Ohio inventions and firsts · Company innovation · 1880
Rookwood Pottery
Maria Longworth Nichols Storer founded Rookwood in 1880, named for her father's Walnut Hills estate; it developed Standard, Iris and Vellum (1904) glazes and became a leading American art pottery.
At a glance
- Year
- 1880
- Company
- Rookwood Pottery
- Place
- Cincinnati (Mount Adams), Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
The story
By 1880 American women were taking up china painting as a creative pursuit, and Cincinnati was a center for it. Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, from a wealthy Cincinnati family, wanted to make fine pottery. She founded Rookwood Pottery in 1880 and named it for her father's country estate.
The company developed signature glazes, among them the Standard Glaze with yellow tints and the collectible Tiger Eye. Kitaro Shirayamadani came to work there in 1887, bringing Japanese artistic influence. Rookwood drew international attention at the 1889 Paris Exposition.
The Mount Adams building opened in 1891 and 1892. In the prosperous 1920s Rookwood employed about 200 workers and received nearly 5,000 visitors a year. The Great Depression hit hard, and the company filed for bankruptcy on April 17, 1941. It ceased production in 1967.
A revival began in 2004 when Cincinnati investors teamed with a Michigan collector who had saved the company's assets. Rookwood now works from Over-the-Rhine, making decorative ceramics and architectural pieces.
Timeline
- 1880: Maria Longworth Nichols Storer founds Rookwood Pottery. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1887: Kitaro Shirayamadani is invited to work at Rookwood. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1889: Rookwood is recognized at the Paris Exposition. (Paris, France) source
- 1891-1892: The Mount Adams facility opens. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1941-04-17: Rookwood files for bankruptcy. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1967: Production stops. source
- 2004: Revival begins with Cincinnati investors and a Michigan collector. (Cincinnati, OH) source
What it changed
- About 200 workers in the 1920s.
- Revived in 2004 and still making ceramics in Over-the-Rhine.
Why it matters
Major American art pottery; revived in 2004.
Places in Ohio to see
- Rookwood Pottery (Over-the-Rhine) (site)
Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 (approximate) · Cincinnati · Hamilton County · official page
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.