This site was developed as an avenue of communication among collectors, with the hope that many will participate with comments, opinions, and photos.
Artus Van Briggle moved to Colorado in 1899 and founded his own pottery. He was hampered with ill health, but accomplished more in the short period prior to his death on July 4, 1904 than most can comprehend. Perhaps it was a combination of his immeasurable talent and his extreme ambition in knowing his life was to be cut short that enabled him to accomplish the foundation of a pottery that has continued now for 112 years.
Van Briggle Pottery endured the decades while most of the American potteries did not. Certainly the death of its founder four years after the inception of the pottery, and the financial collapse and exit of his widow another eight years afterward, were not optimal conditions for any business to continue. The pottery has stood the tests of wars, economic depression and certainly changes in artistic style. Yet, Van Briggle Pottery and its basic form as well as magnificent glazes are timeless. That does not need to be explained to avid fans and collectors of Van Briggle!
Greetings,
You have put together a wonderful collection “missing links” of VB pottery. I am am a burgeoning collector putting together my own personal digital graphic collection of Van Briggle and my home town of Colorado Springs’ history. I have a question. I am midstream in this educational venture and want to get things right as much as possible. Are the sketches here reproductions or tracings of the prototypes or from existing pottery or memory of. I would appreciate what light you could shed on that.
Also, I heard the remainder of the original molds have been transferred to Colorado College. Is there any word if they would continue production in the future? I’m not in any press or circles so that info shared unless expressed so would be minimal.
Kind Regards,
Ron Kadrmas
The drawings are copyrighted by Robert Wyman Newton in his Catalogue of Van Briggle Designs in 1975; and 2015 Revised edition, which was included in our latest book, with his permission.
Your research sounds interesting. Our book covers Artus’ life from his birth in 1869 through the history of the pottery and its workers in 2011.
Van Briggle Notes & More is available through me, or sold by the Colo. Spgs. Pioneers Museum.
Good luck in your ventures.
Kathy