Letter to an Historic Potter

Uzziah Kendall jug, second quarter of the 19th-century

On Facebook the other day, I penned a quick letter to a potter I have been researching:

Dear Early 19th-century Cincinnati Potter,
I apologize for casually talking about and using the name "Uriah" when it seems you prefer to be called "Uzziah." At least the number of times "Uzziah" shows up is comparatively larger than something that looks like "Uriah." So, Uzziah from Maine who might have gotten his clay from Missouri, I hope we're on good terms now.
Yours truly, A Crazy Contemporary Counterpart

"U. Kendall/Factory, CIN"

Uzziah (isn't that a great name?) Kendall probably started making pottery in one way or another in the late 1820s in Cincinnati, Ohio. He likely started a pottery factory in the early 1830s, and even ventured toward making yellow ware (a yellow-glazed pottery popular in the 19th-century).  His father may have been a ship captain, which is pretty exciting, too.

I'll be speaking in a few weeks at the Midwest Antiques Forum in Lebanon, Ohio, sharing my work as a contemporary potter and researching historic pottery. I'll also be talking about some research on Kentucky and early Ohio River Valley stoneware production. I have some pretty exciting tidbits to share! There's still time to register!