Very rare 19th Century Stoneware Whites Utica Polar Bear Canteen Jug, Antique
WHITES UTICA COBALT BLUE.
Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Canteen, Whites Pottery, Utica, NY, late 19th century
10" tall without handle x 4-1/2" deep.
Very good condition for its age.
Please review all photos closely and ask any questions.
Whites was started in 1839 by Noah White who was a barge pilot on the Erie Canal which ran from Albany to Buffalo, New York. Because of its prime geographical location, Utica was obviously an ideal spot for a pottery factory. The waterway could be used to transport clay northward from the clay-rich areas of New Jersey and to return the finished products to the marketable areas such as New York City, Boston and Philadelphia. Noah White eventually settled in Utica where he bought a pottery business owned by Samuel Addington and renamed it Whites of Utica. In 1849 Noah and his two sons, Nicholas and William, formed a partnership. The mark used on their wares at that time was simply Whites Utica or White’s Utica. In 1863 Noah’s grandson, William N. White, joined the firm and the name was changed to Noah White, Son & Co. William took over the firm’s management upon Noah’s death in 1865. In the 1870s a new building was added, expanding the operation, which both modernized and improved production processes. A 65-horsepower steam engine was also added. Whites’ major production items included jugs, chums, chamber pots, preserve jars, beer bottles, and fire bricks. In 1887 William’s son, Charles N. White, took over the management. The pottery ceased production in 1910 after 71 years of uninterrupted stoneware manufacture. Toward the end of the 19th century, competition from stoneware factories in Ohio and the use of glass containers created serious problems for New York potteries. The competition forced Whites to expand its range of products considerably and cupola brick, gas and oven tile and beer steins were added. Production of beer mugs and steins was first introduced in 1885. In 1894, a German artist named Hugo Billhardt was hired. He was responsible for mold designing and introducing the German designs we often see. He worked there until 1901.