You may not know the name Canonsburg, but even casual vintage china fans know one of its best-loved Atomic Age patterns: Temporama! With its midcentury modern shape and combination of decaled ivory pieces and solid aqua pieces, Temporama is highly collected today.But Canonsburg is one of my favorite companies for many 
other, lesser known patterns. Created by W.S. George (and/or his son...stories differ) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the last century, the company employed 306 people in the 1930s. It was prosperous until the influx of inexpensive Japanese dinnerware in the 1960s. In the 1970s, its primary product was crock pot inserts. A factory fire in 1975 did them in--and Canonsburg Pottery closed, bankrupt, in 1978. Like many American potteries, management stayed in the family, with sons, brothers and nephews serving as president.
other, lesser known patterns. Created by W.S. George (and/or his son...stories differ) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the last century, the company employed 306 people in the 1930s. It was prosperous until the influx of inexpensive Japanese dinnerware in the 1960s. In the 1970s, its primary product was crock pot inserts. A factory fire in 1975 did them in--and Canonsburg Pottery closed, bankrupt, in 1978. Like many American potteries, management stayed in the family, with sons, brothers and nephews serving as president.
I love Canonsburg's brown drip dinnerware, which is usually called Carefree Ironstone. It's lighter than the hefty versions of brown drip by McCoy and Hull. And it has a distinctive green tint to the glaze. Canonsburg also made a fabulous golden drip glaze version, called Butterscotch.
In the 1950s American potteries started experimenting with freeform dinnerware shapes. We have some of Canonsburg's artisan dishes in the Pussy Willow pattern. They all have the Willard George signature mark (3rd president of Canonsburg, nephew of W.S. George).
The shape features a dove gray body with funky gray-green veined leaves and detailed pussy willow branches. It mixes beautifully with modern, earthy dishes.
In the 1950s American potteries started experimenting with freeform dinnerware shapes. We have some of Canonsburg's artisan dishes in the Pussy Willow pattern. They all have the Willard George signature mark (3rd president of Canonsburg, nephew of W.S. George).
The shape features a dove gray body with funky gray-green veined leaves and detailed pussy willow branches. It mixes beautifully with modern, earthy dishes.Vintage American dinnerware is also identified by shape, many times these shapes were named (in addition to the pattern name). My favorite Canonsburg shape is Skyline. It has low lines and whimsical curly handles, as you can see in the Wild Clover sugar bowl below, which I've transformed into a soy candle.
To see more Canonsburg patterns, visit this page at Replacements, Ltd: http://www.replacements.com/china/CAN.htm#5
To see the selections at ReBop Shop, type Canonsburg into our home page search box at http://www.rebopshop.com/
35 comments:
Thanks for the info on Canonsburg. I inherited lots of Wild Clover pieces from my grandparents in 1975. We use the pieces all the time, but knew nothing about them. I didn't know Skyline meant the shape and I didn't even know the pattern was called Wild Clover. (I thought they were pine cones.) Now I have to look up the other vintage patterns we use and/or display.
I'm so glad I could help. Wild Clover is a great pattern, and it's good to hear you enjoy using it.
My daughter just bought an incomplete set of the Canonsburg Limestone pattern pottery. Should we be concerned about lead or other unhealthy additives in the glaze of this pottery? Also, we weren't sure if this pottery was dishwasher safe, though we went ahead and put one piece in the dishwasher and it came out ok.
Personally, I've used vintage dinnerware for decades and have never been concerned about lead in the glazes. But I'm no expert! I would suggest searching the internet for information and deciding for yourself, keeping in mind fact vs. opinion.
The little bit I've read suggests to me if it were a great concern, there would be more outcry than I see out there in cyberspace.
One interesting bit I read suggests that the lead content may leach out of pieces with acidic foods placed on them for 50 hours or more. That tells me I shouldn't use vintage pieces for storage.
Regarding dishwashers, decaled dinnerware will suffer over time. And glassware, too!
Sandra, thank you for your very quick and honest response! I will do a little research myself but I am glad to know the facts about acidic foods and food storage. Good advice on the dishwasher, too. The limestone pattern doesnt have any decals but your remarks are still on target. Really like your website and its comfortable feel. Bookmarking you for the future. Thanks again!
Hello, Just wanted to let you know that your posting was helpful in my hunt for more about Canonsburg Pottery. I recently bought a huge collection of it cheap at a tagsale -- the Lejean pattern -- and am thrilled to know that it's truly vintage (and not just lovely!).
Oh, that's a wonderful pattern! Circa 1950, I imagine it was a treasured post-war wedding gift, with its combination of floral centers and gold filigree around the scalloped edges.
This is a pattern that would have be the "good china" for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hope you have the chance to play hostess with it!
Sandra, do you happen to know what year they made Wild Clover? I have a 105 piece set plus, salt& pepper, cream and sugar, gravy boat, butter dish, tall coffee mugs, 2 cake servers, and a deviled egg plate! It's an awesome set. Any idea how to value it? Thanks for your help.
Best Regards,
Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
105 pieces? Wow!
Wild Clover was probably produced from the mid-1950s until the early 1960s. You can see values from Replacements, Ltd. here: http://www.replacements.com/webquote/CANWIC.htm
Keep in mind that Replacements, Ltd. prices are usually at the high end. And, of course, the "value" is what someone will pay. If you wanted to sell your set, I would recommend consigning it to a shop in your community. Shipping charges and packing materials for selling it online would be huge.
Personally, I'd decorate an entire dining room around such a set! Are you in Chicago???? LOL
I wish I was!! South Florida is home.. Thanks for your advice, if my house was LARGER, I could totally do an entire room..maybe my next house :)
Rhonda
I have a 90-plus piece set of the Wild Clover and I lo am always on the look out for extra pieces. I have about everything but the coffee pot (did they make one?) and the 3-piece tiered server. The set I inherited came with only one shaker, but was able to add a full shaker set from eBay several years back. I am a "dish freak" *laughs* and love American potteries mostly (Salem, Metlox, Canonsburg, etc.). I am currently "on a mission" to acquire a nice set of the Canonsburg Pussywillow pattern. If anyone is selling any (reasonably), let me know. Great blog! I will be visiting regularly. My husband and I are in the process of acquiring a 1966-built "modern" home and are looking to furnish it in period furniture ...
Thanks so much for your kind words. I, too, am a dish freak and thrilled to be able to share my love of American potteries.
To answer your question: Yes, I have seen a Wild Clover coffee pot. So they do exist.
Oh, no! I spent 2 years also trying to build a Pussy Willow set. I gave up after only acquiring 18 pieces, so sold them at an antique show last September...
Is there a list of the pieces made in the Wild Clover pattern. My daughter is trying to finish a set that belonged to her great grandmother. We have found quite a bit online but there are some subtle differences and people have different names for all the pieces.
Probably the best list of Wild Clover pieces is this one at Replacements, Ltd (keep in mind that things like "night light" are pieces they create from china):
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/CANWIC.htm
It can get confusing because many times the same pattern was used on different dinnerware shapes. Replacements show 3 different shapes for Wild Clover. "Shapes" refers to the plain body of the dishes, such as coupe (plain rim) or scalloped rim.
The sugar bowl in my photo is the Skyline shape, identified by the curly-cue handles.
Check this blog for weekly features on ideas for mixing vintage china. I call it "Monday Mixer." While your daughter is searching for more Wild Clover, she might fill in with modern gray or black dishes!
I was a the 127 yard sale that stretches across states a few years back and fell in love with this dinnerwear set this older man was selling. Come to find out it is the brow drip pattern made by Canonsburg. The set is huge with lots of extras. I was wondering if you could tell me more information about it, like when they made this pattern and how much it might be worth. I counted it a lond time ago and I think its up to 70 peices give or take. Includes dinner plates, coffee cups, bowls, small plates, huge serving plates, ect. thank you so much for your help, Heather (my email is hk.chick@yahoo.com if thats easier)
Hi Heather,
So glad you found my blog! I can't give you exact years, but most brown drip was introduced in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s a bit.
Lucky you! Canonsburg's brown drip is my favorite, because it's not as heavy as McCoy or Hull. It's wonderful for mixing, too.
The value is pretty good, especially for hard to find pieces like tankards (tall mugs), juice glasses and coffee pots. You can get an idea here, but keep in mind these values are higher than they normally sell for:
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/CANCAN38.htm
I bet if you add up all the prices here your set is pretty darn valuable!
My father has a set of dinnerware - a plate shows on the reverse "Continental Kilns: a cup shows "Cannonsburg Pottery". One of them, don't remember which, possibly the plate also shows "American Beauty", all bought together in the early fifties. I see a pattern name as "Desert Rose" on an eBay listing.
The set shows the exact same pattern and detail on all pieces.
Any further info available?
Hi Joel,
Continental Kilns is an entirely different pottery company from Canonsburg. Continental operated in West Virginia from 1944-1957.
It's possible your two patterns are very similar, as companies often copied each other when patterns were successful!
"American Beauty" is a line of dishes by Canonsburg--not a pattern name. That compares to car models like so: Chevy is the maker (Canonsburg) Sedan is the line (American Beauty) and Malibu is the model (insert pattern name, Moss Rose for example).
"Desert Rose" is a pattern by Franciscan China. It is very possible your Continental and Canonsburg dishes are very similar to that one.
I would be happy to identify your dishes and give you an idea of value if you would like to email some photos to us at info@ReBopShop.com
I would need a Continental dish photo and backstamp photo, PLUS a Canonsburg dish photo and backstamp photo.
Very interesting stuff! Thanks for checking out our blog.
Sandra
They look exactly the same. I was a bit surprised to see two different potteries as name.
I will try to get pictures--if I remember!!
All my father remembers is that they (my parents) bought them early in their marriage. I was born 1950 and the dinnerware was there as long as I remember.
As far as I know, it was all bought together.
The name Desert Rose is what someone on eBay gave as a -pattern name. Others seem to use it also. Nothing was seen other than American Beauty on the plates, may need to check various pieces.
I checked today, it looks like the bowls and saucers show the Cannonsburg Pottery label, and the rest of the set shows Contintental Kilns. All was bought together as a set in Easton, Pa, probably Biskers (or something like that) early 50's.
This is very interesting, Joel! Again, if you want to email photos of both a Canonsburg and a Continental piece to us at info@rebopshop.com we will see what we can find out for you!
Let the detective work begin! Folks, Joel has sent me photos of his beautiful family set. I have a big antiques show this weekend, so next week I will do some research and create a new blog post with the results.
I am late chiming in on this thread, but I just happened upon it. We helped a widow friend of ours break up housekeeping so she could move into an assisted living apartment. In her belongings which didn't sell at a yard sale, I found two vegetable bowls, a gravy boat with plate and a creamer of the same pattern you identified for Joel. The dishes have the Green Arbor pattern and the Canonsburg stamp.
I thought it was interesting enough to pass on to you. I enjoyed reading the history you presented about both companies. I will have to ask my friend where she purchased these. Maybe they were a part of a grocery store promotion? or perhaps Green Stamps?
If you would like to see photos of these pieces, I can see that you get them. They are such pretty dishes! :-)
Rachel
Hi!
I have a set of Canonsburg Moss Rose dishes that were my mom's and her aunt's before that. Do you know what year or years they were made? They are the plain ones without the gold rim or scallops. I love them for the beautiful look (roses) and the sentimental value.
Thanks!
Barb
Thanks for visiting my blog, Barb! I wrote a new post this morning about your question. Here's the link:
http://rebopshop.blogspot.com/2010/09/weve-got-mail-canonsburg-moss-rose.html
I can give you more specific date information if you can email a photo of the backstamp on one of your dishes to info@rebopshop.com
I just bought a home with some of the contents still inside. They left a cannonsburg butterscotch dinner set in the cabinets, I was going to throw them out. I am glad I decided to research them . I have to count the pieces to see how many there are. Could anyone tell me if these dishes need any special care. It looks like somewhat complete set of 8 place settings with coffee mugs as well.
Oh my, that is wonderful! If by any wild chance you are located in Chicago, and you want to "unload" the set, please email us at info@ReBopShop.com It has always been my dream to own a full set of Butterscotch!
Regarding special care, all drip glaze dinnerware is pretty durable. We have never owned a dishwasher, so I don't know if that is harmful or not (perhaps someone knows?). We have come across drip glaze dishes with a cloudy film--I wonder if that might from a dishwasher...
Thanks for stopping by!
Sandra
Post on Canonsburg Friends facebook group received from a graduate student in the history of
decorative arts and design at Parsons The New School For Design.
She wrote: "In partnership with the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and the
Brooklyn Museum, I am researching a tea cup and saucer made (circa
1928) by the Canonsburg Pottery Company. The cup and saucer are part
of the Brooklyn Museum's Permanent collection. The design on the cup
is patented by Genevieve B. Wimsatt. I am seeking information about the company, the cup and saucer, and
the designer."
I know of no company records, but there are still a number of pottery employees who could help with some of her questions. If you can help, she certainly would appreciate it, and we need to get the information before it's lost.
Hi,
Do you know if Canonsburg made a coffee pot in the brown drip CAN38 pattern?
Thanks
SEK
To Dick Garboski:
So nice of you to leave this comment! I hope the word gets out and some information is provided to the Facebook page.
I'm afraid my knowledge is limited to midcentury patterns. Many early china patterns were never given names, unfortuantely. And many companies lost records either through factory fires or changing ownership.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
To SEK:
I have never seen a Canonsburg Brown Drip coffee pot, or teapot either. There were 2 sizes of pitchers made, as well as tumblers in 2 sizes, but a coffee pot is less likely.
Keep in mind that "CAN38" is a name given by the company Replacements Ltd., and would not have been used the Canonsburg itself. Replacements Ltd. id's are sometimes helpful when searching on Ebay, since so many people refer to that website for information.
Thanks for stopping by!
I just purchased Temporama. 8 plates,4 bowls,8 saucers,1 very sm bowl,2 serving platers--1 larger than the other,gravy bowl.creamer,sugar bowl and looks like a coffee pot.Do you know what year they were made? I saw on e-bay they were wanting $9.99 for each plate.Could it be that expensive? I got it all for $25.oo If you could help me I would appreciate it.
Thanks for your questions about Temporama. I have answered in a new blog post today, found here http://rebopshop.blogspot.com/2011/07/reader-question-about-temporama-by.html
You have to copy/paste that link, or just click on the ReBop Shop header up top to be taken to my home page.
I just acquired a platter in the Goldette pattern. When was it produced and is it likely to be radioactive? Thanks
Thanks for visiting my blog, Jane. I have answered your question with a new post here http://rebopshop.blogspot.com/2012/04/reader-question-about-canonsburg-china.html (you have to copy/paste the link)
Hope this helps!
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