Expansion

Early Years and Expansion

Maria Longworth Nichols Storer founded Rookwood Pottery in 1880 as a result of being inspired by what she saw at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The inspirational works included Japanese ceramics and French pottery with under-glaze decoration. The first Rookwood Pottery was located in a renovated school house on Eastern Avenue which had been purchased by Maria's father at a sheriff's sale in March, 1880. The first ware came from the kiln on Thanksgiving Day of that year. Through years of experimentation with glazes and kiln temperatures, Rookwood pottery became the ultimate in American art pottery--pottery designed to be at least as decorative as it is useful.

The second Rookwood Pottery building, atop Mount Adams, was built in 1891-1892 by H. Neill Wilson (son of prominent Cincinnati architect James Keys Wilson).

Each era of Rookwood work has its own unique character:

The earliest work is relief-worked on colored clay, in red, pinks, greys and sage or olive greens. Some were gilt, or had stamped patterns, and some were carved. Often these were painted or otherwise decorated by the purchaser of the "greenware" (unfinished piece), a precursor to today's do-it-yourself movement. However, such personally-decorated pieces are not usually considered Rookwood for purposes of sale or valuation.

After this period, Storer sought a "standard" look for Rookwood, and developed the "Standard Glaze," a yellow tined, high gloss, clear glaze often used over leaf or flower motifs. A series of portraits - often of generic American Indian characters or certain historical figures – was also produced using the Standard Glaze. A variant on the Standard Glaze was the less-common but very collectible "tiger eye" which appears only on a red clay base. Tiger Eye produces a golden shimmer deep within the glaze; however it was unpredictable and it is not clear whether it was abandoned for reasons of chemistry or popularity.

Rookwood also produce pottery in the Japonism trend, after Storer invited Japanese artist Kitaro Shirayamadani to come to Cincinnati and work for the company in 1887.

In 1894, Rookwood introduced three glazes: "Iris" a remarkably clear, colorless glaze; "Sea Green" which was clear but green tinted and "Aerial Blue" which was clear but blue tinted. The latter glaze was produced for just one year, while the two former glazes were used for more than a decade.

With increased interest in the American Arts & Crafts Movement, there was a need for a matt glaze which could be used over under-glaze decoration (largely floral and scenic). Rookwood responded in 1904 with the introduction of the "Vellum" glaze which presented a matt surface but through which could be seen the slightly frosted appearing decoration beneath.

One of the last glaze lines of Rookwood was "Ombroso", not used until after 1910. Ombroso, used on cut or incised pottery, is a brown or black matte glaze.

In 1902, Rookwood added architectural pottery to its portfolio. Under the direction of William Watts Taylor, this division rapidly gained national and international acclaim. Many of the flat pieces were used around fireplaces in homes in Greater Cincinnati and surrounding areas, while custom installations found their places in grand homes, hotels, and public spaces. Even today, Rookwood tiles decorate Carew Tower, Union Terminal (Cincinnati) and Dixie Terminal in Cincinnati, as well as the Rathskeller Room in The Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Ky. In New York, the Vanderbilt Hotel, Grand Central Station, Lord and Taylor and several subway stops feature Rookwood tile designs.

The 1920s were highly prosperous years for Rookwood. The pottery employed about 200 workers and welcomed almost 5,000 visitors to the Mount Adams business each year. Nearly every Cincinnati bride had a piece of Rookwood pottery among her wedding gifts. Even Mark Twain, who admittedly was not an art collector, visited the pottery and went on a shopping spree.