According to accession records, this crock was purchased from a member of the Caire family in Poughkeepsie in the 1870s. The chicken painted on the crock is similar to that on other Caire pieces. This crock may have been made by Adam Caire.

Scholars long assumed that stoneware potter Thomas W. Commeraw was of European descent. Recent research, however, shows that he was a free African American. His pottery was located at Corlear's Hook on the East River, near today's Chinatown. It produced utilitarian storage vessels like this jug from 1797 to 1819. Commeraw was involved in the antislavery movement, and in 1820 he traveled to Sierra Leone as an advocate for the American Colonization Society, which promoted the "return" of free African Americans to Africa.

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

Albert Whittemore, an eccentric businessman from Queens, purchased a small pottery in Havana (now Montour Falls) in 1863 and developed a large enterprise known as the Schuyler Stoneware Works. Whittemore's prosperous business ventures enabled him to build a mock Italian villa overlooking the village of Havana.

Begun as a family enterprise in the 1820s, White's Pottery developed into a huge commercial establishment by the end of the century. Charles N. White, who took over the business in 1886, hired a German designer to create molds for decorative stoneware in the Germanic tradition. This stein commemorates the 100th performance of "The Conquerors," a show that opened at Broadway's Empire Theater in January, 1898.

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

Israel Seymour, an astute businessman, was Troy's best-known stoneware manufacturer. Stoneware vessels impressed with Seymour's mark and decorated with incised images are believed to be the work of Seymour's associate William Lundy, an Irish-born potter.

Hound-handled pitchers, usually produced in earthenware, were quite popular at mid-century. Caire's stoneware version competed with similar examples from Vermont and New Jersey manufactories. A technique known as press molding was used to form some ornate wares such as this pitcher. The potter pressed firm clay into molds to form the two halves of the pitcher and then joined the halves together at the visible seam.