Grandmother’s Pitcher

Grandmother’s Pitcher

This could be called the mystery pitcher as I’ve showed it to numerous so-called pottery experts and no two agree on where it was made or how old it is.

In the 1990’s a rep from the Birmingham Museum of Art came here to photograph things made in Alabama prior to 1930 and she told me this pitcher was the oldest one I have and that it was made in Randolph County.  She also said the glaze was salt glaze.  Okay, so much for that.

In 1902 I took the pitcher to Gadsden to a Sand Mountain Pottery show and the man there said in no way was that salt glaze — it was Bristol Glaze.  He did not dispute that it was made in Randolph County.  I felt maybe that was right because my ancestors came to the mountain through Cleburne County and Randolph is a neighbor.

This past Saturday we went to the Sand Mountain Pottery Show in Albertville and  took the pitcher.  I’m right back to square one, as far as knowing anything more about the pitcher.  The man there showing Randolph County pottery said in no way was the pitcher made in Randolph.  The pottery he had that was Randolph Pottery was a dark color and had a shiny glaze.  He did agree that the glaze was Bristol.  As I handed him the pitcher and told him what the B’ham lady said, he said, “She didn’t know what she was talking about.”  Duh.  It takes one to know one.  He didn’t know either.  He said the pitcher was made in the 1930’s or ’40’s.  I disagreed quickly — it belonged to my grandmother McDaniel and she died in 1924.  No way was it made in the 30’s or 40’s.

Maybe it came from Georgia — my ancestors came to Cleburne County from Georgia.  This makes me even more curious about where this piece of pottery came from and when it was made.  Searching for answers if just another facet of country living.