John Klotz is yet another immigrant potter who tried his luck at his old-world craft, only to find his skills obsolete in the land of opportunity. He was born in Bohemia, a border region between present-day Germany and the Czech Republic, in which some of the population spoke German while others spoke ...
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An almost invisible potter, who would never show up as a potter in this state but for a single example of his work in the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society. He appeared as a farmer in the Town of Decatur in 1860...
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Kenneth Dearolf described John Novak pottery in “Wisconsin Folk Pottery” as redware with glazes that were “shiny brown, yellow-brown, and red-brown” from first-hand observations of ware in the possession of family descendants.
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William Gunther is a central figure in Wisconsin potting. He was the master potter for the Maxfield Brothers, the originator and artist of the "Maxfield Flower" decoration. He was the father of Theodore Gunther and the father-in-law of Weimar Remmi, co-founder, master potter and part owner of the Charles Hermann & Co. Pottery.
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Thomas Williams was the master potter for the Milwaukee Stone Ware Factory from 1848 to 1853. He was born in New York in 1813. By 1840 he was living in St. Morris Township in Livingston County, New York. At the time he was 27 years old and had a wife and two children. At the same time, 37-year-old George G. Williams...
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The Milwaukee Stone Ware Factory was started in late 1848 and operated for ten years. Ownership changed frequently during the first five years until the Maxfield brothers bought it in 1853. Most of the owners were merchants with retail and wholesale...
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Milwaukee Stone Ware Factory 1849 to 1851
No pieces have been found with stamps identifying them as MSWF pieces until 1851, when Baker took ownership and began stamping larger pieces. We attribute the stoneware below as probably MSWF based on decorations, provenance, and similarity of decorations.
O.F. Baker 1851 to 1853
Baker was the first to stamp his ware, at least his decorated pieces.
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Stoneware with Lucerne Ransom’s name stamped on them and a Maxfield-style cobalt flower decoration. This led to speculation that he owned the Milwaukee Stoneware Factory in the early 1850’s, which is certainly possible, but it is also possible that he simply ordered some pottery with his name on it to resell.
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Henry Kummerow operated a pottery in Fond Du Lac from 1864 to 1902. He was born in Mecklenburg, Germany in March of 1832 and arrived in Sheboygan as a 'day laborer' in 1858 already trained in his craft.
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Franz or 'Frank' Schwanthaler is known today not by his pottery production in Milwaukee or near
Hartford, Wisconsin, but rather by an archaic implement in the collections of the Wisconsin Historical
Society.
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Adolph Rehm operated a small pottery in Hilbert Junction which is 20 miles east of Menasha from 1869 to 1876. was born near the village of Briete outside the City of Lemgo in Lippe-Detmold on June 15, 1851, son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Langenberg) Rehm, and nephew of Franklin potter Conrad Langenberg.
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