Pottery kiln

Reverse reads: "Code - F80; Class. - Industry; Ident. - Firing Kilns." This photograph shows a man shoveling coal into a firing kiln. This is most likely Weller Pottery. S.A. Weller Pottery located at 1888 Ceramic Avenue, was generally considered to be the largest art pottery in the world, with 400,000 square feet of floor space, manufacturing all kinds of decorative art ware. Founded in 1872 by Samuel A. Weller (1851- 1925), initially in Fultenham, Ohio, he moved production to Zanesville in 1888 and built his first factory in 1890. The company handled all aspects if production, from digging the clay all the way through the firing in the kiln. At first, Weller produced everyday items such as cookware and flower pots, but in 1895 the company began producing more decorative items such as vases and figurines, eventually becoming the largest producer of art pottery in the world. The few of the most popular of his patterns are: Hudson, Sicard, Louwelsa, Woodcraft and Camelot. Sam Weller’s Pottery closed in 1948. Though many think that Weller Pottery is just an imitation of Roseville and Rookwood pottery, Weller pieces are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and at other museums