Acknowledgements
A note of thanks to all who participated in this online exhibit, Crocker City Teapots.
EXHIBIT CREATORS
Susan Weaver was responsible for the concept, design, content, and direction of the exhibit. Weaver is director of the Museum of Ceramics. She has a Library Media Associate of Arts (Marshall University), a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts (Kent State) and a Master of Information Science from Clarion University. Weaver was employed as an interpreter at the Museum of Ceramics in its first five years of operation and returned in 2016, after retiring from Kent State University, to fill the position of director. At Kent, she was director of the East Liverpool and Salem libraries and was a full professor in University Libraries. She continues to teach a master’s level course in Kent State’s iSchool.
Wendy Adkins was hired on a temporary basis, with an Ohio Humanities Council CARES grant, to work full time on the teapot exhibit. She has written most of the content in the Galleries and Docent Rooms and did most of the photography work. She is a recent retiree from Kent State University, East Liverpool where she was the library director. She has a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts and a Master of Science in information science, both from Kent State.
Jennifer Barrett is a full-time employee of the Museum of Ceramics where she contributes to gift shop management, exhibit design and installation, research, publicity and public relations, and collection management. She has written exhibit content, conducted research, photographed ware, and completed numerous other tasks required for the exhibit. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science. in public relations from Kent State University.
EXHIBIT CONTRIBUTORS
Mick Bowdler is director of the art department at the Fiesta Tableware Company in Newell, WV. He served as a pottery consultant on this project and answered endless questions about teapot creation, design, and history. Mick is a graduate of the North Staffordshire Polytechnic (now Staffordshire University) in Stoke-on-Trent and came to the United States to take a position at Hall China in 1981. He has spent his entire career designing for Hall China, Home Laughlin China, and now, the Fiesta Tableware Company.
William and Donna Gray are well known in pottery collecting circles as the experts on Harker Pottery of East Liverpool. They wrote the 2006 publication, "Harker Pottery: A Collector's Compendium from Rockingham and Yellowware to Modern.” Their area of expertise is not limited to Harker but extends to all potteries in the East Liverpool Area. Their forthcoming (2021), heavily illustrated book, Amazing Ware Made in the East Liverpool Historical Pottery District will provide valuable information and hundreds of images of ware made in East Liverpool.
The Grays are active members of the Museum of Ceramics. Bill currently serves on the Board of Directors and Donna was the 2017 (and first) recipient of MoC’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Treasures from their vast collections have been featured in nearly all the Museum’s temporary exhibits and many of their pieces are featured in this exhibit. They are often called upon to identify ware or to solve a historical mystery. In 2017, they donated a priceless Rockingham inkwell to the Museum (see themuseumofceramics.com/inkwell). They are boosters, supporters, and true friends of MoC.
Greg and Teresa Benkert of Cincinnati Ohio began their friendship with the Museum of Ceramics in 2018 when they agreed to loan their extensive collection of Lu-Ray Pastels, made by Taylor, Smith, and Taylor, for a temporary exhibit. The Benkerts delivered the ware, presented a MoC Talk on the topic and returned to retrieve their treasures at the end of the exhibit. Teresa began collecting Lu-Ray because of childhood memories of her mother setting a Lu-Ray table. Now, both Greg and Teresa collect all lines of Taylor Smith & Taylor pottery as well as dinnerware and art pottery from several other potteries. All the TS&T teapots in this exhibit are from their collection.
Greg is owner of Innergreen, Inc. and Teresa is retired IT Manager from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They enjoy traveling and often spend considerable time in antique malls and stores.
Peg Thompson’s affinity for Hall China pottery began with her marriage to John C. Thompson, a lifelong resident and native of East Liverpool, Ohio, whose family history is steeped in the local pottery industry. Peg often accompanied her husband on visits to European ceramic factories making friends and filling photo albums along the way. Over the years she and John attended various events highlighting East Liverpool area potteries including the TriState Pottery Festivals, Hall China Conventions and ELHSAA Pottery Auctions. Her kitchen is home to Hall durable dinnerware as well as decorative display pieces. Peg states she is pleased to participate once again in a MoC exhibit and the museum staff appreciates the continued friendship of the Thompson family..
Phyllis Conley has been a friend to the Museum since it opened 40 years ago. She is a member and attends many of MoC’s events. Her parents were both potters; her mother worked at Homer Laughlin China and her father was employed by Taylor, Smith & Taylor. Phyllis even worked at Homer Laughlin when she was in school. She collects locally made antique tooth brush holders. She loaned several teapots for photographing for this exhibit.
Mary Martha Koos is an artist, a descendant of East Liverpool pottery owners and entrepreneurs, and a member of the Lady Slippers, an artist group that supports the Museum with fundraisers such as the annual Lady Slippers Arts Festival. Her art and general education include private lessons with Marvin and Ann Triguba, and attending the Hathaway Brown School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Art, and The Way College of Biblical Research. She is a scholar of local pottery history and is the caretaker of the family archives. She enjoys collecting locally made pottery, especially ware made at C. C. Thompson & Company where her great grandfather, John C. Thompson I, was treasurer for fifty years. Mary Martha gracously loaned several teapots from her collection for for this exhibit and even provided the photographs for them.
Marc and Cindy Hoffrichter demonstrate their love of history, East Liverpool, and the Museum of Ceramics in many ways. Cindy is a member of the Lady Slippers, an art group that fundraises and volunteers for the museum. Marc has served as a Director on the Museum of Ceramics Foundation and a speaker for the lecture series, MoC Talks. Most of the Lotus Ware photographs in the Lotus Ware Docent Chat are from their collection. These pieces, and more, were featured in the temporary exhibit, The Story of Lotus Ware in 2018. They donated to the museum a unique and valuable Lotus Ware ewer that depicts President McKinley.
Maggie Waligorski Hughes aka Hallteapotlady, has collected over 2000 pots in 40 years. A few years back, she donated dozens of Hall China teapots to the Museum of Ceramics. MoC has used the teapots in numerous temporary exhibits. When the idea of an online exhibit was brewing, it was this donation that inspired the topic of teapots. Maggie became interested in Hall teapots while going to auctions with her parents, who were antique dealers, and sorting through the boxes. She fell in love with Hall China and a collection was born.
Ralph Maze is a museum employee in charge of maintenance. He spent many hours opening and closing display cases as the staff photographed pieces for the exhibit.
A special thank you is extended to Mark LeCain for donating photographs of Edwin M. Knowles teapots and to Betsy Chetwynd for the loan of the very unique two handled teapot.