Old Canal Pottery

Hand-Made Fire Brick

2011-07-02T12:31:00.014-04:00

1910 brick-making in Georgia

Through out the past month, I have been making hand-made fire brick for my new groundhog kiln which is under construction. It has been quite a learning curve! Temperatures have run in the upper 90's each day of the past month of June and has slowed work. I am aided by Dr. Mark Newell and Nick Nichols.

Nick Nichols (upper left) and Dr. Mark Newell making fire brick

The fire brick are being made from local kaolin deposits which we dig by hand. We are using a modern pug mill/mixer to process the clay. From there it is gathered up and packed into the wooden molds I made. We are making "sand-struck" brick, which means the molds are dipped in water and dusted with dry sand. The sand helps release the brick from the mold.

brick molds

The fire brick are placed on pallets in the sun to dry. They must be turned often to keep them from warping. Once we make the required amount of brick, they will be stacked into a kiln-like shape with a fire box formed at one end and a chimney at the other. Heat will be gradually built up over several days until they reach about 2,400 degrees F. Once the brick cools, they will be sorted and used in the groundhog kiln construction.

(left) Men building a brick scove or clamp kiln to fire the raw brick, early 1900's

(below) some of our fire brick drying in the sun

The Big Move!!!

2011-01-08T13:09:00.008-05:00

"Get 'em up, move 'em out"!!

After 6 years at Old Canal Pottery in Augusta, GA, I'm locating my pottery works to the old Miles Mill/Baynham Pottery tract near Trenton, SC. This historic site was the location for several potteries from the mid to late 1800's. Some of the previous potters who worked at this site include John Lewis Miles, Willie and Tommy Hahn, JG Baynham, Mark Baynham, Horace Baynham and countless itinerant potters. There is evidence that points to the famous slave potter Dave Drake having worked here. This site is one of the most important pottery sites in the Old Edgefield District of SC and is where most of the 19th c face jugs were likely made by slaves or former slaves. The site is currently under archaeological examination by Dr. Mark Newell. The site was recently featured in the PBS show, the History Detectives and will be featured in several more video productions under way.

In addition to Dexter Pottery, the site is home to the Edgefield Stoneware Research Center. It provides an educational museum, visitors center and training facility for the study of alkaline glazed stoneware. Students will receive hands on experience in the field doing archaeological work. Dexter Pottery will offer workshops in the instruction and the making of traditional southern alkaline-glazed stoneware.

My Old Edgefield-style pottery is made in the same tradion as the originals -- using locally-dug clays, which are hand-turned, then ash-glazed, then fired in a typical wood-fired southern groundhog kiln. My work is 100% authentic.

For your convenience, I've re-posted all of my informative Old Canal Pottery Blogs at my new site, Dexter Pottery. Please drop by my new site and check out my new work, as well as new blogs on southern pottery.

Dr. Abner Landrum

2010-06-14T08:33:00.016-04:00

Dr. Abner Landrum

Dr. Abner Landrum spent many years in efforts to better the way of life for the citizens of South Carolina. In the process, he saved hundreds of thousands of lives across the entire tier of southern states. Dr. Landrum was an enlightened and educated physician, born in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in 1785 To Samuel B. and Nancy S. Landrum.

Perhaps foremost in Dr. Landrum’s accomplishments was unlocking an ancient Chinese method of stoneware pottery production. Abner made his older brothers partners in his grand pottery experiment. Abner, the Reverend John and Amos Landrum set about experimenting in the production of stoneware pottery as early as 1800. Dr. Landrum had undoubtedly seen the effects of the deadly plague affecting many of the Carolinians of his time; lead poisoning.

The population of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s used a type of earthenware pottery which was sealed with a clear lead glaze. They not only ate off of these plates known as “dirt dishes” but pickled and preserved foodstuffs in large containers made of the same. It was realized by that lead was the culprit in this form of poisoning and that acids (vinegar) seemed to accelerate the process. Since much of the food at that time was preserved by pickling, there were undoubtedly many sick patients, many of them children, whom Dr. Landrum saw. Salt glazing pottery was used in other parts of America, but was a scarce commodity in the south and was desperately needed for food preservation.

a lead glazed redware or "dirt dish"

As an educated and well to do man, Dr. Landrum possessed a library and apparently an extensive one. He seems to have read the autobiography of the famous French ceramicist Bernard Palissy (1510-1589) and read of his valiant but failed attempts at re-creating Chinese porcelain. The closed society of China at that time obviously held great allure for Dr. Landrum. Palissy’s experiments lit a fire in Landrum’s inquisitive mind. He named his fourth child Palissy in honor of the French ceramicist he held in such esteem. Another child of his was named Wedgewood in honor of the famous English ceramicist. Yet another of his children, Manises, was named after the town near Valencia, Spain which was the birthplace of another important ceramic tradition: Majolica or Lusterware. Dr. Landrum had a deep, life-long interest in ceramics.

Bernard Palissy

Armed with the scant information available, Dr. Landrum and his brothers created the first alkaline-glazed stoneware pottery in the New World, combining the techniques of Europe and Asia, and creating a viable alternative to the lead-leaching dirt dishes. All materials needed for the production of this high-fired stoneware were obtained locally. The fall line around the Edgefield District held kaolin clays which were capable of being fired to very high temperatures. By mixing a solution of ashes from the firebox of the pottery kiln, sand and clay together, Landrum discovered the secretive formula for creating alkaline-glazed, high-fired stoneware. Landrum and his relatives set about creating some of the first, true, factories in South Carolina.

alkaline-glazed jar from Pottersville

location of stoneware factories

By the end of the first decade of the Nineteenth Century, Abner Landrum was manufacturing large amounts of stoneware on his property 2 miles north of the Edgefield Courthouse which became known as Landrumsville or Pottersville. A number of skilled craftsman and slaves lived there. His brothers, John and Amos, were making stoneware a short distance away on Horse Creek. It was in these early stoneware factories that the third important element was added to the Asian-European ceramic fusion that Landrum discovered: African-American slave labor. Some 25 or so stoneware factories soon followed in the Edgefield District, most utilizing slave labor.

As early as 1820, Dr. Landrum was also experimenting with horticultural endeavors. He is credited with the first successful grafting and budding of a pecan tree. He took the small, insignificant native pecan and was able to graft it on to the hardy stock of native hickory trees (American Farmer4:7 1822) and start what would later become a huge pecan industry in the southern United States.

Abner Landrum inherited a young slave by the name of Dave. In the early decades of the 1800’s, Dave worked for Landrum at an Edgefield newspaper that Landrum published called the Hive. The Hive was a Unionist-slanted publication which was undoubtedly out of step with the views of the growing Edgefield planter-class. The Hive also carried articles on science and the arts. It seems through Landrum’s kindness, Dave developed into a literate, free-thinking, skilled craftsman who not only worked at the Hive, but also learned proficient skills in stoneware turning at Pottersville. Dave is now world-known for his masterful, large stoneware vessels, many inscribed with contemplative couplet poems he penned on the surface of the wet clay pots. In a time where it was illegal for slaves to read and write, Dave managed his stylus with impunity, signing and dating his often mammoth-sized pots with his name, Dave. Clearly, Abner Landrum empowered Dave with education and exposed him to lofty ideals through his work at the Hive. Dave’s pots were shipped around the state to prominent citizens of the time. Dave’s pots now reside in prominent collections and museums.

The heat of politics evidently became too much for Dr. Abner Landrum in his hometown of Edgefield. He was persuaded by a Columbia, SC group of Unionists to relocate there in about 1830. He started another publication there called the Columbia Free Press and Hive. In addition, he embarked on another manufacturing concern in what is present-day Forest Acres in greater Columbia called Landrum Brick and Pottery on Bethel Church Road. There he settled and built his home. This home is much modified, but still standing today.

Landrum started producing firebrick for fireplaces, boilers and the great furnaces of the growing industrial south. He also produced alkaline glazed pottery for Columbia and for shipment around the south. His son, Linneaus Mead Landrum was active as a stoneware potter and helped run the Forest Acres business. Abner’s daughter, Juliette, married John James Stork of Columbia who took over the brickworks after Abner Landrum’s death in 1859. Their children, Edward Leslie and Robert Manning Stork eventually renamed the brick factory in 1911 to the R. M. Stork Brickyard, where it persisted until 1970. The Brickyard Condominiums were built on the old brick factory site. The original chimney of the Landrum factory is encased inside of another chimney built in 1935 and has a granite memorial marker at its base on the condominium grounds.

brick chimney from brick factory

Edgefield became a training ground for this unique alkaline-glazed pottery tradition. Dr. Abner Landrum’s alkaline glazed pottery spread through the entire southern tier of states as far west as Texas during the late 1800’s, providing millions of safe utilitarian pots and saving countless agonizing deaths among the southern populace due to lead poisoning. In isolated pockets throughout the south, this method of pottery production passed from generation to generation of potters up until the 1970’s. As the world learns of Landrum’s great experiment in ceramics, it seems to be the surviving work of the enslaved potter Dave, (who latter took the last name of Drake in honor of his first master), who is perhaps its best ambassador. The volume of Dave’s work stands as a testament to brilliant Dr. Landrum’s benevolence and sense of justice. Dave’s work must be interpreted and understood through the context of his beloved master and friend, Dr. Landrum. Dave perhaps gave insight into his feelings by penning this April14, 1859 poem on one of his pots: When Noble Dr. Landrum is dead, May Guardian angels visit his bed.

Col. Thomas J. Davies' Palmetto Fire Brick Works

2009-11-16T10:43:00.019-05:00

Of all of the 19th Century Old Edgefield District potteries in South Carolina, the Col. Thomas Davies pottery site is one of the lesser known. In 1862, a carpenter and mechanic named Anson Peeler from Bennington, VT talked local cotton planter Col. Thomas Davies into establishing a firebrick factory in Bath, SC on the South Carolina Railroad. Davies provided the capital and slave laborers while Peeler built and managed the operation.

Peeler had been in the Bath, SC area since arriving with William Farrar in 1856 to build the nearby Southern Porcelain Manufacturing Company. Peeler served as head carpenter and built the mold house, ware shed, steam engine shed, woodsheds and all of the other buildings at Southern Porcelain Co.

William Farrar's residence was located at the Southern Porcelain site and was described in an Augusta, GA native's diary entry as quite elegant. Peeler probably built this structure and the workman's houses that sprouted up in the now vanished town of Kaolin, SC. Peeler had worked alongside Farrar while he was at the United States Pottery Company in Bennington before coming south. Peeler obviously possessed or gained a working knowledge of refractory and the kaolin clays surrounding both Bath, SC sites in the 6 years he had been around. Southern Porcelain Manufacturing Company also made firebrick in the short years they were in operation, including the incuse, stamped bricks that have been found, so Peeler had knowledge of the process. He brought the Palmetto Fire Brick Works into successful operation.

Recently, two brick have been found that seem to be a product of the company Peeler and Davies started. The incuse embossing on both brick is identical:

BATH FIRE BRICK WORKS

BATH, S.C.

Records show that the Palmetto Fire Brick Works was pressed into service during the Civil War years making crude utilitarian wares including jugs, jars and cups for the Confederate hospitals. Ceramics historian and author Edwin Atlee Barber interviewed Col. Davies at his home and saw examples of the wares made at Palmetto Fire Brick Works. Barber notes in his 1898 book Pottery and Porcelain of the United States that Davies' bricks were marked "Bath, S.C. Firebricks" and that they were equal in quality to any that had been imported". Barber notes the bricks were used extensively in the great furnaces of the south in manufacturing ordnance and in powder works, the closest being the Confederate Powder works a few miles away on the Augusta Canal.
.
Augusta Powder Works, Augusta, GA
Barber also states the company grew quickly and manufactured crucibles and tiles for gas works. Barber talked at length with Col. Davies about the face jugs that the African slave workers began to produce there. He noted the kickwheels and long, horizontal kilns used in ceramic production at the works. He described the glaze on the pottery as a mixture of sand and ashes, which were black or brown, clumsy, but strong and admirably adapted for the needs of the time. Barber notes that production was suspended at the end of the war and that Davies then engaged in mining kaolin and china clays. The clay beds used by Davies and Southern Porcelain Company were some of the finest of the area's kaolin belt. Today, it is known as McNamee Clay and is prized in the manufacturing of numerous items, from porcelain to tires.

The Mysterious Face Jug

2009-04-19T11:15:00.027-04:00

a slave-made face jug, circa 1860's

I think I've heard potters from at least 20 states claiming the face jug first appeared in their state. I live and make pots in what was called the Old Edgefield District of South Carolina. What is known as fact is that face jugs were made at the Col. Thomas Davies Factory near Bath, SC, at the Miles Mill stoneware factory and the B.F. Landrum Factory at Sunnybrooke near Vaucluse, SC in present day Aiken County.

Most of these early Edgefield District stoneware factories used slaves in the production of wares. Some of the last slaves to enter the United States came on the ship Wanderer to Savannah, GA in 1858. The importation of slaves had been illegal since 1808, but the institution of slavery was stilll legal.These slaves were then sent up to the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, one half mile below the mouth of Horse Creek, to the planters around Augusta, GA, Aiken and Edgefield. These slaves were from the Congo River area in West Africa and most likely played an important role in the evolution of the face jug.

It is believed that the slaves at some of the SC stoneware factories were allowed to make objects of their choosing during time when they were not working. Edwin Atlee Barber in his 1898 volume on Porcelain and Ceramics in America actually interviewed Col. Thomas J. Davies, owner of Palmetto Firebrick Works. Davies describes some of the slaves making these face vessels. Davies business ledgers show he owned 23 of the Wanderer slaves. I do believe the slaves were the makers and originators of these early crude face jugs. These early pieces had emphasis on the wite kaolin eyes and teeth. The glaze was wiped off of them before firing.

Ceramic historians debate whether the slaves were duplicating in clay symbolic icons of their African culture or whether they may have seen the popular Toby-mugs of that period which were made at Bennington Vermont. Affluent plantation masters were probably in possession of these Toby mugs since they were the latest rage. Also, and most importantly, the owners of the United States Pottery Company in Bennington, VT folded and moved to South Carolina to start a new porcelain works in 1856. This concern was called the Southern Porcelain Manufacturing Company and was located in Kaolin, SC (near Bath, SC) next door to Col. Thomas Davies pottery. There are publications where eye-witness accounts are given of English Toby figures which were incorporated into graves in the West African Congo Region in the 19th C. The Toby figure in England came to popularity in the 1760's as Staffordshire potters started producing these figures in 18th Century dress, i.e., tri-corn hats as mugs, jugs and pitchers.
At about the same time Southern Porcelain was in operation (late1850's), Col. Thomas Davies set up his factory (1862), the Palmetto Fire Brick Company next door making refractory fire brick and, later, ceramic items for use in Confederate hospitals. Slaves working for him may have been exposed to the Toby or face-style mugs and pitchers. I've done extensive research at the Southern Porcelain site and have found other spooky-looking satyrs on the porcelain molded pieces which were made there and could also have influenced slaves (see photo of shard) The slaves who worked in these potteries at various tasks, were considered more valuable than average slaves and were often "rented" out to neighboring potteries to settle debts or to generate additional income for their master. Numerous records in existence show this to be fact.

The Edgefield area and present day Aiken County had around 25 or so of these early stoneware factories operating from 1810 until about 1930. They produced millions of gallons of utilitarian items such as jugs, churns, jars, etc. This area was a proving ground. Many potters, black and white, learned their skills here and later migrated on to all of the southern states and as far west as Texas and even to Ohio. Most likely they carried the notion of the face jug with them.

The most famous of these potters was the enslaved African potter known as "Dave the Slave" or Dave Drake. Several fragments of face jugs were found at the long lost site called Stoney Bluff in Aiken County where Dave worked for many years. It is not known whether he might have made any face jugs. Ceramic historians seem to agree that the crude face jug, as we now know it, most likely came from these early SC factories.

Face jugs/pitchers/mugs have been made prior to the Edgefield face jugs. Even in ancient Egypt. Most of them are highly modeled and finished. It appears the Edgefield-style of crude face jugs, which is the subject of this piece, appeared about the same time (late 1850's) as the slaves from the Wanderer slave ship. The slaves were transported up the Savannah River to the Augusta, GA/ Edgefield, SC area from the Congo River in Western Africa. Some of these Wanderer slaves, i.e. "Romeo", Ward Lee and Tucker Henderson (pictured here after freedom) lived their lives out around the Miles Mill and the BF Landrum potteries near Eureka and Vaucluse, SC (present Aiken County) where these face jugs were found (from census records).

These 3 slaves, as well as the other Wanderer slaves achieved somewhat of a celebrity status throughout the country. The Wanderer's owner, Charles Lamar, had secretly smuggled these Congo-born African Americans into this country and violated the laws against slave importation which had been in effect for many years, making them some of the last captured humans pressed into slavery in the USA. They were the only group of slaves known collectively by the name of their ship of arrival. This triggered a congessional investigation and preceeding trial of the owner and captain of the ship. The trial, held in South Carolina, ended with a slap on the wrist for Lamar and was a mockery of justice carried forth by those who's interests were served by perpetuation of slavery. Lamar was allowed to serve his brief "time" in his luxury apartment in Savannah under house arrest.

The other pottery where face jugs were found was at the Col. Thomas Davies' Palmetto Firebrick Factory near Kaolin, SC. Some 137 of the Wanderer slaves disembarked from the steamboat Augusta at a wood yard near the Davies Factory on the SC side of the Savannah River. Charles Lamar, who owned the slave ship Wanderer, owned lands around Davies' pottery and also had interests in the Southern Porcelain Company at Kaolin, SC. Interestingly, Lamar was one of the last casualties of the war as he foolishly made a target of himself in a feined cavalry charge in Columbus, GA.

Upon examination, the crude Edgefield face jugs share many similarities with the reliquary objects from the area around western equatorial Africa where the Wanderer slaves came from, especially the fang peoples. These ceremonial wood carvings often had repeated applications of kaolin applied to the eyes

and teeth, much as kaolin was added to the face jugs for eyes and teeth in the Edgefield area potteries as a prominent feature. (Kaolin is a white china clay which is mined in South Carolina and Georgia on a large scale) Almost every decision and event, from crop planting to war, in the West African cultures involved the consultation of ancestoral spirits through these carved faces and masks in ceremonies and rituals. Fragments of ancestoral skulls, teeth and bone were stored in lidded bark baskets. The carved wooden heads and statues, called "byeri", were mounted on top of these sacred bone holding baskets.

It is easy to see that the Wanderer slaves who settled in and worked the potteries of the Edgefield area along Horse Creek would have been devastated without the single most important cultural item which they had to leave behind in Africa. Without concrete evidence, we can only visually compare these two different mediums for similarities, while realizing this crude style of face jug was not made prior to the Wanderer slaves arrival. Face jugs did spread across many parts of the USA after the 1860's, as potters migrated from the proving grounds of the Edgefield potteries. Take time to look at these byeri. The location and placement of facial features is remarkably similar to the Edgefield face jugs now in collections. It was also common in this region of West Africa to make ceramic effigies with human traits. Only certain tribal members could "blow" life into these vessels, giving them powers.

These 3 photos are carved-wood byeri from the Congo area, Central West Africa, circa 18oo’s

Following are several face jugs which are attributed to the BF Landrum, Miles Mill and Col. Thomas Davies pottery and are suspected to be slave-made.

A Time for Everything

2008-12-21T23:11:00.008-05:00

I'm amazed as I look at my little counter at the bottom of this blog and see around 9,000 visits. I often wonder how the reader leaves this page.... Did you learn anything? Was it a useful tool in the search for knowledge about Edgefield pottery? Am I still true in my heart to my obsessive addiction and love of southern pottery? Ah, the years roll by so fast. It seems they now follow Star Trek time screaming by at warp speed. Christmas and the Holidays were just here, how can it be? A few pots, a few kiln firings.... Wow! This past year has been fast-paced! I've had my work exhibited at the South Carolina State Museum in a couple of venues, and did a real classy show at Augusta State University. Several mentions in newspapers and magazines. Pots shipped all over and even overseas. And a really fine exposition in my hometown Aiken County Historical Museum! Thanks! It's all good! It means so much when struggling with the endless, lonely hours of labor involved with carrying on this special pottery tradition. I'm real happy to be climbing up, up, up and sharing my skills and art with others. I've had great pleasure spreading the word about this pottery to the groups and organizations which I've given talks and presentations to this past year. Thanks for allowing me to educate and give my perspective.

I've met many, many people this past year with deep passions and interests in southern pottery. I'm getting a comprehensive list together of emails and addresses for those who wish to come to kiln openings. I really hope to notify you of the exact time you might walk up and stroll about the grounds around the kiln and make your selection of the prized pot that speaks to you.But, you know, I'm so particular. I've got to check my babies for cracks and other imperfections and clean them, which usually takes me a day or two. I also love to just study them a bit before they leave.

Understand, I'd die if I sold a friend and patron a bad pot. Many defects can happen with this method of pottery making. Honest! Eventually, maybe I can get to some Zen-like level of master potter where such worries are like ripples fading across the surface of a glassy pond.

Until then, I'll promise to try to notify you soon after I've sorted the bad guys out. And hey, I'll keep those bad guys with their imperfections on hand because a lot of you like and appreciate them and want to give them room in your homes. I like that!

I had hoped to fire the kiln up before Christmas, but the weather decided we might wait a bit. It is hard to find a window of 3 calm days of high pressure in the winter. I have some wonderful pieces ready to load in as soon as it comes. I'm so thankful for the support of many, especially those who have helped with the task of kiln firing this past year and to those who express their desire to help in the future. Generosity from so many in countless forms allow me to go forward on my grand adventure and experiment.

The southern pottery tradition is an amazing chunk of history. It is a long list of superlatives. Dave, Chandler, Rhodes, Seigler, Landrum and Baynham to name a few. I promise to honor their labors and to faithfully keep as much of the Edgefield Tradition alive as I am able. I hope others might come to know and love how our very earth is transformed by fire, water and human hands into these wonderful, timeless, earthy vessels which speak so loudly to our senses. Pray for peace for all of those who are too persecuted and suffering to sit back and contimplate pottery. Around and around it goes. Will it ever stop? I don't knows.

October Kiln Firing

2008-10-21T12:58:00.006-04:00

Brian crams fuel in blasting off the kiln. Flames travel over 32 feet,

shooting out of the flue pipes almost 5 feet in the air!

The groundhog kiln was fired over October 18-20. As firings go, it was a bit shorter, but always just as grueling. In order to have a successful firing, dry wood is of paramount importance. Even slightly damp wood will cause failure to reach the required 2,300 F degrees and the kiln will hover endlessly at about 2,000 F.

A low pressure system was still over the area as I started the kiln in the afternoon. The weather forecast called for it to be pushed out by a high by evening. The winds were to be around 5-10 mph, which is more than ideal, but I hoped they would die down at dark. Some of the wood was slightly damp feeling and we spread it out in the sunshine to dry completely. I wasn't used to the chilly temps the first evening and wound up pulling my truck up in front of the kiln and ducking in between stokings to warm up.

Near the end of firing a groundhog kiln, a large amount of fuel must be crammed in the firebox to push the temps over the top to shine the glaze and fully mature the clay body. This is called "blasting off" the kiln. Brian is the king of blasting off, a true pyromaniac! He showed up the final few hours of firing to help Sarah and me finish it off.

It will take 4-5 days for the kiln to cool enough to unload. We took the front temps up to cone #12 in hopes of ensuring the back reached required temps. Sometimes, this results in over-firing and some of the pots in front will melt to the kiln floor. An unpleasant mess! We hope this didn't happen. I will post photos of some of the pots when they come out shortly.

Glowing red flue pipes attest to the incredible heat during the final hour or so

Hot Time in the Old Town!

2008-09-02T00:40:00.010-04:00

photo courtesy of Reggie Fraser

The August firing of the groundhog kiln went really well, inspite of the brutal upper 90 degree weather. Oh well, it was typical southern USA August weather. It took us around 38 hours from start to finish. I had tears in my eyes and was contemplating giving pottery up forever at about hour # 30! I'd just had it, my feet were killing me and was feeling real sorry about ever striking that match.

Fortunately, Sarah fixed me a nice bench with a cushion where I could sniffle, whine and doze off for 40 minutes or so. That helped! When I awoke, Sarah had the kiln ramped up to about 2,000 degrees. Soon, our good friend Dean showed up and did some serious wood-chucking. Thanks, Buddy! It was a great sight to see all of our combined efforts send the flames shooting about 3 feet out of the chimney and to know bed was getting real close! Bryan showed up the final hour to relieve all of us and get it to the finish line. I'm posting photos of a few pieces.

It was a treat to unload it 4 days latter and see the results of a lot of hard work and many hours of labor. I am constantly agitated as I look at eBay auctions and see the same people tagging "Old Edgefield" on to their pottery and deceiving the buyer over and over. Once again, when you fire your pots in an electric or gas kiln using fake ash glazes, it has nothing to do with wood-fired Old Edgefield-style pottery. The Pattons of Travelers Rest, SC have it right when they describe their great work as "Edgefield inspired" and others should follow their lead.

I'm looking forward to the several shows coming up in the next 2 months and to the next firing in September. Thanks to all who help and support me in my efforts to keep alive the Old Edgefield pottery making tradition!

Good June firing

2008-06-29T14:01:00.014-04:00

We fired up the kiln on a hot day. It was 102 degrees F both days the kiln was fired. It took us about 40 hrs. to bring it up to around a cone#11. Thank god Brian showed up at about hour 37 because I was suffering from extreme heat exhaustion, having got chills and all of that scary stuff earlier. Brian represented a pure, rested, air-conditioned hunk-o-meat and promptly jumped on that fire and set it to blasting! I think the kiln was sick of me and my whining. Brian brought it home with the front screaming hot at about a cone #11 in two short hours. I don't think Sarah and I could have done it without his fresh body there those last 2 hours! I owe you big time, Brian!

The past couple of firings had been problematic due to some of the old heart pine wood on hand had lots of white-wash on it. Now, who'd have ever thought that stuff could cause so many problems? I guess white-wash is made from seashells and who knows what else. Calcium Carbonate or something. We were recycling old wood.gold stuff on mini face jug

On all of the pots, well, I mean all of the pot's sides facing the fire, the residuals from the white -wash caused a very pronounced gold colorization. And I mean Gold! It was in stark contrast to the normal drippy ash glaze on the other side of the pots. I had a tremendous amount of this fine old heart pine. I couldn't burn it all over the course of 3 firings, so I hauled it home to the baby groundhog kiln located there. I couldn't bring myself to toss it all in a dump somewhere. The gold color will represent one more lesson in wood-firing stoneware pottery in the Old Edgefield tradition. When's school gonna be over?

nice slip-trailed jug

The heat of those two days sure took a toll on me. On the first day of firing the groundhog kiln I also hosted our clay group, Clay Artists of the Southeast (CASE), doing our first pit-firing of pieces we made like the Stallings Island people. These pots were made from indigenous clay with Spanish Moss mixed into it to temper the clay. By temper, I mean it opens the clay body up some and allows it to dry and fire over open flame without cracking. We took about 4 hours for the whole process and got some nice pieces out. Unfortunately, 2 large pieces got licked by the flame too soon and popped a couple of flakes out of the sides.

Stallings-type pot bathed by fire and Stallings pots cooling down after firing

I hosted a second firing a short while later and it wasn't quite as hot, only a balmy 96 degrees with about the same in humidity. Some fool had turned on the sprinkler system at Enterprise Mill and most of my wood had got thoroughly soaked over-night before we started the pit-fire at 8:00am Sat. June 28. I had a lot of sweet thin slats under a tarp that I was saving to blast the groundhog kiln with on the next firing which I had to use for this primitive firing. Well, it was all worth it because we got some nice stuff out and didn't loose a thing really.

The primitive stuff will go on display at Augusta State University as a part of the Westobou Festival coming up in September 08. I'm ready to load the groundhog kiln as about 2 loads are backed up after spinning my wheels with the white-washed wood. I'm laying in the last of the new wood for the firing and hope to hit it in the next two weeks. Oh! A good friend, Dean, was on hand the night of one of the past firings this Spring when our fearless firefighters showed up with that damn giant, loud, ladder truck right in the middle of the firing. Here's a couple of photos.

As a gift or as payola, the firemen took with them an under-fired face jug which now resides above their bunks in the firehouse. They also put in an order for a medium size spittoon with their station logo slip-trailed on it. The ranking guy really got me going by saying they were going to have to "lay" down some water, since they had to respond. When I asked where he was going to lay it down, he said, " in the kiln, naturally." Well, I got to shaking so bad I could barely croak out a " like hell you are" response. He started laughing and replied with a stinging "GOT 'CHA". What a firing!a better match couldn't be had!

An Amazing Tradition

2008-04-06T10:55:00.015-04:00

I would like to invite you to view my work in the 20th Anniversary Show at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC. I juried into this show which was wonderfully curated. It runs from April 25-Sept.7, 2008.

As more and more people become aware of the unique ceramic tradition that started in the Old Edgefield District of South Carolina, the prices at auction of the few old original pieces skyrocket. While I have not conducted an exhaustive survey of past and present American potters and sales of their work, I can state few have reached the prices being fetched by the famous slave potter, Dave Drake. With a single pot of his commanding well over $100k at auction, it is not only collectors who should sit up and take notice, but also ceramic historians and experts. True, and shameful, that Dave never received a dime from the sales of his pots. As a slave, he was required to make pots for his various masters.

Dave, more than any other factor, is responsible for the increased valuation on all of the Old Edgefield-style pottery, even that which was made when the tradition spread into Georgia and North Carolina. We know from the surviving pots, especially the pots Dave made and inscribed his original prose on, that he was much more than a pot turner. In a time when it was illegal for a slave to read or write, Dave proudly incised his poems and name, along with his master's name, boldly across pots which were shipped across the south as well as used locally. People who purchased them had to know something of why they were the only pots made with a cryptic couplet or bold script signiture. The historical record shows next to nothing about Dave other than him being sold or transfered to another master or showing up in a census count. Undoubtedly, people of the Old Edgefield District and beyond had to know something was special or unusual about Dave, even to the point of looking the other way in regard to laws of the time.

His cryptic prose and majestic pots are all we have to help us to try to look into the soul of this most unusual being. He shook the bonds which enslaved him for almost 70 years of his life when the Civil War ended and he was emancipated. Perhaps this next fact sheds more light on Dave, to me, than any other. A sherd was recovered recently which is inscribed in Dave's hand and dated 1867. Most assumed Dave stopped potting in 1865 with the end of the war. To me, I think Dave was a master potter and that his relationship with clay superceeded any monetary gains or concerns. I do hope that he was finally a master of his own destiny as well as recipient of whatever financial returns his pottery might have brought. But he continued at his advanced age, making the pots he had made for most of his life. He was a master in the medium of clay and unparalleled in American ceramics.

Oldest Pottery in North America

2008-01-22T09:15:00.003-05:00

I love the old alkaline glazed pottery of the southern USA. This area has contributed greatly to the ceramic tradition of this country. Little did I realize just how much!

While doing research for an upcoming project for the area clay artists group, I stumbled upon some amazing facts that I was unaware of. The most important of these facts was that around 4,500 years before present time, ancient people of the Archaic period of civilization began making pottery on Stallings Island in the Savannah River near present day Augusta, GA, making it the oldest pottery in North America! These people are known as the Stallings Culture, after the Island they inhabited, and were the makers of fiber-tempered pottery vessels. Fiber-tempered means they added a member of the tillandsia family called "Spanish Moss" or a type of palm leaf to the clay in which they hand-formed the pottery from.

They had been cooking and eating their food out of animal skins. How, you might ask, did they cook in an animal skin? They heated rock in the fire and dropped the heated rocks into the pouch-like skin to bring the contents to a boil. The rock used appears to be soapstone at first. Later, they started baking clay balls to use in place of the soapstone since it was hard to come by in this area. Later, soapstone was also hollowed out into a cooking vessel which could be placed directly over the fire.

It appears the first fiber-tempered pottery, plain and undecorated, was used as serving bowls. Some 500 years later, designs were done by punching a reed or other sharp point and dragging it to the next spot.

The heated food was divided up into bowls and consumed. Can you picture the first early woman (I feel it was probably a woman since they maintained the fires and did all of the cooking) noticing a thin, hard, bowl-like shape that had formed in the damp clay depression where her cooking fire had been? I can see her prying it out and holding it to marvel and wonder about the possibilities. As she showed it to her family, they soon discovered that not only would it hold water without dissolving into mud, but that it made a mean Saber-Tooth Tiger stew pot! Just kidding, the tigers were gone at this point in time. But, you get the idea. What a momentous day it was for mankind until the y realized someone had to wash the bowl out after its use. Well.... guess who wound up inheriting that job? It was only fair, the woman invented it and she should wash it. Seriously, the male mind of the time traveled down a similar train of thought as those of today.

Early woman had discovered that when they sought to duplicate the process of the bowl made by the fire, it tended to crack, explode, etc. Somehow temper was discovered. The earliest temper, again, was plant fiber. Not long after, they discovered adding coarse sand for temper, which is what the balance of early native American pots have in them. Nowadays, we use ground-up fired clay grit or grog for our temper in clays we throw on the wheel or hand-build with for precisely the same reasons as our predecessors.

Our clay group will soon duplicate this ancient pottery-making process using hand-dug clay from the banks of the Savannah River. We will pinch the pots to form, crudely use the jab and drag decorating method and fire them in a small pit with open wood fire.

The following are some photos of pots made recently in the Stallings manner by me and my friend which were fired while burning some brush.

Pottery News...

2007-12-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've spent some time making a few modifications to the groundhog kiln and am ready to try it out. A bag wall or baffle was placed in the rear of the kiln, creating a small chamber. The idea is to cut down on the smoke a bit, maybe even out temperatures some. Also, a cast refractory damper was installed in the chimney for better control of firing conditions. I hope the Augusta Fire Dept. Station 2 appreciates the extra sleep they'll be getting now!

We've also laid in quite a bit of wood. Much of it is still green and needs to dry for another 5 months or so. We've been cutting and hauling lots of pine slabs from the local sawmill. Owner David Ennis also lined me up with a new 18 inch chainsaw. It cuts through the mountains of wood like they were butter! It means a lot to us to recycle or use waste in firing the kiln. I can honestly say that 99.99% of wood burned is scavenged from sources that would otherwise discard it into landfills or ignite it to no purpose.

Recently, I came upon a snake jug I'd made many years ago. It felt like running into an old friend. I forget the many pieces I've made through the years, but always enjoy coming across them and I enjoy the esteem the owner holds it in. I guess in a way, these pieces from the past serve as somewhat of a report card for me or a marker of progress on this pottery journey I travel. I sometimes blush at old handles or jug lips. Often, it's the sheer weight that causes a brief wince. But, hey, that's what self-taught is all about. I love each and every one of them for the joy they brought creating them and am honored they reside proudly on mantles, tables and prominent shelves in their owners house and in their hearts as well.

This method of pottery making is so labor intensive! All tasks are just as important to the final pot as is the actual turning on the potter's wheel. Digging and blending the proper clay or cutting and stacking seasoned wood of the correct size, both are just as important as skillfully turning the pot. As a matter of fact, I might have to say the firing process even out-ranks all of the others in importance, for a mistake here cancels out all other efforts at bringing the pot to life.

Again, I become irate when I see others calling or describing their work as "Old Edgefield" or "Old Edgefield-Style" when they simply make pots like they do anywhere and fire them in an electric or gas kiln. They compete directly with me but have only a fraction of the work and effort that I must put into my pottery in order for me to use the word "Edgefield" in describing my art. My past posts show I'm a tireless crusader against those who are being untruthful in the representation of their work. It's so easy to tack the Edgefield word on to your pottery description and deceive buyers. However, ceramic historians and market prices will eventually relegate them to their appropriate level of status. I do commend potter Gregg Patton for his eBay sales where he describes his work as "Edgefield-Inspired". I like that term for work made with modern methods.

I'm proud to now have my work available at two new locations. In addition to the Augusta Canal Authority Museum, it is available in downtown Edgefield, SC in the SC National Heritage Corridor Center and Museum and at the Morris Museum of Art giftshop in downtown Augusta, GA. Thanks again to all who've supported me through purchases or other means and enable me to continue this tradition and important part of southern heritage!

A Special Visit

2007-10-29T21:05:00.000-04:00

I had a pleasant visit and discussion with a world renown ceramicist the other day. Her name is Tacy Apostolik. She is an exception in the Japanese ceramic tradition having served a two-year apprenticeship with Shigaraki Master Kiyotsuga Sawa in Japan. She spent around fourteen years over there learning the secrets and traditions involved in wood-firing in an anagama and a noborigama kiln using the rough, quartzey Shigaraki clay. She has shown in the finest galleries in Japan and the USA.
We talked at length about the wood-firing process she employs and the Old Edgefield pottery tradition. It seems we both pull stray roots from the walls of our pots as we are turning them on the wheel and often dig out the stray rock and patch the hole. Human involvement in the production of ceramic forms brings a certain amount of like experiences, regardless of vast oceans or land distance. It was great to hear some of her experiences and views, though I hogged most of the conversation. We toured the studio and then spent time looking over my groundhog kiln.

Tacy stokes kiln with wood from numerous bundles of pine she has prepared

Tacy came with supreme sculptor goddess and professor Priscilla Hollingsworth from Augusta State University. Thanks, Priscilla! It was a real treat comparing notes with Tacy. I often feel a little isolated since there are no wood-firers around here. This is the center for one of the most amazing wood-fired ceramics traditions in U.S. history and I'm the only one true to the process using original materials and methods. Here's a photo I found online of a piece of Tacy's art. Yum! She pre-stresses some of her work, often prying molten pieces in the kiln with long iron bars into unusual forms. Notice the effects of the wood ash on the pot below.

Tacy's magnificent pot

Other news...I recently participated in an annual Heritage Show at the State Museum in Columbia, SC. It was a treat to see some of my contemporaries and their pots at the show! The Chief Curator of Art seemed to bypass my booth every time he passed by....not sure why, maybe he's allergic to real Edgefield-style pottery or something.

Also, we are adding a bagwall about 2/3rds of the way back in the ware bed of the groundhog kiln. Our taller than normal flue draws a great deal of heat out and prolongs the firing time needed for a kiln of this size. We hope the bagwall might stop some of the rapid loss of heat as well as put us in a 24-30 hour firing time frame. The 40 hour firings are just a heap of stress and fatigue on bones over half a century old!

Our next firing should produce some really great items in time for you to buy yourself a Christmas present! We'll post notes and photos soon after we fire.

Super Hot Kiln Firing

2007-08-16T08:27:00.000-04:00

The groundhog kiln was fired on the weekend of August 10, 11 and 12th and was it ever HOT! What is usually a very hot job no matter what time of year was almost unbearable due to the ongoing heatwave over much of the southern USA. Records are being shattered every day and we just passed 8 or so days in a row above 100f degrees. Friday, when the kiln was started, the temperature reached 107 followed by 105 on Saturday! At least I know I'll never experience a hotter firing and won't ever whine about temps in the 90's again.
My deepest thanks go out to Brian for his help throughout Saturday night at the peak of heat! He also supplied a large fan which kept us from visiting the ER or morgue while chunking wood into the flaming inferno called the firebox. We reached cone 11 fairly early compared to other firings. Of course we had the traditional visit from our friends at the fire department early Sunday morning. They were all bright-eyed and full of breakfast.

The kiln was opened on Wednesday and we went in for a quick look at managed to get some pieces out even though I melted the soles on my new shoes. The glaze looked great, although the glaze ran a bit on some pieces and will require some grinding on the bottoms where the glaze stuck to sand or brick.

I hauled a number of loads of pots back to the shop and will post some pics soon. Sony sent my beloved camera back after they replaced the faulty components, YEAAA! I'm back in the saddle with photos. I'd also like to welcome new intern Katie who will learn about Edgefield pottery as she works around the shop and learns the various aspects of making this unique style of stoneware pottery.

Another load of pots is almost ready, but will await cooler temperatures before loading the kiln.

I managed to locate the graves of a couple of important potters from this area, Willie Hahn and his son, Thomas Hahn. William operated a pottery in Trenton before moving to North Augusta, SC in the late 1800's where he was also associated with the Baynham pottery. They were a large part of the scene in the final years of the Old Edgefield pottery tradition. Tommy went on to become an attorney in Augusta, GA. What can I say, mud was in his blood!

Is it Old Edgefield or Just Modern Pottery?

2007-08-02T19:12:00.000-04:00

Lately, it seems, I am having this discussion over and over with more and more people. It involves what exactly constitutes "Old Edgefield Pottery" or "Old Edgefield-style pottery". To start with, this refers to wood-fired, alkaline or ash glazed type of pottery made in the 19th and early 20th Centuries in what was known as the Old Edgefield District. This district is no more since it was divided into the modern day counties of Aiken and Edgefield. We all agree that the 20 or so old potteries located in the old district qualify as having had made Old Edgefield Pottery.

Now, let's get down to matters of present day. I was born and live in this same area of South Carolina in discussion. I produce wood-fired, ash-glazed pottery from the native clays of this area. It is very difficult to make pottery in this manner. I fire a groundhog kiln at my house and one at my studio in Augusta, GA. I describe my work as Edgefield-style, not Old Edgefield.

I see a lot of modern pottery for sale on ebay, in galleries, etc., describing it to be "authentic" Old Edgefield pottery or Old Edgefield-style pottery. Yet, it was fired in an electric or gas kiln, made with commercially bought, blended clays and may have been made in Montana. How is that even close to what the true old pottery is? It's NOT! The truth is, Old Edgefield pottery gains in popularity by the day. Each new auction of old pottery tops the previous auction. There are many out there who are capitalizing on this and misleading the public as well as their customers.

As I stated, it is hard work to produce pottery in the old manner. Often, the better part of a kiln load of pottery is lost or damaged due to events beyond control. The tasks of keeping good wood in supply and dealing with digging and processing the clay are endless, not to mention the hours spent making pots and glazing them. It can take the better part of a day just to load a groundhog kiln and up to 40 hours to fire it! There are excellent potters in my area who make good pots, but they don't have anything in common with the Old Edgefield pottery produced here or authentic reproductions of it. They have few failures in their electric kiln and really churn the pots out. And, for reasons I've yet to understand, charge outrageous prices for their work.

An Edgefield-style piece I made. This look cannot be duplicated in modern electric or gas kilns.

So, after my long rant, I propose a new title to apply to this modern work produced by modern methods, Edgefield-inspired pottery. Let's all work to honor the most significant pottery to ever be produced in the USA by not mudding the water and purposefully misleading the public. Let's use appropriate terms and descriptions when advertising our pots.

June Firing

2007-06-21T23:20:00.000-04:00

I'm posting some pics of a few of the pots from the most recent firing in June. The glazes turned out really nice! Very typical Old Edgefield or oriental-type glazes with lots of drips and runs from ash. The color of the glaze is a little darker than in the past. This is because I added a few cups of red, red earthenware from Martintown Rd. in North Augusta to my glaze batch. I wanted more runs and I got them! These are just a sample but typical of what we unloaded.

The kiln was fired on June 16-17. Though there was no rain forecast, it rained on and off throughout one night. We managed to stall the kiln at 15 hours, but eventually recovered and continued our climb up in temp. New apprentice Brian received his baptism by fire and sweat! I owe you! Sarah helped finish the firing when my legs and back started spasms at around 34 hours. She took the 9,10,11 cones down. Thanks, Sarah! Total firing time was 36 hours. Whew! I should say 36 HOT, HUMID hours. I'll post pics in a few days after the kiln cools and is unloaded.

Brian stands back while flames start burning out top of chimney.

Brian's legs are just visible in the firebox as he starts to unload a real hot kiln several days later.

This pot says " A good pot for stew-beef, chicken and rabbit, too

A nice jar 2 gallon jar

I'll post more photos later. All of the pieces are not yet out of the kiln.

Clay Prospecting

2007-06-06T07:48:00.001-04:00

Recently, one of the last potteries from the Old Edgefield District has found itself in the way of progress. Baynham's pottery was relocated in the late 1800's to this location from Trenton, SC. They managed to keep production of utilitarian pottery into the 1930's. This site was the location for brickmaking, as well as garden-type earthenware production. The site is presently being cleared for a storm water retention pond.

The many sherds left scattered about the site show that Albany slip was the preferred glaze treatment. Jug handles were joined at and onto the necks. There was a small number of sherds that appeared to have a Bristol or whitish-gray glaze. The pottery site has the remains of at least 2 groundhog kilns visible and several waster piles.

Many of the remaining foundations of structures on the site were made from brick with the markings "PEERLESS/AUGUSTA. The large number of unmortared single bricks scattered about the site may indicate these were made here.

The pottery sat on top of a vein of blue-colored clay. This clay was layed down when an ancient sea covered this area and is a kaolinite high in alumina, which is great for stoneware pottery. While this clay by itself is somewhat short or non-plastic, it performs beautifully when blended with the buff stoneware clay veins that alternate with the blue clay at the site.

We have managed to procure a sizeable quantity of the clays from the site. Though Baynham's pottery site will cease to be, collectors of their pottery can take heart as Old Canal Pottery continues the tradition of southern alkaline-glazed, wood-fired stoneware pottery using clays from the old site. The clays fire to a light gray color.

Blue clay contrasted with red earthenware clay

A sample of the blue clay

Our kiln is filled and the wood is cut and stacked. We will be firing our latest work soon!

The Weather Warms

2007-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the length of time since my last post. I managed to get a firing inbetween some of the spring fronts that race through this time of year. I once lost the better part of 2 month's work when a storm came out of nowhere with high winds blowing down the chimney into the kiln. The pots were at about 2,000 degrees F and I heard much pinging and cracking as cold air met hot pots! I look forward to those long drawn out high pressure cells that linger over the southern USA and provide long periods of stable weather because that's the time for a wood-fired groundhog kiln.

This is a photo of some of the small-medium face jugs after dipping them in glaze and before they were fired. They turned out real sweet and sold real fast. My camera has not yet been repaired so I'm behind on photos and real lost without it.

I usually put 3-4 of these cone plaques around the inside of the kiln when I fire. They provide a record of the temperatures in various parts of the kiln. I do good to see one set when I fire due to the intensity of light, but I can see one set close to the front door. This helps guide me in determining when to halt firing. The cones are numbered, the higher the number the higher the temp it melts at. Here I wanted to get to 2,300 F (the middle cone 10) but waited until the 11 cone bent before stopping to insure the temp in the back had time to get high enough. Additionally, I go by color and I also hope to see what looks like shimmering drops of water on the outside of pots. This is the melted glaze and means I can stumble around like a real tired zombie and start closing the kiln up! Ya-hoo! Bed, sleep!

A Bit of Pottery History

2007-01-18T08:36:00.001-05:00

While the winter weather hasn't been very good for firing the groundhog kiln, I thought I'd add a brief post about the history of Edgefield pottery. I hope these weather systems with all of the rain and low pressure will let up soon! The drying racks are full of some nice pottery needing only fire to bring them to life. Keep your fingers crossed!

A beautiful pitcher with runs and a Bodie Pottery jug, early 1800's on right

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the pottery tradition that started here in the Old Edgefield District of South Carolina in the early 1800's was possibly the most important in the United States to date. Although this method of pottery making was originally pioneered by the Chinese a couple of thousand years ago, it did not make much of an appearance in Europe or elsewhere until a local physician started experimenting with it in the early Nineteenth Century.

A maker's mark from Hahn Pottery, approximately 1850. Most Edgefield ware was not marked or was marked by strange symbols such as dots, slashes or X's.

While early America slowly shifted away from the toxic lead-glazed earthenwares that were poisoning many there were few alternatives to replace it easily. The northern states had ample amounts of salt and good stoneware clays. The immigrants to these states brought the salt-glazing technique with them from many parts of Europe and produced vast quantities of utilitarian pottery. The southern states lacked the access to salt. Salt was a valuable commodity in the south and was much needed for preserving meats and vegetables, especially for the large plantations and the many slaves that had to be fed.

A large storage jar attributed to Thomas Chandler, about 1840

The local physician who ultimately founded this tradition was Abner Landrum. He was also a publisher of a small newspaper and a slave owner. He found that useable stoneware clays were found in this area around the fall line. He also discovered that the ash residue from the pottery kiln could be mixed with silica or sand and a bit of clay and water forming a slip to coat the raw pots with which would form a satisfactory glaze when fired to stoneware temeratures of around 2,300 degrees F. The aim was simply to form a sanitary surface on the pots which was easily cleaned. Aesthetics and glaze color was of no importance.

A kaolin slip-decorated jug from Colin Rhodes Pottery

Within a few years, others in the area emulated Landrum's success and started potteries of their own, often as a supplement to farming. The rounded, ovoid or bulbous oriental forms were produced in vast quantities at the 20 or so potteries in this area and sent by wagon and later by rail throughout the south. This pottery-making tradition also spread throughout the southern tier of states and as far west as Texas. Since these potteries were dependant on slave labor, they tended to decline after the Civil War and with the advent of glass and metal storage containers. The last of the old traditional potteries died out in the early Twentieth Century. Without this unique pottery, the settlers of the south would have found it very difficult, if not impossible, to preserve and store foodstuffs. We now appreciate the runny, drippy beauty of these ash or alkaline-glazed pots! More and more collectors are bidding on fewer pots, driving prices on these old beauties through the roof!

Slave-made face jugs

We at Old Canal Pottery are proud to revive this Southern tradition and artform using methods and materials that were used here almost 200 years ago. Our groundhog kiln produces the beautiful forms and glazes so sought after by collectors. We hope you will consider adding our wares to your collection. They will grow in value as years pass and represent a continuation of this most unique pottery tradition.

An inscribed South Carolina Dispensary jug made at the Hahn/Baynham pottery in present day North Augusta, SC. The governor of SC placed an order for many hundreds of these for the state run liquor dispensaries. Circa 1890

Holiday Wishes

2006-12-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I made this photo during a past ice storm and would like to share its beauty with you.

Old Canal Pottery would like to thank all of you who have supported the pottery through purchases, donations of materials or labor. It has been an exciting past year! As recently as the past two weeks, alterations have been made to the kiln using materials donated by supporters. These improvements would have been financially prohibitive without the generousity and efforts of the Augusta Canal Authority, Modern Welding Company and Thermal Ceramics Corporation.

The improvements consist of two steel chimney extensions with heavy plate dampers and an additional 4 inches of ceramic fiber insulation on the kiln arch. These will greatly affect kiln handling and reduce fuel consumption. The kiln is loaded and we are awaiting better weather to try out the new modifications.

I would ask you to think of those in this world with the least and remember them in your thoughts and prayers. As you settle comfortably in for the Holidays with your loved ones, try to keep in mind those who are sick, hungry or homeless. Make a promise to make a difference...help change the course of this world or someone's fate by simply caring and putting forth some effort.

Bits n' Pieces

2006-10-31T21:46:00.000-05:00

Digging some good stoneware clay!

Gene loads balls of clay.
There's plenty of clay!

"Sweet Georgia Brown" mixed into a slurry and ready to dry out some.

It has been a while since I posted. I have been busy making the next kiln full of pots. It has also been very busy digging and processing clay. We are trying to switch over to all native clays. This area is blessed with some mighty fine stoneware clays which is why the Old Edgefield District potteries were located here( link). I've fired numerous samples and have found two that work well. The other day had me checking for some clay deposits along the fall line. I became distracted by this old shack that had collapsed in a remote area. I went to look at the old foundation and was standing there taking it all in when I heard this Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZZZZZ noise. I focused for less than a second before my body was airborne, realizing that a HUGE canebreak rattlesnake was about to send me to my reward! This animal obviously knows where the good clay is found, heh-heh! Thankfully, it was a cold morning and he was a bit sluggish and therefore decided to let foolish me live a bit longer.

At any rate, the clays are looking promising and I'm already turning some pieces out of it. I thought I'd put a few photos up of some pots from the last few firings. All are ash glazed. My next firing should be in another 1-2 weeks and the wood has been cut and laid in. I was lucky enough to have come across a large batch of 100 year old heart pine scraps to burn so it should be a hot fire, if nothing else. If you are new to collecting southern pottery or would like to learn more about this fascinating art form, follow this link.

This is the mark I stamp most work with

A slip decorated storage jar

This pitcher shows some profound coloring due to the mineral rutile being present in the glaze. The side facing the fire is almost blue.

A milk pan

Lidded storage jar or ginger jar

Jug with a few ash runs

Iron slip decoration

Candle holder with blue rutile markings

A Hard Firing....

2006-10-13T20:19:00.000-04:00

Another firing was accomplished over a two day period in the groundhog kiln. As firings go, it was a little more difficult and protracted than usual. Cooler weather was called for by the weather guy, but I swear I didn't feel it. I did feel the 30% chance of rain all night and into the next day. It blew under the shed and dampened the wood a bit, slowing down the process and making things real uncomfortable. Above is a photo of some folk art that came out of the firing. It is based on the Petersburg boats which hauled bales of cotton down the Savannah River to the cotton mills in Augusta, GA.
Me, being the trooper that I am, just kept on chunking wood. I stopped and stirred the coals frequently as the wood was not burning as efficiently as usual, probably due to some dampness.
Things finally got roaring pretty good at the 18 hour mark, about 4:00 a.m. In the photo above, the kiln is starting to be blasted. The flame runs from one end of the kiln to the other and then up about 12 feet of chimney! In other words, the flame travels about 32 linear feet! I'm bent over poking and kicking in all of the wood I can get in at once. The flame is allowed to burn back down and then the stoking cycle is repeated. It goes on like this for a couple of hours. Hopefully, I stop in time and don't melt down the pots in the front row.
Well, you'll never guess what happened! You know all of that black smoke in the previous photo? It brought us some company in the early morning hours! Yes, a whole great big ladder truck with a fire crew came rolling up to the kiln. We had quite an exchange as they tried to figure out what I was doing. They thought I might be adding a little accelerant to my fire, which I assured them I hadn't. I thought we finally came to some sort of understanding....
I cranked it back up again, making up for lost time that the fire guys cost me. Here, the flames race up the chimney. This is a view from the rear. Some bricks have been removed from the opening in the chimney to act as a passive damper which slows down the draw of the chimney. A few hours later as I was just about to finish, the fire truck rolled in again. This time, some of the fire guys were real angry. I tried to talk about the understanding we had reached 2 hours earlier, but they seemed to have forgotten about it. They were intent on revealing the operating costs of the giant machine and crew. We exchanged phone numbers and addresses. They probably want to send a Christmas card or something!
This is exactly my expression! You could'a knocked me over with a feather. I was real tired at the end of it all, which was about 28 hours straight.

Here's some of the pots as they were unloaded a few days later. I put just a smidge of rutile in the glaze batch and it sure went a long way! You can see it in the form of bluish highlites here and there. I can't wait until the next firing!

Summer Fades...

2006-10-06T17:34:00.001-04:00

I thought I'd share some thoughts and photos while I talk of pottery. I guess it's all related.
I took this photo in July on a typical sweltering 99 degree day. It is titled Boy and Dog. I love it for the pure, unbridled joy that both creations are sharing in unison. It is the total essence of July in the city here in the southern USA as a municipal fountain unleashes torrents of relief. This was awarded by the Smithsonian Institution in a photo contest last year. I was so lucky to be near at this precise moment with a telephoto lens!
Well, summer is retreating. Here in Dixie that means COTTON! I captured this typical field just outside of town. Cotton is such an exquisite plant and it crys the word "home" to my heart! I drew my first breath only a mile or so from a cotton field and hope to draw my last very close to the snowy plant. Inspite of the toxins associated with it's growing and the intense human suffering it brought to the millions who were enslaved to cultivate it in years past, the plant moves me.

I feel in quite a festive, party mood for tomorrow's firing. Maybe I should wear purple and don a red hat. No, I'm not feeling that festive! There is a show running in the events center next to the kiln of exquisite Oriental carpets. Most are antique and priceless. There will be many visitors milling around as well as friends who've promised to drop by and relieve some of the tediom of the early phase of firing with wood. I'll scarcely sleep tonight thinking of all that must be mentally recalled and put in order to have a successful firing tomorrow.

The groundhog kiln is ready to fire tomorrow. Lots of wicked small heartwood from long-leaf pine stacked and ready to pour out the BTU's it has locked within. The cooler weather moving in is a welcome relief from the sweltering days of the past months. The kiln was fired around the Fourth of July with daytime temps going to 101 degrees F! This firing will be pleasant, indeed, with temps of 73 degrees F!

Another Week...

2006-09-23T00:31:00.000-04:00

I've spent the past week turning pots and other assorted chores with hopes of firing another load of pots in a week or two. Pretty ambitious! The museum at the Augusta Canal Authority will be getting many of the pots from the last firing to re-sell so I must replenish my stock. With a wood-fired kiln, the wood cutting/gathering/stacking is an ongoing chore. It never stops! Pictured below is a pallet factory waste pile. It is full of mostly thin hardwood that burns hot and fast.
I use 100% scrap wood from various sources to fire the kiln. Resinous pine scrap is prefered. No matter what species, it must be dry. Wood is spot checked with a moisture meter.

This next photo is of some Oxacan-style pots I made. I burnished them with a spoon to give them a shine, scratched designs on the surface, then fired them in a brush pile in a can of sawdust to heavily reduce or blacken them. It's fun to play!

Below is a piece I like alot that is now in a private collection. I call it the Lawyer. He's objecting politely.

I'm the originator of the dog jug or in Georgia, "dawg" jug. These have a lot of character! They're time-consuming to make but a favorite of mine and popular in collections.

Here's one of my chickens. They tend to vary a lot but are quite different from other folk potters. They have quite a bit of detail, including feathers.
This next piece goes beyond unusual! It is based on the old slave face jugs made at some of the Old Edgefield District potteries that were located around here in the 1800's. Yes, yes, I know, he's creepy! This form is actually a wigstand or wig holder and has a bonifide purpose. Unfortunately, a full head of hair doesn't help the poor thing a bit!

I thought I'd share a few unusual forms I make periodically with you and will post more as time permits.

2006-09-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Groundhog kiln fires first load of pottery!

After one and a half years of construction and trials, the groundhog kiln at Enterprise Mill in Augusta, GA has produced its first successful firing! Old Canal Pottery has seemed more of a dream than any business that would ever materialize. You can't imagine the joy felt after such a long journey filled with every imagineable obstacle and countless hours of hard toil! My partner, Gene Gilbert and I, Gary Dexter would like to thank the many individuals and businesses who've helped us get to this exciting start...without their help, it would have been even more difficult or impossible.

We are compiling a mailing list for all of the lovers of southern alkaline or "ash" glazed pottery. If you would like advanced notice to attend our kiln openings and have first pick of the pots as we take them out of the kiln, then email us at oldcanalpottery@yahoo.com and we'll put you on the list.

Though the kiln has now been fired and adusted 3 times, the fourth firing took us to where we wanted to be. The pots took one day to set in the kiln. A small fire was started at 11:00 am on Saturday September 9, 2006. It was slowly increased in size and intenisty over the next 9 hours where upon it resembled a large campfire in size. Sarah Barton then came on-board to help me with taking it to the finishing temeratures. The kiln climbed smoothly over the next hours with the #11 cone dropping at about 4:00 am the following day. The kiln maintained a steady climb and stayed in perfect balance exhibiting rapid pulsing or puffing around the firebox door.

After the #11 cone had dropped, the kiln was blasted off for another hour and a half to ensure the back reached at least a cone 7. With the help of some remarkable old heart pine wood scrap, the entire firing was complete in under 20 hours.I'm posting some other photos of the firing as well as some constuction pics.

I'm stoking and carefully standing behind the door. The heat is incredible anytime the door is open and will render your legs hairless and as smooth as a baby's bottom!

Some rolling fire working magic on pots.

Another view through the door. The split oak logs are used for preheating and bringing the kiln up to a bright orange heat.

This is a left-hand side view of the kiln showing some of the primo heart pine scrap used for blasting the kiln to the final temperature. It's truly wicked stuff! Thanks to Benny Christian from Christian Millwork!

This is a vat of the ash glaze used on the raw pots. It's ash content makes it very caustic and hard on the hands! Jergens just go on home.

Sarah was checking the rear of the kiln to see what color the flames were as they came into the chimney.

Starting a small fire at 11:00 am. It has to be a long, slow climb from this or pots will explode and other woes will creep in.

Inside studio. One of the drying racks is in the background and my workbench is in the foreground. Check out Gene's beautiful orchid!

On the way to kiln. I love these little carts! I think I'll spiff it up with some dividers and sides as well as some period colors on the cast iron fittings and wheels.

Gene looking out studio door.

Heavy smoke from blasting off kiln. Actually, the smoke is just starting. It forms huge clouds of thick, black, tar-like smoke for a miute or two followed by an orange flame that shoots up and out of chimney. These blasting cycles go on for an hour and a half, typically.

Setting the kiln. This takes two persons. Usually, someone is on the outside placing pots on a long plank that is slid in to me on the inside to set. The buttocks and hamstrings get incredibly sore for a day or two after crawling around.

Pots cooling down after dropping cone 11. You can see the cone plaque with numbers 8-10-11 laying flat. It was blasted some good licks after the 11 cone fell to ensure the rear of the kiln reached a suitable temp.

Late night shot of the business end of kiln at full heat. This scene gets real mesmerizing after 7 or 8 hours of staring at the bright light in the darkness of night. You stumble like a crazed zombie looking for the next chunk of wood to throw in.

Stan hauls some pots to kiln. Thanks! Notice the railroad tracks that run by the studio to the kiln. This is where some of the world's finest cotton cloth was shipped out from Enterprise Mill in its former life.

Here is a view of the pots after firing

Here I am peeking out. Now you see why it's called a groundhog kiln.

Some of the fired pots back in the studio.