Salt Glaze Ceramic Pottery at Fountain Elms, Utica, NY

In visiting the lovely Fountain Elms Historic Site in Utica, NY, recently, I noticed a very large room filled with displays of salt glaze ceramic pottery. I paused to look around and take a closer look. I believe my mother used to own some pottery like this when I was a kid; it’s very heavy but it’s also relatively hardy. Apparently, the Munson-Proctor families amassed quite a collection!

I love the steins, and there were dozens of them.

As you can see, the pottery has a gauzy glaze and rather crude cobalt blue designs. These pieces were all crafted by Noah White and Sons of Utica, NY. He was one of many potters in the United States who created the salt glazed pottery for the Americans’ everyday household purposes. The Munson-Proctor collection was extensive, with many plain pieces but just as many more ornate pieces (such as the steins and the Masonic Fair bowl you can see below). Read more