Franklin – Langenberg Pottery

Beautifully decorated front and back in green and brown, yellow slip covered in lead glazed . Formerly in the George LaBudde collection pictured in Wisconsin Heritage book (1954). Legend has it that when found in a summer kitchen it was completely black and it was not realized until it was washed off that the yellow body and floral decoration existed; 7 in. high, by 6 in. dia., turned foot, extruded handle, finger press mark at base of handle; pouring spout intake fitted with hand-pierced tea strainer Original cover 1 1/2 in. high by 3 1/4 in. dis., button knob, brown glazed exterior. Legend has it that another "identical" teapot once existed but cannot be located. Keep your eyes open!

Slab-built charcoal foot warmer rests on four block feet, half-round front opening provides access to fill interior with hot coals from the stove; the walls of this piece are very thick to retain heat; It has a chip carved (kerbschnitt in German) decorative pattern of a renaissance flower and series of triangles on top. Vent holes also on top radiate out from the center to distribute heat without setting one's socks on fire. A carved inscription on the back reads "Gedenke Mein / Cennterrville [sic] / 1867' Centerville is located about four miles from the pottery. Descended in the Kolb family, charcoal burners from Saxony who immigrated in 1850 to settle in Centerville, Manitowoc Co., and moved 3 miles west to Town Meeme in the late 1860's.

Yikes! Looks like an obsession to me! Thirty Langenberg milk pitchers, and 30 unglazed covers; note the uniformity of form and size. All are glazed inside with unglazed exteriors. The two on the right show extremes of size -- one smaller than average and the other larger. The exterior color varies, probably dues to differences in clay, firing, or both This private collection formerly contained 88 pitchers.

Three Langenberg pitchers, each with three different landscape paintings and applique of vines and leaves. A mystery surrounds these pitchers: six have been found to date with applied relief moldings forming elaborate frames around the scenes painted on them which resemble northern Wisconsin or Upper Peninsula landscapes. They are often signed “E. H.” The painting appears to have age and it was a common “folk art” home practice to decorate glass and pottery objects around the turn of the twentieth century. Whoever it was who created these works of art (possibly for vases or other decorative use). One theory is that Edgar Hellum of Pendarvis, Mineral Point fame painted them as he was an accomplished artist and resided in the Upper Peninsula for a time.. Another possibility might be Ernella Hunsricker, an art teacher and instructor at Whitewater University where one of these pitchers was found at an estate sale; Once painted these vessels lost their utilitarian function as originally intended and instead entered the realm of folk art.

the size range of Langenberg milk pitchers, the smaller one 8 7/8 in. high by 5 3/4 in. dia., the larger one 11 1/4 in. high by 6 5/8 in dia (most range 9 to 9 3/4 in. high);.; red lead glaze inside only; 88% have an extruded handle, 8% pulled; 36% have a double incised ring, 53% have single rings, 9% have no ring; 74% have a finger press mark at the base of the handle, 24% have none; they were used for gravity separation of cream from milk, and each was provided with an unglazed cover with button knob to keep out mice or flies; Private collection.

Oops! An overheated kiln can produce some unusual results. found at the same auction as the previous example 3 miles south of Franklin

Ovoid stovetop pipkin 4 1/2 in. high by 8 in. dia., attached hollow handle (tip broken off) single incised ring around body, trimmed foot, red/orange lead glaze inside and out; Chip on pouring spout. original cover 2 1/4 in. high by 8 in. dia, light brown outside glaze; bottom scorched black from use

Two-gallon earthenware crock 10 in. high by 9 1/2 in. dia., red/brown lead glaze, two incised rings and scratched numeral "2". the ear handles are large and donut-style. The rim is misshapen, warped in the kiln. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

One-gallon crock 8 1/4 in. high by 8 in. diameer, ear handles, rolled rim, double incised rings; lead glaze inside and out, Attributed to Langenberg.

two-gallon earthenware crock 10 in. high by 10 in. dia., with red/yellow lead glaze, single incised ring, donut ear handles,. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Small jug with oversized handle with a thumbpress at the base. Possibly Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Ovoid jug, 11 1/4 in. high, minor surface spalling, lead glaze; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Small earthenware jug 6 3/4 in. high by 5 3/8 in. dia. with lead glaze fired to a dark brown color; Attributed to Langenberg. Private collection.

mixing bowl 4 1/4 in. high by 9 1/2 in. dia. trimmed foot, glazed inside and out with graceful lines similar to Revere bowl. inner glaze very worn from heavy use; found at farm auction 4 1/2 mi. west of Franklin. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Earthenware bowls glazed inside and out with a lead slip glaze and round rims, large bowl is for mixing, small bowl with single incised ring and trimmed foot for table use;. found at auction in Plymouth, WI; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

open-top oven baking or roasting pan5 in. deep by 9 1/2 in. dia., flaring sidewalls, double incised ring around body, red/brown interior glaze; smells strongly of lard or animal fat

Interior of one-gallon Langenberg Cream Pot. The Interior is lead glazed, the exterior is unglazed.

Flaring milk pan 4 1/2 in. high by 12 in. dia., angled rim profile, yellow/brown interior glaze blistered by heat; used for gravity separation of cream from milk prior to making butter; this is the medium sized milk pan found so far

Earthenware bowl to knead cheese curd and form it into fist-sized balls to make hand cheese;; wheel thrown as a milk pan but perforated with holes to allow whey to drain away; glazed inside only with glaze runs through the series of holes; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Langenberg cheese mold 3 3/8 in. high by 6 in. dia., glazed inside and out, with double incised rings, bottom pierced to drain the whey from the curd; private collection

beehive-shaped cheese curd strainer 8 1/4 in. high by 6 1/2 in. rim dia. tapering to point 1/2 in. dia.; Glazed inside and outside. two handles formerly attached at rim and shoulder, one entirely broken off, 2 1/4 in. of other handle remains and sppears extruded, finger press mark; double incised ringa at top and toward bottom (thrown rim down); body perforated with 143 holes arranged in neat rows alternating long and short rows as piece tapers toward bottom; red/orange lead glaze, minor kiln scars from firing;. Former Don Mericle Collection.

small baking dish or tureen 3 7/8 in. high by 6 1/2 in. dia., single incised ring, trimmed foot; with lead glaze inside and out, ear handles and single incised ring. Private collection

Wheel-thrown earthenware sander 4 in. high by 3 in. dia., single incised ring around base, pierced with 18 holes formed freehand, red lead glaze; used to absorb excess ink from documents written with quill or feather pen to speed the drying process; attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Food storage or preserve jar 6 1/2 in. high by 4 1/2 in. dia., single incised ring, mottled lead glaze inside and out. The lip flares outward and has a string tie grove in addition to a shelf for a pottery cover. Attributed to Langenberg,. Private collection.

the range of food storage pots from 6 1/4 in. high by 7 in. dia. to 8 3/8 in. high by 8 3/4 in. dia..; glazed on the inside only, flattened rims and no handles.; often smell of lard; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

an example of kiln furniture rather than production red earthenware; heavy-walled ovoid form which appears to be of brick clay, flattened rim (stacked upside down in kiln), double incised rings; flat rim and bottom show scorching and glaze drips from excessive heat, body blistered and burnt; placed in kiln over fine or delicate ware to keep the lighter-bodied redware (such as the sander seen previously) from melting during firing

Langenberg jar. Cylindrical earthenware jar with slightly outward flaring walls. The thick, slightly undercut "tie-down" rim indicates that this food-storage jar was not made with a lid, but was instead designed to be covered with cloth or paper and secured with a string. Unglazed exterior; interior coated with clear lead glaze. The mottled exterior indicates this jar was used for food storage and/or preparation. It may have served as a lard pot. 7 9/16"H x 7 ½" diam. Photo from the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/1267/rec/4 object 70-569.

Ovoid earthenware jar with rolled wide flat rim. The flaring "tie-down" rim indicates that this food-storage jar was not made with a lid, but was instead designed to be covered with cloth or paper and secured with a string. Exterior unglazed; interior coated with lead-based glaze tinted black with manganese. Photo from the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/1378/rec/21 object 1974.101.18.

Interior glazed, unglazed exterior. Hand turned; may have been intended for aging hand cheese during ripening process which took up to 3 months

Food storage jar with orange glaze inside and out, a flared, round rim and bulbous form with cover with button knob. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Food storage jars 10 in. high by 6 1/2 in. dia., applied ear handles, two incised rings. The covers are unglazed.; darker jar at left contains white residue from preserving fresh eggs in lime; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

small Langenberg butter churn 11 in. high by 7 in. dia., double incised ring around shoulder, double incised ring around rim; flattened rim profile; dark brown interior glaze, exterior unglazed; pine dasher 19 3/4 in. long overall; wooden cover sawed pine 3/4 in. thick, 4 in. dia., 1 in. hole drilled through center; former La Budde collection

Butter churn 17 1/2 in. high, with lead glaze inside and out, ear handles. Attributed to Langenberg; original stoneware cover (nearby Gunther factory) and dasher. Private collection.

cylindrical cheese pot 8 1/4 in. high by 7 1/2 in. rim dia., tapers inward at base; used to age or ripen hand cheese; found in summer kitchen 1 mile north of Franklin; attributrd to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Langenberg measure or handled bowl 4 3/4 in. high by 6 1/4 in. dia. at rim, 4 1/4 in. dia. at base; extruded handle from rim to near base, finger press mark at base of handle, double incised rings 1 1/4 in. below rim; speckled brown glaze inside only Holds six cups, perhaps for use in baking (other examples of this form also show almost no wear); found at farm auction 3 miles south of Franklin

Langenberg cup. Earthenware mug with incised line around body, below rim. Applied strap handle is ridged and terminates in impressed thumb mark. Exterior unglazed; interior coated with dark brown slip. 4 1/16"H x 2 1/2" base diam. Photo from the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/1297/rec/6 object 71-9.

Beer pitcher formerly glazed inside and out but glaze has almost entirely spalled off from freeze/thaw cycle in Franklin tavern with no central heat (heated with room stoves weekends only). There is a tooled wavy line below the rim. The Seidemann Brewery located next door brewed lager which was not bottled but rather delivered in wooden kegs. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

ovoid retail tobacco jar 7 in. high by 7 in. dia.,, cover missing; extruded handle,, single incised ring around body, trimmed foot, speckled orange/red lead glaze inside and out; strong aroma of tobacco when found in cellar of early Plymouth, WI tavern, which at one time had a glass-front display case in the barroom for sale of cigars, chewing and smoking tobacco; tavern owners had relocated from Franklin to Plymouth to improve business prospects;; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Squat pitcher 5 in. high by 4 1/2 in. dia., pulled handle, trimmed foot, formed rim and pulled spout; glazed with a dark brown slip inside and out. found at farm auction 3 mil north of Franklin; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Ovoid cream pitcher 4 3/4 in. high by 4 in. dia., pulled handle, trimmed foot, single incised ring; dark brown lead glaze inside and out. Found in a box of "junk" at Elkhart Lake auction 6 miles west of Franklin; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

wheel-thrown cake mold 2 1/2 in. high by 9 in. dia.,, flaring sides, pulled central hollow core open at top; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Ovoid handled cooking pot 7 in. high by 7 in. dia. at base, top collar to support original stoneware cover (probably from Th. Gunther's stoneware factory in nearby Sheboygan, where Langenberg occasionally worked); single incised ring around shoulder, pulled handle with finger press mark; bottom blackened; called a 'bean pot' in the trade, more accurately named a "pea pot" for use in German households in which dried peas formed an important sourse of income as well as sustenance; placed at the back of the woodburning cookstove to keep warm, leftover meat, potatoes, bread, peas and other vegetables added after meals to be served as a warm and nourishing porridage or soup on cold days; "Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold cold, pease porridge in the pot nine days old. Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot nine days old." attributed to Conrad Langenberg; private collection

Flowerpot and separate underplate, both glazed inside and out. Pot has a drain hole and single incised ring. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Pair of similar hanging flowerpots glazed inside and out with red/brown lead glaze, three holes in the rim for suspension and a drainage hole through the bottom finial. the one on the right shows more detailed tooling around the rim and finial; example on left found in Franklin; Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.

Hanging flowerpot with light cream colored slip glaze inside and out. The three holes in the rim are for hanging by a wire or chain. ruffled rim damaged and dos not show well in this image

Wheel-thrown flowerpot 5 1/4 in. high by 6 1/2 in. rim dia., rim formed with rib, single incised ring, drainage hole poked through bottom; light yellow slip glaze; found in old barn 1 mile from Franklin. attributed to Conrad Langenberg, private collection

Unglazed flowerpots with drainage holes in the bottom, large round rims and double incised rings; found at farm auction 6 miles west of Franklin;. Attributed to Conrad Langenberg. Private collection.