James Carr and the City Pottery of New York

James Carr

The name James Carr is well known to American majolica collectors but relatively little is actually known about the man or the pottery he founded.

James Carr was born in Staffordshire England in July of 1820. Raised as a potter, Carr left England with his wife Mary in November of 1844 to find work at the potteries of New Jersey. He first found positions in Trenton at the American Pottery then in South Amboy at the Swan Hill pottery.

Rockingham type foot warmer attributed to Carr, 

Swan Hill Pottery, Amboy, NJ

James Carr c. 1871

Carr majolica vase

In 1853 James Carr partnered with a man by the name of Morrison to open Carr & Morrison on west 13th Street in New York. It was largely a retailer of imported and domestic pottery. In 1871 Carr dissolved the partnership and opened the New York City Pottery at the same location. It was here that Carr began the experiments with glazes that led to his development of a line of majolica.

Ad for Carr's New York Pottery

Ad for Carr's New York City Pottery

A rare marked example of Carr majolica

Reverse of the above plate showing the distinct hand written Carr mark

Carr Pottery majolica plate

With the exception of a few pieces we don't know precisely what lines of majolica he made. Atlee Barber in his book The Ceramic Art claims that he prepared majolica jars, pedestals, seats, boxes, and cups. Charles Rebert in his book American Majolica 1850-1900 claims that he made a line of shell and seaweed majolica. There is no proof he created the pattern he referred to.

In 1876 Carr exhibited majolica and parian ware at the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia. In the sole surviving image of his display, shown below, we can see quite a few Parian busts; decorated ironstone; several majolica pedestals with a scene of Washington crossing the Delaware; a majolica jardiniere in the shape of a wooden barrel; majolica sardine boxes in the style of George Jones; a majolica dog sitting up and several majolica platters, though their design is indiscernible.

Carr's exhibit at the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia

Carr Parian bust "Evening" modeled by W.H. Edge

Carr Générant Grant Parian bust modeled by W. H. Edge

Washington Crossing The Delaware pedestal 

created for the 1876 Exhibition

An example of Carr's decorated Ironstone

Jar for William S. Kimball & Co. Vanity Fair tobacco

Carr Pottery majolica vase

Carr vase from the top

Carr's Rip van Winkle majolica tazza 

c. 1876. Modeled by W. H. Edge,

Carr majolica pitcher

James Carr majolica pedestal

He also exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition where he received an award for quality in workmanship for his display.

Carr cobalt vase

In 1879 in partnership with Edward Clark, Carr purchased a failing pottery in Trenton and renamed it the Lincoln Pottery. The pottery was dedicated to utilitarian cream ware and granite for everyday use. It was not a long lived venture however as the pottery was sold again just a few months later and Carr resumed his work at the New York City Pottery.

Carr's first wife, Mary Elizabeth Smith Carr

Carr kept an active social life. After Carr's wife Mary died at the age of 59 in 1886 he married second wife Emily Kerr in 1889. She died just six years later. He had a total of thirteen children.

James Carr and his family

In 1888 Carr closed the NYC Pottery and retired. His investments in rental properties on west 13th Street kept him a wealthy man until his death in 1904. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery with his first wife Mary in the Bronx, New York alongside other wealthy citizens of victorian New York.

Carr's grave in the Bronx, N.Y.

Parian bust of James Carr modeled by W.H. Edge

Mark of the New York City Pottery

*The post has been updated since it was first published.