A Six-Decade Experiment

Collectors of Roseville Pottery become quite animated when discussing “experimental” pieces, those with trial glazes or unusual forms that never went into large-scale production.

In fact, the entire 64-year history of the company was one long experiment, first by trying to gauge public tastes, and, finally, by just trying to survive.

Ohio was the center of pottery production in the late 19th century, due to easily accessible waterways and an abundance of raw materials. Natural gas deposits in the Zanesville area, combined with rich clay, provided an ideal foundation for local potteries and gave Zanesville its nickname, “Clay City.”

The Roseville Pottery Company, located in Roseville, Ohio, was incorporated on Jan. 4, 1892, with George F. Young as general manager. The company had been producing stoneware since 1890, when it purchased the J. B. Owens Pottery, also of Roseville. Wares included flowerpots and cuspidors, and all were unmarked. “Venetian” baking pans, “German Cooking and Farm Ware,” the “Blended” line of jardinières and pedestals, and coin banks and novelties were some of Roseville’s earliest products.

The popularity of Roseville Pottery’s original lines of stoneware continued to grow. The company acquired new plants in 1892 and 1898, and production started to shift to Zanesville, just a few miles away. By about 1910, all of the work was centered in Zanesville, but the company name was unchanged.

Young hired Ross C. Purdy as artistic designer in 1900, and Purdy created Rozane—a contraction of the words “Roseville” and “Zanesville.” Rozane was a style of brown underglaze pottery that was already popular at the time. Rozane was similar to artwares in production at two other Zanesville potteries: Weller Pottery’s “Louwelsa” and the Owens Pottery’s “Utopian.” All of these Zanesville firms were imitating Cincinnati’s Rookwood Pottery, which had developed its “Standard Glaze” line in 1884. The first Roseville artware pieces were marked either Rozane or RPCo, both impressed or ink-stamped on the bottom.

In 1902, a line was developed called Azurean, which was similar to Weller’s blue Louwelsa: a blue and white underglaze decorated artware on a blended background. Some pieces were marked Azurean, but often RPCO. In 1904 at the St. Louis Exposition, Roseville’s Rozane Mongol, a high-gloss oxblood red line, captured first prize, gaining recognition for the firm and its creator, John Herold.

Other artists included Gazo Fujiyama—who created the Woodland, or Fujiyama, line as well as Rozane Fudji. Many Roseville lines were a response to the innovations of Weller Pottery, and in 1904 Frederick Rhead was hired away from Weller as artistic director. He created the Olympic and Della Robbia lines for Roseville. (He later designed the Fiesta wares for the Homer Laughlin Co.). His brother Harry took over as artistic director in 1908, and in 1915 he introduced the popular Donatello line.

By 1908, all handcrafting ended except for Rozane Royal. Roseville was the first pottery in Ohio to install a tunnel kiln, which increased its production capacity.

Frank Ferrell, who was a top decorator at the Weller Pottery by 1904, was Roseville’s artistic director from 1917 until 1954. This Zanesville native created many of the most popular lines, including Pine Cone, which had scores of individual pieces.

Roseville patterns introduced under Ferrell’s direction also include:

Futura (1928), Imperial II (1930 glazes), Earlam (1930), Ferella (1930),

Sunflower (circa 1930), Montacello (1931), Windsor (1931), Jonquil (circa 1931), Ivory (1932), Baneda (1932), Blackberry (circa 1932), Cherry Blossom (1933), Tourmaline (1933), Artcraft (1933), Falline (1933), Wisteria (1933), Laurel (1934), Topeo (1934), Luffa (1934), Russco (1934), Velmoss II (1935), Morning Glory (1935), Orian (1935), Clemana (1936), Primrose (1936), Moderne (1936), Moss (1936), Thorn Apple (1937), Dawn (1937), Ixia (1937), Poppy (1938), Teasel (1938), Fuchsia (1938), Iris (1939), Cosmos (1939), Crystal Green (circa 1939), Bleeding Heart (1940), White Rose (1940), Columbine (1941), Rozane Pattern (1941), and Bushberry (1941).

Many collectors believe Roseville’s circa 1925 glazes were the best of any Zanesville pottery. George Krause, who had become Roseville’s technical supervisor —responsible for glaze—in 1915, remained with Roseville until the 1950s.

Company sales declined after World War II, especially in the early 1950s when cheap Japanese imports began to replace American wares, and a simpler, more modern style made many of Roseville’s elaborate floral designs seem old-fashioned.

In the late 1940s, Roseville began to issue lines with glossy glazes (Wincraft, Ming Tree, Artwood, and Lotus). Roseville tried to offset its flagging artware sales by launching a dinnerware line—Raymor—in 1953. Raymor was designed by Ben Siebel, but the style was rather austere when compared to better-selling dinnerware, and the line was a commercial failure.

Roseville issued its last new designs in 1953. On Nov. 29, 1954, the facilities of Roseville were sold to the Mosaic Tile Company.