SECOND REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 1905 



27 



Mr Clark might be fairly called the father of the early pottery 

 industry in this State, for in the progress of his undertaking, con- 

 tinued during a long life, he was directly influential in establishing 

 branches of his industry in several other regions, some of which 

 afterward became independent. 



The materials used at this pottery appear originally to have 

 , been local clays, but these soon proving unsatisfactory, clays were 

 brought in from Hackensack and South Amboy, N. J. It is prob- 

 able therefore that the great majority of all ware turned out from 

 this pottery during its entire history was from clay, obtained in 

 New Jersey. 



Clark's products were largely salt-glazed earthenware in the form 

 of jars, ewers, crocks and jugs, and some of the pieces made pre- 

 tense to molded decoration in patriotic designs. Other pieces 

 which are without mark, small ewers, syrup jugs, preserve and 

 snuff jars are slip-glazed, the slip being derived from the clays at 

 Albany. Most of these pieces bear no factory mark and I am 

 advised by Mr Thomas Ryan of Athens, who was connected with 

 the pottery from boyhood, that the work of N. Clark sr was never 

 marked. Certain of the slip-glazed jars of the early period of the 

 pottery were known as Hackensack ivare, made of ordinary red 

 body and in being dipped into the slip were grasped at the base 

 by the fingers so that over the lower part of the vessel remains an 

 unglazed band of red ware where the fingers had held on. There 

 seems no doubt that all such primitive pieces were made by N. 

 Clark sr during the earliest period of the pottery. About 1840 

 Clark entered into partnership with Ethan S. Fox and there are 

 in the Museum pieces of slip-glazed ware bearing the name " Clark & 

 Fox." In 1845 Mr Clark sold his business to Mr Fox but the latter 

 not making a success of it, Mr Clark repurchased the works for his 

 son Nathan Clark jr, who continued them till 1891. Pieces of 

 ware bearing the factory mark N. Clark jr, Athens, and made 

 during this period of 46 years are still common in eastern New 

 York. 



Nathan Clark sr's enterprise was so successful that he estab- 

 lished branch potteries in the western part of the State, putting 

 them in charge of employees who on the expiration of their appren- 

 ticeship were thus taken into partnership. It is a matter of record 

 that such a branch pottery was established at Mt Morris and the 

 Museum possesses a piece marked N . Clark & Co., Lyons. Thomas 

 Harrington was one of Clark's apprentices who subsequently be- 

 came independent and issued earthenware pieces marked T.Har- 



