THE RISE OF THE POTTERY INDUSTRY. 157 



into negotiations with a company of Eastern gentlemen, and sold 

 the factory to them shortly after. In 1837 the factory was leased 

 to Thomas Tucker, who continued the manufacture of fine porce- 

 lain for about one year, when it was permanently closed. Under 

 the direction of Judge Hemphill, who had become interested in 

 the subject while abroad, great improvements were made in the 

 body of the ware as well as in the glazing and ornamentation. 

 French porcelain was selected as the model after which the 

 Tucker & Hemphill china was patterned, and skilled artists 

 were brought from France to decorate the ware. Pitchers and 

 vases were^ sometimes decorated with painted portraits of Revo- 

 lutionary heroes ; two of the former, with likenesses of Washing- 

 ton and Wayne, are still preserved. The later productions of this 

 factory were greatly superior to anything produced in the United 

 States before. They were characterized by smoothness of paste, 

 beauty of coloring, and rich- 

 ness of gilding — indeed, it is 

 said that the amount of gold 

 consumed in the decoration of 

 this ware was so great as to 

 cause a considerable pecuniary 

 loss to Judge Hemphill. It is a 

 matter of regret that the limit 

 of this article is not suSiciently 

 elastic to permit a more ex- 

 tended review of this interest- 

 ing factory and description of 

 some of its many beautiful pro- 

 ductions which have been re- 

 cently brought to light. 



Isaac Spiegel, one of Tucker 

 & Hemphill's workmen, started 

 in business for himself in Ken- 

 sington, Philadeli)hia, about 

 1837. He made Rockingham 

 black and red ware of excellent 

 quality, including mantel orna- 

 ments, such as figures of dogs 

 and lions. Some of the ma- 

 chinery was moved to his pot- 

 tery from the Hemphill factory 

 on its closing, and he secured 



Fig. 8.— Hemphill Vase (with painting of a 

 shipwreck). 



many of the molds which had 

 been used for making ornamental porcelain pieces. In 1855 Mr. 

 Spiegel retired from active business, and was succeeded by his 

 son Isaac, who carried on the works until 1870. In 1880, John 

 Spiegel, a brother of the latter, resumed the business, and is at 



