The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         McDonald, Ann Gilbert                                             

Title:               Weller Pottery research papers

Dates:             circa 1976-circa 2008

Call No.:         Col. 886

Acc. No.:        11x44, with a 2013 addition; 15x54; 2017x4. 2019x45

Quantity:        17 boxes, 1 folder (6 linear feet)

Location:        23 C 1-3

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Ann Gilbert McDonald was a writer; most of her articles appeared in publications covering antiques.  She also collected Weller Pottery.  She received a B.A. degree from Nazareth College of Rochester, New York, an M. A. degree from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in English literature from George Washington University.  Dr. McDonald taught literature at the college level.  She wrote books and lectured about glass night lamps, early lighting, and Weller Pottery.  As a sideline, for a part of her life, she was also an antiques dealer, but her main occupation was always research and writing. 

 

Ann Gilbert was born in 1939, the daughter of Perry and Clair Gilbert, both of whom were zoologists.  Dr. McDonald was married to Bradley G. McDonald, an attorney.  They had a son.  In addition to her interests in antiques and writing, she was also involved in civic affairs in Arlington, Virginia.  Dr. McDonald was a member of the National League of American Penwomen and the Northern Virginia Antique Arts Association.   In 1992, she was recognized as a Woman of Achievement by the Arlington County (Va.) Commission on the Status of Women, honoring her community involvement and contributions to improving the quality of life in Arlington.  She died in May 2019.

 

The Weller Pottery was founded in Fultonham, Ohio, in 1872 by Samuel Augustus Weller.  As business expanded, Weller moved production to Zanesville, Ohio.  He began by making utilitarian wares, such as flower pots, milk pans, cuspidors, and crocks, but added more decorative wares to his line and experimented with new glazes and decorations.  In the 1890s, Weller Pottery was especially noted for being able to create very large jardinières.  Around 1905, Weller claimed to be the largest pottery in the world.  Although the business responded to changes in tastes and economic conditions, increased foreign competition, especially after World War II, contributed to its closing in 1948.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

The collection chiefly contains notes about the Weller Pottery, but also includes information about night lamps, perfume bottles, and other things of interest to Ann McDonald.  The notes about the Weller family and the Weller Pottery of Zanesville, Ohio, were collected by Dr. McDonald for her books All about Weller.  Included are copies of marriage and death records, newspaper articles about family members and the pottery, some correspondence with descendents of the Wellers who ran the pottery, and a little information about the pottery pieces.  Also includes newspaper articles about Zanesville, the Weller Theater, and the Zanesville flood of 1913.  As well, some information was collected about a few of the Weller Pottery employees, particularly Frederick H. Rhead and Levi Burgess. 

 

A later addition to the collection includes information about the artists who worked for Weller Pottery and artists who lived in Zanesville, Ohio.  Of particular interest is correspondence with Ruth Axline, who included a sketch done for her by Sarah McLaughlin in one of her letters.  Copies of pages from Weller catalogs, information about Weller pottery marks, and miscellaneous information about the pottery and Zanesville is included in this group of papers. 

 

Also in the collection is some correspondence with collectors of Weller pottery, photos of Weller pottery, copies of articles written by Dr. McDonald (a number of these articles were about night lights), and her research notes about and photos of night lamps.  A very little information about perfume bottles is also found.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

Folders in alphabetical order, with exception that folders containing articles written by Dr. McDonald come first.  Boxes 10-11 contain legal size files. Boxes 12-14 contain photos, negatives, slides, and a videotape.  Boxes 15-17 contain note cards.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Most accessions: gift of Ann Gilbert McDonald.  An additional group of papers was received in 2013, but it was not given a separate accession number.

 

Accession 2019x45: gift of Perry McDonald (son), sent after Dr. McDonald’s death.

 

 

RELATED MATERIALS

 

Books by Ann Gilbert McDonald are held by the Winterthur library; search WinterCat for titles and call numbers.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            McLaughlin, Sarah, 1872-1939.

Weller family.

 

Topics:

            Weller Pottery Company.

            Art pottery, American.

            Potters – Ohio - Zanesville.

Pottery – Ohio - Zanesville.

Night lamps.

Artists – Ohio - Zanesville.

Zanesville (Ohio)

           

           

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 23 C 1-3

 

 

Box 1:

 

Folders 1-2:     McDonald, Ann Gilbert: articles in chronological order: many on Weller Pottery or night lamps

                                    [note: bibliography of her works found in folder 1]

                                    [articles are from all accessions]

 

Folder 3:          McDonald, Ann Gilbert: article: “Collectors Who Specialize in One Line of Weller” (acc. 15x54)

 

Folders 4-5:     McDonald, Ann Gilbert: articles in Antique Trader Weekly: twelve part lighting series (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 6:          McDonald, Ann Gilbert: articles about perfume bottles (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 7:          McDonald, Ann Gilbert: articles on Weller family: 5 part series in Antique Trader Weekly (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 8:          McDonald, Ann Gilbert: articles on Weller Pottery: typescripts (2013 addition)

 

Folder 9:          McDonald, Ann Gilbert: biography, etc.  (acc. 15x54);

                                    Includes article about her from “Notable Women of Arlington,” 1992 (acc. 2019x45)

 

Folder 10:        McDonald, Ann Gilbert: talk: “The Weller Artists, the Large Vases, and the 1904 World’s Fair,” given June 9, 1995 at Cincinnati Art Galleries banquet

 

Folder 11:        Aladdin lamps: information from J.W. Courter (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 12:        articles on pottery and antiques (not by McDonald) (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 13:        Axline, Ruth (Weller decorator; includes a sketch by Sarah McLaughlin)  (2013 addition)

 

 

Box 2:

 

Folder 1:          Burgess, Levi: family (acc. 11x44)

 

Folders 2-4:     Correspondence, with photos  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 5:          Ervin, Mark: Weller artists and articles (2013 addition)

 

Folder 6:          Evolution of the Night Lamp: royalties (acc. 2019x45)

 

Folder 7:          Glass companies (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 8:          Grant family: Fred I, II, III  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 9:          HPCA News: newsletter of Haeger Pottery Collectors (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 10:        Kerosene lamp seminar, 1983 (acc. 2019x45)

 

Folder 11:        Lessell, John: Camark Pottery, Weller Pottery  (acc. 11x44)

 

 

Box 3:

 

Folder 1:          Long, William A.  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 2:          Lopez, Lupita: photos (2013 addition)

 

Folder 3:          Lorber, Rudolph (Weller designer; includes photos from Burroughs collection) (2013 addition)

 

Folder 4:          Mazzuki, Mark: photos for Weller Book II (2013 addition)

 

Folder 5:          McLaughlin, Sarah: chiefly photos of her work (2013 addition)

                                    [note: for a sketch done by her, see folder for Ruth Axline]

 

Folder 6:          McLaughlin, Sarah R., and relatives (acc. 11x44)

                                    [see also a sketch by her in file for Ruth Axline]

 

Folder 7:          Night lamps: articles by A.G. McDonald (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 8:          Night lamps: 1870s patent lamps (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 9:          Night lamps and oil lamps: articles about (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 10:        Night lamps: photos from lighting series, book, and research (acc. a5x54)

 

Folder 11:        Night lamps: reproductions (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 12:        Night lamps: slide lecture for Rushlight Club, Nov. 1995) (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 13:        Night lamps with political connections (acc. 15x54)

 

 

 

Box 4:

 

Folder 1:          Night Light (club): newsletters, etc.  (acc. 2019x45)

 

Folder 2:          Perfume bottles  (acc. 2019x45)

 

Folder 3:          Pickens family: Minnie Pickens Weller, et al.  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 4:          “Pot Potpourri”: 1998 Pottery Lovers Convention, by Larry Seyler   (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 5:          Putnam Female Seminary  (2013 addition)

[note: Weller women artists attended this school]

 

Folder 6:          Rhead, Frederick H.  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 7:          Schneider, Norris: articles (2013 addition)

                       

Folder 8:          Schneider, Norris F.: his articles on pottery and Zanesville, also his notebook  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 9:          Schneider, Norris F.: correspondence (acc. 15x54)

           

Folder 10:        Upjohn, Charles Babcock (2013 addition; also 2017x4)

 

Folder 11:        Wagner, Ed (2013 addition)

                        [see also folder of Weller catalogs, which were apparently provided by him]

 

Folder 12:        Weigelt, Carl (2013 addition)

 

Folders 13-15: Weller artists, A-S (2013 addition)   

                                    [continues in next box]

 

 

Box 5:

 

Folder 1:          Weller artists, T-Z (2013 addition)

 

Folder 2:          Weller artists and information; work at other potteries, Barber (2013 addition)

 

Folder 3:          Weller artists: biographies from Ohio Art and Artists (2013 addition)

 

Folder 4:          Weller artists: from 1920 census, ancestry.com, and Artists in Ohio (2013 addition)

 

Folders 5-8:     Weller artists in Zanesville directories, A-W (2013 addition)

 

 

Box 6:

 

Folder 1:          Weller women artists (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 2:          Weller women artists: general, Ruth Axline, Naomi Walch, Dorothy E. Laughead, Marie Rauchfuss (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 3:          Weller women artists: Terry, Hester Pillsbury, Mildred Brandfass, Virginia Adams, Josephine Imlay (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 4:          Weller catalog pages (2013 addition);  and

S.A. Weller’s Sicardo Ware (photocopy, acc. 2017x4)

                                    [2013 addition came in envelope with Ed Wagner material, and were probably supplied by him]

 

Folder 5:          Weller family photos (2013 addition)

 

Folder 6:          Weller pottery photos (2013 addition)

 

Folder 7:          Weller pottery lines: photos, including some of artists (2013 addition)

 

Folder 8:          Weller pottery marks (2013 addition)

 

Folder 9:          Weller Pottery: seven foot vase signed by artist Frank Ferell (acc. 2017x4)

 

Folder 10:        Weller publication: “A Definition of Art Pottery,” no date (acc. 2017x4)

 

Folder 11:        Weller reproductions (2013 addition)

 

 

Box 7:

 

Folder 1:          Weller research: letters from Joy and Roger Wilcox

 

Folder 2:          Weller research material no. 2 (2013 addition)

 

Folder 3:          Weller shape books 1 & 2 [photocopies] (2013 addition)

 

Folder 4:          Weller slide talk (2013 addition)

 

Folder 5:          Weller garden catalog [photocopy] (2013 addition)

 

Folder 6:          Weller trade catalog: “Weller Garden Pottery,” [no date; photocopy] (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 7:          All About Weller: books I and II: ads, promotions, antique publications (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 8:          Weller book: promotion, lecture (2013 addition)

 

Folder 9:          Weller books I and II: errors, mistakes (acc. 15x54)

 

Folders 10-12: Weller book: photos: chapters 1-13  (acc. 15x54)

 

 

Box 8:

 

Folders 1-2:     Weller book: photos: chapters 14-20 and biography  (acc. 15x54)

 

Folders 3-7:     Weller book II: photos: chapters 1-10  (acc. 15x54)

 

 

Box 9:

 

Folders 1-3:     All About Weller, Book II: original manuscript (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 4:          Weller book II: appendices (2013 addition)

 

Folder 5:          Weller book III: photos (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 6:          Weller book III: research materials (2013 addition)

 

Folder 7:          Weller book III: chapters for book (acc. 2017x4)

 

Folder 8:          Weller book research: correspondence from collectors, museums, Paul Evans (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 9:          Wide-Awake lamp, 1878

 

Folder 10:        Wheatley Pottery Co.: catalog, circa 1924 [photocopy]  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 11:        Wisconsin Pottery Show: Weller exhibition, 2001 (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 12:        World’s fairs articles

 

Folder 13:        World’s Fair: St. Louis, 1904 (2013 addition)

 

Folder 14:        Wright lamps and new miniature lamps (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 15:        Zanesville history, pottery lovers, miscellany (2013 addition)

 

 

Box 10: [legal size files]

 

Folders 1-2:     Night lamps: catalogs, ads (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 3:          Robinson Ransbottom Pottery Co. and Weller molds  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 4:          Weller family: deeds, maps, records  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 5:          Weller family: directory listings  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 6:          Weller family: Louise: marriages and family  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 7:          Weller family: marriages, careers, obituaries, Ethel Weller  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 8:          Weller family: William H., Harry A., Frank E.  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 9:          Weller family: wills and other legal documents of Daniel, Jacob, Sam, Minnie, Louise, Darcy Smith, Ethel  (acc. 11x44)

 

 

Box 11: (legal size files)

 

Folder 1:          Weller lines: trade journal articles, advertisements (2013 addition)

 

Folder 2:          Weller Pottery: ads in magazines and trade journals [photocopies]  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 3:          Weller Pottery catalogs [photocopies]  (2013 addition)

 

Folder 4:          Weller Pottery: material: articles   (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 5:          Weller Pottery: material  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 6:          Weller Pottery miscellany (2013 addition)

 

Folder 7:          Weller Pottery: miscellany, not for books  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 8:          Weller Theater   (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 9:          Zanesville, Ohio, miscellany  (acc. 11x44)

 

 

Box 12: photos, slides, negatives, videotape

 

Folder 1:          Photos and negatives: Weller Pottery  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 2:          Photos: Cochran collection (15x54)

 

Folder 3:          Photos: Coniff collection (11x24; 15x54)

 

Folder 4:          Photos: Senior collection  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 5:          Photos: Duck/rabbit planter, with correspondence (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 6:          Photos: People, places, grave markers  (acc. 11x44)

 

Folder 7:          Photos and: night lights (acc. 15x54)

                                   

Folder 8:          Negatives: oil lamps and miniature oil lamps (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 9:          Slides (acc. 15x54)

[see also box of slides]

 

Folder 10:        photos on compact disks (acc. 15x54)

 

Folder 11:        videotape from July 14, 1993: interview with Ruth Axline;

                        Mark Ervin visits old Putnam Weller factory and Levi Burgess house (acc. 15x54)

                                    [photos of the Burgess house are found in Box 13]

 

 

Box 13: photographs (all accessions)

            Art glass, pottery, primitives, 1972; and furniture, 1977; (acc. 2019x45);

            Color transparencies;

            Coppertone wares;

            Levi Burgess house, taken by Mark Mazzuki;

            Night lamps, from Dr. McDonald’s collection; (acc. 2019x45);

Pottery;

Dr. McDonald’s personal collection of glass, pottery, and lamps; (acc. 2019x45);

Dr. McDonald’s personal collection of Weller Pottery, pictured in All About Weller, books 1 and 2; (acc. 2019x45);

           

 

Box 14: slides (acc. 15x54)

                        [see also folder of slides in Box 12]

 

 

Box 15: note cards

 

Weller artists, A-Z (2013 addition);

Additional note cards on Weller artists (acc. 15x54);

Bibliographies for books (acc. 15x54)

 

 

Box 16: note cards (2013 addition)

 

Weller Pottery Lines, Alvin-Zona;

            Weller history and family;

            Weller Pottery miscellany

            Weller books I & II: bibliography (incomplete)

 

 

Box 17: note cards (acc. 2019x45)

            Bibliographies;

            Two groups of cards listing purchases

 

 

Folder on shelf:

 

Ladies’ Home Journal, June 1904 (v. 21, no. 7), with cover by Weller artist Gazo Foudji