Customer Reviews

Lehner's Encyclopedia Of US Marks On Pottery, Porcelain Clay

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is by far the book I reach for time and time again when I am trying to identify a piece of pottery. Full of useful information and history of the company. This is not meant to be a price guide and it isn't. I have found obscure marks on items in this book when the information hasn't been in any other book. Truly a bible for the collector of pottery made in the USA. Easy to use. Well organized. Super book!

Years ago I hunted high and low for a book on American ceramic wares, a genre who's time I saw closing fast. It was suggested once that I write one. I am glad I didn't take the challenge as my work would surly have paled severely in contrast to this marvelous, all inclusive work. Lois Lehner gives the subject the depth, scope and respect it deserves. This is 'the book' on American marks on pottery and porcelain its authority is never questioned.

Many books use the word 'encyclopedia' in their title, but few really deserve it. This one most certainly does. A titanic reference of pottery marks and company histories that virtually never fails to identify a piece of U.S. china. The variety of marks within each company, and the historical detail, make this both a valuable reference and an interesting book to page through.

Absolutely the finest book for identifying makers marks. The added history information on the various companies and pictures of all of the companies' marks has proven invaluable to us over and over again. In fact we keep one copy at home and one at our business. You need this book in your reference library!

This book has a LOT of information! When you do find what you are trying to research there is extensive information about the company. HOWEVER, the book is not indexed well. The index is down right skimpy. When trying to look-up certain words or wording found in a mark there is no reference to these things in the index. So a tedious process of looking through each page many times insues.

I also would like more dates associated with the marks. I realize this would mean more research on the author's part but that would make the book more valuable to me if I could verify dates more readily. The current way the marks are identified is in paragraph form associating the illustrated mark with a number. Locating these numbers within the paragraphs is difficult and time consuming. It make the research tedious. Thus, this is NOT my first choice reference to go to when trying to identify a new mark.

I would like to see this book updated and improved by doing three things (PUBLISHERS are you listening?)-1) A more comprehensive index, 2) more research on the individual marks (dates associated with each), and typographicly improve the association between marks and comment text about the marks.

This book is jam packed with pottery marks, a great value for the price. I had no idea that there were so many. It is extremely informative, giving a brief history, manufacture dates and much more information for each company listed. I would definately recommend this to anyone with an interest in collecting or selling pottery.

This book is about U.S. marks.

.... So, if you need a piece of U.S.A pottery identified, then this book probably has the mark. (Please note that this book is not about finding markings of European pieces. As stated on the cover, this book is strictly about U.S. marks).

P.S.: This book also includes all the U.S. RESTAURANT-WARE markings. Very helpful if you collect "RESTAURANT-WARE", along with other American pottery and china.

This book is prodigious in scope: the pottery marks (with huge varieties within each company) and historical information are both invaluable and interesting. However, the indexing is weak, which leads one to thumbing through pages trying to find an elusive mark. This is such a well-researched, vast collection of marks, however, that laborious searches are rewarded.

I find this to be among the very best books on American backstamps or marks for ware made just about everywhere in the U. S. It was published in the 1980s; some things are not accurate any more including references to companies that have since gone out of business or changed hands. I agree with another reviewer who wished for a more thorough index. I would also add a wish for an updated version with photographs rather than drawings.

While Lehner's Encyclopedia is great for most American pottery, if researching ware made in the nation's Pottery Capital (the East Liverpool area) do turn instead to the Gates & Ormerod book "The East Liverpool Ohio Pottery District Identification of Manufacturers and Marks". Assume that the Gates & Ormerod book is best when it comes to East Liverpudlian ware. Lehner and Gates/Ormerod both wrote unfailingly useful reference books.

If only interested in Harker, the most thorough book on that subject is the book by William and Donna Gray. They discovered over a hundred additional marks which were not included in either the Gates & Ormerod or Lehner books (which were published decades earlier).

Otherwise the Lehner book is very useful, and I hope it stays in print!

This book is a definite 'must have' for anyone dealing in or buying collectible ceramics. I have just started selling glasswares and have come across a lot of different pottery marks. Without a reference book, you cannot determine an items' real worth.
This book has thousands of different marks and artists' marks! This book is by my side when trying to determine the ceramic items' origin and age.