Redware Pottery History, Potters and Artisans of the Past

©2009-21 Kulina Folk Art mykulina@yahoo.com / 413-436-7444 / Design Garine Arakelian

Andrew Headman

1756-1830

Lead-glazed earthenware, white slip (for sgraffito decoration), copper oxide, 1808 - Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Penn.

photo attributed to www.philamuseum.org

Conrad Mumbauer (Mumbouer)

1761-1845

Lead-glazed earthenware with slip and sgraffito decoration, 1794-1844

Haycock Township,

Bucks County, Penn.

John Monday

1809-1862

Lead-glazed earthenware, white slip for sgraffito decoration, copper oxide, 1828 - Haycock Township, Bucks County, Penn.

Monday apprenticed with Mumbouer, married his daughter Phebe in 1834 and took over Mumbouer’s full operation in 1845. Hollander, American Radiance

David Spinner

1758-1811

Lead-glazed earthenware dish, 1801 - Milford Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

photo attributed to

www.christies.com

George Hubener

1757-1828

Slip-decorated earthenware (slipware) dish, 1789 - Upper Hanover Township,

Montgomery County, Penn.

photo attributed to

www.winterthur.org

John Neis (Nice)

1775-1867

Earthenware, lead glaze, molded, sgraffito, rouletted (coggled), 1821

Upper Salford Township,

Montgomery County, Penn.

photo attributed to

www.winterthur.org

Henry Roudebush (Roudebuth)

born c. 1792

Red earthenware plate, white slip, sgraffito decoration, copper oxide,

lead glaze, 1815-20

Upper Hanover Township,

Montgomery County, Penn.

photo attributed to

www.philamuseum.org

Samuel Troxel

1803-1870

Lead-glazed earthenware dish, white slip (for sgraffito decoration), copper oxide, 1833 - Upper Hanover Township,

Montgomery County,

Pennsylvania

photo attributed to

www.philamuseum.org

Margaretha Thomme

Calligrapher of fraktur manuscripts, Ephrata, Penn., circa 1751 “The Christian ABC Book” was done in calligraphy by Sister Anastasia, family name Margaretha Thomme.

Ink and watercolor, Pennsylvania State Library

While researching Margaretha Thomme, I discovered a very intriguing love story.

The Ephrata Cloister was a religious community founded by “Father” Conrad Beissel, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1732. He was also the leader of this religious community while Sister Anastasia was the choir conductor, teacher and an accomplished artist, creating a number of religious, calligraphy music manuscripts. Even though the cloisters were a celibate place for sisters and brothers, Sister Anastasia fell in love with Beissel, who was a very charismatic and sexually attractive figure. Since this was unacceptable in the community, she had to leave the cloisters for a couple of years and eventually returned. After Beissel’s death in 1768, she left the cloisters, married a farmer and disappeared from the pages of history.

John Dry

1785-1870

Lead-glazed sgraffito

plate, 1819

Dryville, Rockland Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Jacob Medinger

1880 - 1930

Pitcher c.1890-1900

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania