My kids gave me a copy of Lois Lehner's Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain & Clay for Christmas, and my SIL was surprised to learn that Gilmer, a small town of fewer than 5,000 people, even had a pottery. In fact, when I lived there in the 1960s, the pottery was quite active and employed a number of workers.
Established in 1951 by a group of residents who purchased stock in the company and hired Carlton Rowe and Richard Potter as managers, the pottery was in its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. During that period, the pottery manufactured planters, ashtrays and cookie jars, some of which were designed by Howard Kron, who later became a principal figure at Texans Incorporated, a company best known for its TV lamps.
In the 1970s, the pottery switched its emphasis to bathroom accessories, although some decorative items were still made. Today the company employs from 20-40 people and manufactures only bathroom products.
In researching this post, I ran across a wonderful blog I hadn't found before. If you'd like to know more about Gilmer Potteries and see more of vintage pieces, check out My Life as a Collectorator.
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| Seafoam blue bulb bowl ebay.com - texianpedlar |
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| Yellow oval bulb bowl ebay.com - texianpedlar |
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| White to cream pedestal melon bowl ebay.com - texianpedlar |
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| Matte chocolate brown pedestal vase ebay.com - appleanniephotography |
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| Matte green melon planter cyberattic.com |
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| Howard Kron covered dish tvlamps.net |
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| Leaf dish etsy.com - theprivateparty |
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| Large yellow planter with saucer collectoratortoo.blogspot.com |
