Customer Reviews

American Pottery & Porcelain (Antique Hunter's Guides)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fold your standard sheet of paper in half and that's about the size of this book. -So, when I first saw it I thought I'd be disappointed... BUT I was pleasantly surprised! -It starts off with a brief intro to the different types of pottery (redware, stoneware, yellowware, ironstone,) and porcelain and a history of how they were/are made. It goes on to a visual key which has silhouette figures of items and is helpful to identify what item it is that you have. ...was that a coffeepot or a teapot? :o) After you've id'd your object, you can find the section in the book that corresponds and there you will find a color photo of one example and all sorts of helpful info. on your item. -A short description of what the typical physical size and shape would be, areas where the items were made, comments on typical uses, and hints on what you should avoid/look for. The price guide in the back gives you a ballpark figure of value.
this book does not focus on any specific brands, rather highlights some of the big name makers and brands that you may want to watch for. For being a general guide, I think this is as good as it gets. I found it superior to any of the Millers, Kovels series. -It actually teaches you what to look for, as opposed to other books which just inform you of what you already have. It is a great reference for collectors and resellers. Small enough to take with you to every auction and yard sale!

This book provides beautiful photos, and a large amount of information and history for antique American pottery but if you are looking for a reference book that covers mid-20th-century/vintage American pottery this is not it. It covers some Fiesta ware and that is about it. I gave it only 4 stars because the title and description does not state that the subject is primarily older American pottery.

This is however a great book for 19th century pottery. It is lovely, very well organized, and easy to use. Its starts with a section on dating pottery by shape and then describes how different types of wares are made. There is a visual key showing the shapes of most types of American pottery. Following is 367 plates showing different pieces organized by the the preceding visual key. Each plate gives not only a lovely color photo but also a description, material, locality, period, comments and hints for collectors. The appendices include a brief list of marks, an extensive list of manufactures which includes dates of operation, location and major products. There is also glossary, bibliography, a list of public collections, a pottery buying guide and a price list.