Homer Laughlin Cream Pitcher
date: label: Date made
content: 1953
name: label: maker
content: Homer Laughlin China Co.
notes: label: Description
content: About Homer Laughlin China Company: The Homer Laughlin firm was founded in 1871 in Newell, West Virginia by the two brothers, Shakespeare and Homer Laughlin. A long-lived pottery, it survived two world wars and continued until 2020, when it was sold to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer. Though Homer Laughlin China produced art pottery in its earlier days, it is best known for its Fiesta line, a brightly-colored Art Deco-styled set of tableware that was designed by the noted ceramicist, Frederick Hurten Rhead. Rhead was Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942. Fiesta ware is still produced by Fiesta Tableware Company, a division of Steelite. The New York Times called Fiesta “the most collected brand of china in the United States” (Alexander 2002). Homer Laughlin China Company was known for many dinnerware designs and also produced commemorative plates and art pottery vases.
label: Description
content: (Alexander, Kelly, 2002.“The Way We Live Now”. The New York Times, December 1.)
label: Description
content: About the Object:
label: Description
content: White-bodied molded earthenware cream pitcher. Round with high sides which flare outward from opening at top, then curve under, ending at small, round pedestal base. One side is higher than the others, flaring up and out to form spout. Ear-shaped strap handle is attached in two places on one side. Pitcher is covered from top to approximately 2/3 down, under pedestal and on interior, with clear, shiny glaze. Bottom 1/3 of exterior is covered with shiny grey glaze. Decoration consists of overglaze floral decals on two sides in whites, greys, greens, purples, and pinks, and narrow silver or platinum bands at rim of opening, dividing grey and off-white areas, and at pedestal base. Three silver or platinum lines decorate outer edge of handle. Inside of pedestal base in deeply indented, forming foot-ring. See 1989.0255.62.A.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: West Virginia, Newell
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Ceramics and Glass
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Salem China Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0255.62.B
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0255.62.B
label: accession number
content: 1989.0255
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pitcher, cream
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: ceramic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: earthenware (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: refined (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: molded (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 12.217 cm x 12.522 cm x 9.195 cm; 4 13/16 in x 4 15/16 in x 3 5/8 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 1/8 in x 4 7/8 in; 10.4775 cm x 12.3825 cm