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Haviland & Company
1872-1886 (Pottery Production)
Limoges, France

Presentation by Art & Eileen Wendt
September 9, 2003

The following article appeared in WPA Press, Vol. 18, Fall 2003

At the September 2003 WPA meeting, we enjoyed a presentation on Haviland China and Pottery by Arthur and Eileen Wendt, along with Arthur and Audrey Stees.

The name Haviland is well-known as a fine porcelain dinnerware. Haviland has made china services for four American presidents.

David Haviland was an American that fell in love with the beauty of fine French china and eventually moved his family to Limoges, France to open his own porcelain factory, contracting with French craftsmen to make china according to his own American tastes, china that sold better to his American countrymen, than did the French patterns and designs.

In 1872 Haviland was doing good business in France, making porcelain dinnerware, but learned that German dinnerware manufacturers were shipping far more ware to the U.S. than Haviland was. To improve business, Haviland hired Felix Bracquemond, a well-known ceramist with an interest in Asian styles of decoration. Bracquemond’s wife Marie also worked for Haviland, decorating pottery. Bracquemond became artistic director of Haviland’s new design workshop in Paris, the Auteil Studio.

In 1875, another ceramist, Ernest Chaplet WPA Press Page 8 was hired. He developed well-respected and unique stoneware pieces for Haviland. These pieces were molded. Early glazes containing mineral oxides were developed at this time and used, often with unpredictable results. Thus Haviland pottery was begun.

Haviland won many awards at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Marie Longworth Nichols was impressed with the Haviland pottery she saw at the Exhibition and worked to refine the glazes she observed, eventually using them as she started her own pottery (perhaps you’ve heard of it), Rookwood.

In 1886, Haviland sold the business to Chaplet; times were hard in Europe and business was slow. Ernest Chaplet died in 1909 at the age of 57.

Haviland was marketed extensively in the U.S. There is more Haviland pottery in the U.S. than most other countries, including France.

The noted French painter Paul Gaugin did some decorating for Haviland; in fact he met his wife Meta while she worked for Haviland.

Art and Eileen Wendt are from Stoughton, WI and have collected Haviland china and pottery for 50 years. They have researched and published two Haviland Blank Identification books for the Haviland Collectors International Foundation, the Ranson Blank and the Marseille Blank. Eileen served on the board of Directors of the Foundation and was Treasurer for two years.

Arthur and Audrey Stees are from Freeport, IL and own an extensive collection of Haviland and Haviland pottery. Arthur has compiled the book, “Haviland & Co. Pottery” for the Haviland Collectors International Collectors International Foundation. He served on the Board of Directors and was President of the Foundation for two years. Arthur is also the webmaster of Haviland Collectors website (see Haviland related links) and distributes Haviland publications for the Foundation.

WPA Related Pages:[haviland/index-footer.htm]