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Page 12 The Antique Shoppe April, 2019
ANNA POTTERY placing a kneeling angel, the Lord’s
prayer, or a “naughty lady” inside

Considered Rare a jug. The brothers were both
teetotalers, who often commented
on their political and moral beliefs
American Folk Art on their jugs with references on the
dangers of alcohol consumption;
ironically, a large number of their
By Larry LeMasters jugs were used as whiskey jugs,

LeMasters’ Antique News Service especially their decorative snake and
↑ Anna Pottery pig jugs. Anna pig jugs also had
Anna Pottery was produced in “Pig” flask that sold for railroad maps inscribed on the jugs,
Anna, Illinois, known as a racist $3,450 on November 3, 2012. making them cross collectible today
“sun downer” town, from 1859 Centennial “Snake” jug, dated as railroad memorabilia. Reflected in
until 1896. The town was January 1, 1876, which sold on Anna Pottery’s wares are the social
named after Anna Davie, October 25, 2014, at auction for a world themes of the times, including rural
the wife of a founding record $87,400, at Crocker Far auction. → history and love of nature.
settler, and Anna Pottery Anna Pottery is also famous
was one of the town’s horse-powered Along with their utilitarian for its “Shoo Fly” line of salt-
first industries. clay-grinding wares, the Kirkpatrick glazed stoneware jugs,
Near the town of equipment where brothers produced depicting racist,
Anna lay abundant raw clay was turned 3,000+ ceramic pickaninny images
beds of brown into commercial clay. tobacco bowls of black children on
clay, and like other Also in the basement each day that jugs. Shoo Fly jugs
Illinois clay sites, was a drying room they turned into are highly collectible
potteries sprang with a hot-air furnace pipes. These pipe and one of them sold
up around Anna’s and two kilns that bowls were the for $41,300 at auction
beds. Along with clay held 2,000 gallons of company’s day- on October 28, 2017.
beds, Anna Pottery had stoneware each. to-day bread and The highest
access to important Anna Pottery “Snake Jug” by Annual production butter items and price ever recorded
railroad lines so Wallace & Cornwall Kirkpatrick that for Anna Pottery were sold all over for an Anna Pottery
its wares could be sold for $7,150 on May 21, 2005. was around 800,000 the United States. Anna Pottery St. Louis Police Commissioner jug was for one of its
readily shipped. gallons per “Frog Mug” that is dated 1882 and Centennial “snake”
Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick year. Every piece of sold for $2,875 on March 2, 2013. jugs, dated January
founded Anna Pottery in 1859 and pottery produced by 1, 1876, which sold
immediately utilized the beds of the company was at auction for $87,400 on
brown clay for stoneware production. stamped on its side October 25, 2014, setting
The Kirkpatrick brothers also mined with the number a world’s record for Anna
large quantities of kaolin clay, which of gallons it could Pottery.
they sold to other potteries that used hold, and inventory Anna Pottery continued
white clay for ceramic ware. was not measured operations after the
Anna Pottery was typical for its in the number of Kirkpatrick brothers
day, occupying a large two-story pieces produced. retired in 1896, which
wood-framed factory building. The Instead inventory and is the date most
basement of the building contained kiln production was collectors consider
measured in the number the end of Anna
of gallons each and every Pottery. The pottery
piece held, since consumer finally closed its
prices of Anna Pottery were doors forever in
reflective of the gallon size 1910, as new
of the each piece. generations
Workrooms and of American
storage space occupied women
the upper stories of Anna preferred
Pottery’s factory. Unusual, cross collectible Abraham modern tin
The workroom space Lincoln “Death Mask” by Anna ↑ This Anna Pottery and glass
held pottery wheels Pottery, dated 1877, which sold for “temperance snake” jug was containers over the
and tables and $4,600 on November 3, 2012. featured on Antiques Roadshow vintage clay pots
was where pottery in May 2015 and was valued at their mothers and
production took place. Anna Pottery $12,000 by appraiser Ken Farmer. grandmothers used.
During its heydays, Anna is best known and There is no forgetting Anna
Pottery employed 11 clay artisans most famously collected for its Pottery jugs once you have seen
who produced pottery jugs, crocks, highly unusual, one-of-a-kind them, but the prices for such pieces
plates, milk pans, fruit jars, pitchers, stoneware pieces of snake jugs and has gone beyond the means of an
flower urns, funnels, cemetery urns, cemetery urns, which were used in everyday collector. Expect to pay
chimney pots (placed atop a chimney place of tombstones. Considered at least $2,500 for any Anna Pottery
to prevent embers from settling on rare American folk art today, the piece, and for the finest pieces, the
the roof), roof tiles, tobacco pipe Kirkpatrick brothers produced sky is the limit since new records for
Unusual “Frog Pitcher with Monkey
Handle” piece by Anna Pottery that sold stems, drainage pipe, buckets, and whimsical creations that were Anna Pottery are being set all the
for $17,825 on March 5, 2011. other pottery wares. unmatched during their day, often time.