Syracuse China
Encyclopedia
Syracuse China Corporation, located in Syracuse, New York
, was a manufacturer of fine china. Founded in 1871 as Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P. Co.) in the town of Geddes, New York
, the company initially produced earthenware
. In the late 19th century, O.P.Co., began producing fine china, for which it found a strong market particularly in hotels, restaurants, and railroad dining cars. The manufacturing facility in Syracuse
closed in 2009, after 138 years in operation and production was removed from North America
.
in 1839, started a small pottery business in the town of Geddes, New York
, on the western edge of Syracuse
for making salt-glazed stoneware, an American
ceramic product around since colonial times. He was a member of an extended family of stoneware potters active in northern New England
and Canada
.
Farrar's product-line grew to include a red ware styled after Rockingham
, reproducing English ware such as cast dogs and spittoons. Farrar Pottery also produced "wheel-thrown," salt-glazed, heavy, ulitarian urns, whiskey jugs, pie plates, butter crocks and mixing bowls in stoneware
. In 1857, Farrar moved his pottery closer to the newly constructed Erie Canal
on Furnace Street (later renamed to West Fayette Street). Farrer operated a substantial business. In his first year, he used 225 tons of clay from New Jersey
and he sold the company wares for $9,360.
The company, ironically, was located far from the New Jersey
, Pennsylvania
, Delaware
and Ohio
centers of ceramic manufacture. Additionally, there were limited natural sources of clay in Central New York
and no source for coal, nor were there any clay workers in the region. The industry survived because raw materials and fuel were easily transported on the Erie Canal
and the emerging national system of railroads.
Early pottery's in America relied on skilled English potters. The majority of china at that time was imported from England
and was considered superior to the earthenware
produced in the United States
. English workers were at a premium until immigration laws tightened up and the potteries had to rely on American workers.
Rockingham
was a mottled yellow and red ware made using a locally available yellow clay, but in the 1860s, Farrar was able to acquire a pure white clay suitable for making finer porcelain and china.
During the time he ran the company, Farrar was only able to expand his plant modestly. An 1858 map shows his pottery was a -story building which had been converted from a dwelling.
who had settled in Syracuse
in the early 1850s. He owned the property where Farrar's property stood. Coykendall formed the Empire Crockery Manufacturing Company and envisioned a larger plant than Farrar's with a "mass production factory operation." An English potter, Lyman W. Clark, managed the firm and was one of the original partners with Coykendall. The company name was briefly changed to Coykendall & Company.
Coykendall and a small group of backers worked together to raise capital. On August 4, 1868, the group announced the sale of capital stock to the amount of $75,000; however, they raised significantly less.
Under Clark's direction, a line of "white ware" for table use was added. Like most pottery of the time, it was susceptible to "crazing
" which occurs when small cracks appear in the glazed surface.
Empire never backstamped any of their ware. This was a common practice in the 1860s and was thought to stem from the belief that the public would not buy it if they knew it wasn't English.
for table and toilet use. The company extended its lines to include restaurant and retail consumer chinaware and various ceramic wares such as storage containers, planters, bed pans, serving vessels and table accessories.
At that time, the name changed to Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.) after Onondaga County where the company was located, and to celebrate the region's native Iroquois tribe
, the Onondaga's.
The board of directors elected R. Nelson Gere as their president. He was president of the local Merchant's National Bank, the Syracuse Iron Works, the Syracuse Gas and Light Company as well as the Geddes and Syracuse Street Railway.
Lyman W. Clark was retained by the firm and promoted to superintendent of manufacturing. Clark hired English potters and trained local men. The new company soon expanded its facilities. At first the firm back stamped its ware with the English Lion and Unicorn Arms. During 1873, the company dropped its reference to England
and adopted the Great Seal of the State of New York to mark the improvements in its ironstone ware.
In 1878, the company was located in the old village of Geddes
at the corner of Furnace Street (West Fayette Street) and School Street. The town was annexed into the city of Syracuse
during 1886 and many of the street names were changed. George Oliver was the general manager.
Popular taste demanded a finer ceramic
tableware
than the heavy pottery made by early ceramic companies. Onondaga Pottery began producing a heavy earthenware
called Ironstone but struggled to succeed. In 1873, they began manufacturing a "white granite ware" and then in 1885, a semi-vitreous ware. A year later they replaced this with high fired china and a guarantee that the glaze would not crackle or craze - the first time an American-made tableware carried such a warranty. It was at this point, 45 years after the start of pottery production in Syracuse
that the business showed a stable and profitable prospect.
Pass had been working in the United States
since 1863 and came from Trenton, New Jersey
, a ceramic center of the country, with a wealth of experience. Pass died on July 15, 1880, at age 56. His most successful contribution was the introduction of his son, James Pass, to the company.
James Pass was a skilled potter by age nineteen. He had come to the pottery in 1875 with his father. At age 20, he worked as foreman for $2 a day, six days a week. Pass soon mastered every job in the factory.
He enrolled in an evening class in analytical chemistry at Syracuse University
to learn about the problems of ceramic manufacturing "through the principles of scientific research." In 1879, he left the company to seek "broader opportunities" and ended up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
, where he managed a pottery for the Economite Society. The Mayer brothers, later of Mayer China Company took over its operation in 1881 and he was no longer needed.
Pass next invested in an ill-fated enterprise with a small inheritance from his father's death in 1880. The venture was a pottery works near the clay deposits at Cape Girardeau, Missouri
. He later ended up in Trenton, New Jersey
, the ceramic capital of the country, where he was not successful persuading Ott & Brewer Company to establish a laboratory for cooperative research in the fundamental problems of ceramic making.
In January 1883, the O.P.Co. built a new plant at a cost of $16,000. Directors, Gere and Oliver had visited potteries around the country for ideas. The new facility included a workshop, two kilns, a storehouse and an engine and boiler. The building was constructed of brick and was three-stories tall and close to the canal. The new building was in operation for less than a year when the old Farrar works, on the same property, was destroyed by fire in December 1883.
Until 1884, the company produced plain white, undecorated ware. That year, Elmer Walter established the Boston China Decorating Works across the street from the pottery, giving the company access to a designer, printer and hand decorator. The decorating shop was destroyed by fire in 1886 and the pottery hired Walter and his employees and established "one of the earliest in-house decorating departments in the industry."
By 1884, George W. Oliver was looking for a man to take the place of Richard H. Pass. James Pass was recommended and was rehired in June 1884. Pass joined O.P.Co. as superintendent and in later years he was named president. During his 28 years with the firm, he turned the company into a national leader in ceramic research. During 1888, he developed America's first truly vitreous china body. Pass introduced the new china body to the public in 1891 with a line of fancy accessory pieces called Imperial Geddo. His new ware won the medal for translucent china at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago
in 1893.
to produce the new vitreous ware.
The company had four kilns 16.5 feet (5 m) in diameter. Two of the kilns were used for the first and second burning of the pottery and the other two kilns were used for the glazing process. It took from three to five days to pack each kiln with enough ware and the first burning lasted from 30 to 48 hours. The heat was about the same as that required to fuse iron. After the fires were drawn, it took about four days for the forms to cool. Next the ware was glazed and burned a second time from 24 to 36 hours. It took an entire week to complete both burnings. After the glazing process, the decorations were applied and the china was burned a third time.
Once Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.) began producing vitreous china, they found a strong market for the ware, particularly in hotels, restaurants, and railroad dining cars. Technical innovations such as chip resistance, introduced in 1896, appealed to institutional buyers who needed durable china, yet still demanded style and aesthetics.
The firm continued to produce earthenware
until 1897, when it was discontinued in favor of the vitreous ware.
Later in 1896, the company installed the industry's first in-house lithographic shop for the "printing of decals." This made it easy for the decorating department to make inexpensive lithography of hotel and restaurant labels feasible which helped "further the company's market penetration of the institutional markets."
The commercial line included patterns such as Yellow Spirals, Blue Liberty, Blue Grass and Woodgrain.
was appointed as president after James Pass died in 1913. Salisbury
led the company to a "new age of marketing and advanced technology." National advertising campaigns were soon found on the pages of popular magazines.
By November 1917, the company had completed a new addition adjourning their Fayette Street plant. It was constructed on property the company purchased in 1916 and was equal to one third the capacity of the old structure. H. D. Beat & Company of New York City
, were the contractors. By 1917, Onondaga Pottery Company produced one-third of all vitreous china made in the United States
.
The Fayette Street structure was 579 feet (176.5 m) by 287 feet (87.5 m) and had 284850 square feet (26,463.4 m²) on 6.5 acres (26,304.6 m²). The "very complete and modern power plant" was equipped with the Jones Underfeed Automatic stokers and had a boiler capacity of 750 hp as well as complete electrical equipment for generating and distributing power and light.
There were twelve of the "largest and most modern" type downdraft and four updraft kilns for firing bisque
and glossed ware.
In 1921, the company built a new factory at 2801 Court Street on 300 acres (1.2 km²) in Lyncourt, New York
, a suburb north of Syracuse
to produce its restaurant ware.
The initial construction activity on the new site involved an outlay of $300,000, "exclusive of the actual cost of the property upon which the factory will be erected."
The plant was opened on June 7, 1922. It was the first linear, one-floor plant in the American
china industry. Manufacture of fine china continued in the West Fayette Street plant until 1970 at which time the factory was torn down and all production moved to the Court Street facility.
The company's first, "colored" china body, Old Ivory, appeared in 1926. The narrow-bodied Econo-Rim was tailored for the cramped table space of dining cars and was designed by R. Guy Cowan in 1933. For decades, O.P.Co. manufactured 70% of the nation's railroad china.
-Navy "E" award for "excellence in service" to the war effort.
Bert E. Salisbury
, former chairman of Onondaga Pottery Company, died on October 20, 1946.
. It was the only pottery in Canada
to manufacture vitreous china.
In 1988, Syracuse China/Vandesca wanted a product to compete with Lenox's white-bodied china. The company imported similar Japanese Biscuit-ware which was decorated and glazed at the Canadian plant. A small amount of "custom" work was decorated at the Mayer plant while it was in operation and later at the Court Street plant.
The imported product was called Royal Rideau and was back stamped as such in Canada. The same product was called Luxor in the United States
and back stamped as Luxor Mayer. The china served the upscale market. It was used for the Parliament and Chateau shapes.
Problems arose with the product when it was discovered that the dimensions of the bisque
were inconsistent. In 1993, the ceramic engineers at the "revived" laboratory at Syracuse China, directed by Roger Markell, developed its own "bright white" high alumina body using clay imported from England
. At that time, the Luxor name was dropped and Royal Rideau was used instead.
When the Mayer Pottery plant closed, the production shifted to the Syracuse
plant and the backstamp was changed to Royal Rideau Fine China, Syracuse China Company.
Vandesca Pottery Ltd. was closed in 1994.
Since 1871, the company had been owned by two Syracuse families, the Pass family and Salisbury family, now after four generations, ownership passed to new management who purchased the assets of the old company and formed the Syracuse China Corporation on September 30, 1971. At that time, the company began focusing exclusively on restaurant commercial grade china and the food service industry.
During 1975, under company president and chairman, Robert J. Theis, a new line of hand-cast, hand-finished metal tableware and useful accessories were introduced. They were manufactured and marketed by a new subsidiary of the company called Country Ware Corp. The product was crafted in a metal alloy, Syralloy, which could hold a variety of attractive finishes and was "virtually impossible to crack or break."
By February 1977, the company introduced "a major array of new products and appropriate selling programs."
. The company produced dinnerware and religious candles. Combined sales that year totaled $20 million (including $9 million of candle sales).
The merger did not prove profitable for the china manufacturer. Almost immediatelyj after the acquisition, paraffin wax costs climbed from five cents to twenty-one cents a pound due to the Mideast oil embargo in 1974. At the same time, Roman Catholic rituals were changed, which reduced the need for religious candles and resulted in a decline in profits for the company.
Consequently, Syracuse China sold Will & Baumer in 1978.
. Shenango was purchased from Anchor Hocking Corp. Both plants were closed and operation was consolidated to the Court Street plant in the early 1990s.
In late 1978, the company sold its subsidiary, the Country Ware Company to Wiltale Armetale, a leading competitor. This decision occurred after Canadian Pacific decided not to support a foundry operation in the United States
.
In 1989, Canadian Pacific put the Syracuse China Company on the market and the Susquehanna-Pfaltzgraff Company of York, Pennsylvania
, outbid more than 20 investors for the pottery. After 6 short years of ownership, Susquehanna sold the company to Libbey Inc. in 1995.
The engineering team made many advances in the 1990s. The company became the first American commercial pottery to operate a fully computer-controlled tunnel kiln. The new kiln reduced the number of skilled kiln technicians needed because it collected information as the kiln fired and made adjustments automatically.
during the 1980s.
The store was located at the company headquarters in Lyncourt Plaza, on the corner of Teall Avenue and Court Street in Syracuse
. They sold their china including first quality and second quality, which were popular and economical china sets with young households in the area. Additionally, the company sold many other kitchen wares in the shop including products from companies such as Oneida Community, Ltd., a producer of flatware and silverware located in Oneida, New York
and Libbey Inc., a producer of glassware.
, and all production of Syracuse China moved from North America. At that time, the plant had to lay off 275 employees, all members of Local 381 of the Glass, Molders, Pottery and Allied Workers International union.
On the last day of production, each employee was given a commemorative plate with a montage of images from throughout the company's history and eight of the company logos used over the course of the company's history. The face of the plate states, "Though the world may change around us, our history remains the same."
The back of each plate was stamped "38-A," the last date stamp to appear on a Syracuse China product made in Syracuse. The "38" is code for the year it was made (1971, the company's centennial year, plus 38 years). Within the nomenclature, the "A" stands for the first quarter of the year. The back of each plate also has text indicating it was one of the last "pieces to be made in Syracuse, N.Y."
After arrangements were made with Libbey Inc, the Onondaga Historical Society "found itself sitting on a pile of collectibles that had already been catalogued but required packaging, labeling and transportation." The items filled six and a half tractor trailers and included over 30,000 pieces. At any one time, the museum exhibit, which will open to the public in 2011, will display enough china to fill 30 glass-front display cabinets. The museum will "change out items occasionally to keep the exhibit fresh."
The "wide range" of pieces on display includes a ceramic spittoon from the mid-19th century and plates hand-painted by such artists as Grandma Moses
and N. C. Wyeth
. Additionally, the company's award-winning Imperial Geddo ware and a ceramic land mine from World War II as well as examples of china sets including those used by American embassies around the world and airlines, steamships and American railroads such as Santa Fe
, Union Pacific, Great Northern
and New York Central.
Highly sought after collectible patterns sell regularly on collectible sites, eBay
and at estate sales.
The back stamps are useful as guides to the age of the china:
Mayer and Shenango shapes included Stylus, Staffordshire, Carlton, Parliament, Fanfare and Cord-edge.
Additional shapes included Oneida, Mayflower, Morwel, Syrene, A la Carte, Savoy, Turina, Marmora, Puritan, Rolled Edge, American, Olympus and Doric.
Other names found on Syracuse China include; Canterbury, Old Ivory, Nature Study, Old Cathay, Palomino, Key Biscayne, Golden Maize, Harmony and Superior China.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, was a manufacturer of fine china. Founded in 1871 as Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P. Co.) in the town of Geddes, New York
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
, the company initially produced earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
. In the late 19th century, O.P.Co., began producing fine china, for which it found a strong market particularly in hotels, restaurants, and railroad dining cars. The manufacturing facility in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
closed in 2009, after 138 years in operation and production was removed from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
History
The company was founded in 1841 as Farrar Pottery and was bought out in 1868 and the name was changed to Empire Crockery Manufacturing Company. By 1871, it was changed again to Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.) and eventually to Syracuse China Corporation in June 1966, however the china produced by the company was back stamped with the Syracuse China logo since 1895.Farrar pottery
In 1841, William H. Farrar, who had recently arrived from VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in 1839, started a small pottery business in the town of Geddes, New York
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
, on the western edge of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
for making salt-glazed stoneware, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ceramic product around since colonial times. He was a member of an extended family of stoneware potters active in northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Farrar's product-line grew to include a red ware styled after Rockingham
Rockingham Pottery
The Rockingham Pottery was a 19th century manufacturer of porcelain of international repute, supplying fine wares and ornamental pieces to royalty and the aristocracy in Britain and overseas, as well as manufacturing porcelain and earthenware items for ordinary use.It is best known for its finely...
, reproducing English ware such as cast dogs and spittoons. Farrar Pottery also produced "wheel-thrown," salt-glazed, heavy, ulitarian urns, whiskey jugs, pie plates, butter crocks and mixing bowls in stoneware
Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
. In 1857, Farrar moved his pottery closer to the newly constructed Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
on Furnace Street (later renamed to West Fayette Street). Farrer operated a substantial business. In his first year, he used 225 tons of clay from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and he sold the company wares for $9,360.
The company, ironically, was located far from the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
centers of ceramic manufacture. Additionally, there were limited natural sources of clay in Central New York
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
and no source for coal, nor were there any clay workers in the region. The industry survived because raw materials and fuel were easily transported on the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and the emerging national system of railroads.
Early pottery's in America relied on skilled English potters. The majority of china at that time was imported from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was considered superior to the earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
produced in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. English workers were at a premium until immigration laws tightened up and the potteries had to rely on American workers.
Rockingham
Rockingham Pottery
The Rockingham Pottery was a 19th century manufacturer of porcelain of international repute, supplying fine wares and ornamental pieces to royalty and the aristocracy in Britain and overseas, as well as manufacturing porcelain and earthenware items for ordinary use.It is best known for its finely...
was a mottled yellow and red ware made using a locally available yellow clay, but in the 1860s, Farrar was able to acquire a pure white clay suitable for making finer porcelain and china.
During the time he ran the company, Farrar was only able to expand his plant modestly. An 1858 map shows his pottery was a -story building which had been converted from a dwelling.
Empire crockery
In 1868, Farrer sold his business to Peter Coykendall, a native of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
who had settled in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
in the early 1850s. He owned the property where Farrar's property stood. Coykendall formed the Empire Crockery Manufacturing Company and envisioned a larger plant than Farrar's with a "mass production factory operation." An English potter, Lyman W. Clark, managed the firm and was one of the original partners with Coykendall. The company name was briefly changed to Coykendall & Company.
Coykendall and a small group of backers worked together to raise capital. On August 4, 1868, the group announced the sale of capital stock to the amount of $75,000; however, they raised significantly less.
Under Clark's direction, a line of "white ware" for table use was added. Like most pottery of the time, it was susceptible to "crazing
Crazing
Crazing is a network of fine cracks on the surface of a material, for example in a glaze layer.Crazing is a phenomenon that frequently precedes fracture in some glassy thermoplastic polymers. Crazing occurs in regions of high hydrostatic tension, or in regions of very localized yielding, which...
" which occurs when small cracks appear in the glazed surface.
Empire never backstamped any of their ware. This was a common practice in the 1860s and was thought to stem from the belief that the public would not buy it if they knew it wasn't English.
Onondaga pottery
On July 20, 1871, sixteen local businessmen purchased the struggling local pottery, incorporated, capitalized the company for $50,000, and began to expand its lines to produce white earthenwareEarthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
for table and toilet use. The company extended its lines to include restaurant and retail consumer chinaware and various ceramic wares such as storage containers, planters, bed pans, serving vessels and table accessories.
At that time, the name changed to Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.) after Onondaga County where the company was located, and to celebrate the region's native Iroquois tribe
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, the Onondaga's.
The board of directors elected R. Nelson Gere as their president. He was president of the local Merchant's National Bank, the Syracuse Iron Works, the Syracuse Gas and Light Company as well as the Geddes and Syracuse Street Railway.
Lyman W. Clark was retained by the firm and promoted to superintendent of manufacturing. Clark hired English potters and trained local men. The new company soon expanded its facilities. At first the firm back stamped its ware with the English Lion and Unicorn Arms. During 1873, the company dropped its reference to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and adopted the Great Seal of the State of New York to mark the improvements in its ironstone ware.
In 1878, the company was located in the old village of Geddes
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
at the corner of Furnace Street (West Fayette Street) and School Street. The town was annexed into the city of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
during 1886 and many of the street names were changed. George Oliver was the general manager.
Popular taste demanded a finer ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
tableware
Tableware
Tableware is the dishes or dishware , dinnerware , or china used for setting a table, serving food, and for dining. Tableware can be meant to include flatware and glassware...
than the heavy pottery made by early ceramic companies. Onondaga Pottery began producing a heavy earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
called Ironstone but struggled to succeed. In 1873, they began manufacturing a "white granite ware" and then in 1885, a semi-vitreous ware. A year later they replaced this with high fired china and a guarantee that the glaze would not crackle or craze - the first time an American-made tableware carried such a warranty. It was at this point, 45 years after the start of pottery production in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
that the business showed a stable and profitable prospect.
Pass family
By 1875, Lyman Clark had announced his intention to leave the company as soon as his successor was in place. He left the company for Boston, Massachusetts, and started his own company. Another English Staffordshire-trained potter, Richard H. Pass, was hired to fill his position as superintendent in June 1875.Pass had been working in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1863 and came from Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, a ceramic center of the country, with a wealth of experience. Pass died on July 15, 1880, at age 56. His most successful contribution was the introduction of his son, James Pass, to the company.
James Pass was a skilled potter by age nineteen. He had come to the pottery in 1875 with his father. At age 20, he worked as foreman for $2 a day, six days a week. Pass soon mastered every job in the factory.
He enrolled in an evening class in analytical chemistry at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
to learn about the problems of ceramic manufacturing "through the principles of scientific research." In 1879, he left the company to seek "broader opportunities" and ended up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
, where he managed a pottery for the Economite Society. The Mayer brothers, later of Mayer China Company took over its operation in 1881 and he was no longer needed.
Pass next invested in an ill-fated enterprise with a small inheritance from his father's death in 1880. The venture was a pottery works near the clay deposits at Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
. He later ended up in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, the ceramic capital of the country, where he was not successful persuading Ott & Brewer Company to establish a laboratory for cooperative research in the fundamental problems of ceramic making.
In January 1883, the O.P.Co. built a new plant at a cost of $16,000. Directors, Gere and Oliver had visited potteries around the country for ideas. The new facility included a workshop, two kilns, a storehouse and an engine and boiler. The building was constructed of brick and was three-stories tall and close to the canal. The new building was in operation for less than a year when the old Farrar works, on the same property, was destroyed by fire in December 1883.
Until 1884, the company produced plain white, undecorated ware. That year, Elmer Walter established the Boston China Decorating Works across the street from the pottery, giving the company access to a designer, printer and hand decorator. The decorating shop was destroyed by fire in 1886 and the pottery hired Walter and his employees and established "one of the earliest in-house decorating departments in the industry."
By 1884, George W. Oliver was looking for a man to take the place of Richard H. Pass. James Pass was recommended and was rehired in June 1884. Pass joined O.P.Co. as superintendent and in later years he was named president. During his 28 years with the firm, he turned the company into a national leader in ceramic research. During 1888, he developed America's first truly vitreous china body. Pass introduced the new china body to the public in 1891 with a line of fancy accessory pieces called Imperial Geddo. His new ware won the medal for translucent china at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1893.
Syracuse china
By 1895, the name Syracuse China appeared in the back stamp of this revolutionary, pure white, vitreous china; however, the company name was not formally changed until 1966. Syracuse was one of the first china manufacturers in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to produce the new vitreous ware.
The company had four kilns 16.5 feet (5 m) in diameter. Two of the kilns were used for the first and second burning of the pottery and the other two kilns were used for the glazing process. It took from three to five days to pack each kiln with enough ware and the first burning lasted from 30 to 48 hours. The heat was about the same as that required to fuse iron. After the fires were drawn, it took about four days for the forms to cool. Next the ware was glazed and burned a second time from 24 to 36 hours. It took an entire week to complete both burnings. After the glazing process, the decorations were applied and the china was burned a third time.
Once Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.) began producing vitreous china, they found a strong market for the ware, particularly in hotels, restaurants, and railroad dining cars. Technical innovations such as chip resistance, introduced in 1896, appealed to institutional buyers who needed durable china, yet still demanded style and aesthetics.
The firm continued to produce earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
until 1897, when it was discontinued in favor of the vitreous ware.
Restaurant ware
The chip-resistant, Round Edge shape was introduced in 1896 and the pottery became the national leader in the fast growing institutional and hotel ware market which required a heavier, more durable product. At that time, company salesmen gave away over 2,500 samples. Orders started to come in before production officially began.Later in 1896, the company installed the industry's first in-house lithographic shop for the "printing of decals." This made it easy for the decorating department to make inexpensive lithography of hotel and restaurant labels feasible which helped "further the company's market penetration of the institutional markets."
The commercial line included patterns such as Yellow Spirals, Blue Liberty, Blue Grass and Woodgrain.
Fine china
The fine decorated translucent china produced for home use became a national best seller. It was made of the same durable china body as the restaurant ware; however, it was formed into thinner, more stylish shapes. In 1908, the company perfected the "underglaze decal process."Salisbury influence
Bert E. SalisburyBert E. Salisbury
Bert Eugene Salisbury , was appointed president of Onondaga Pottery Company , later renamed to Syracuse China in 1913 and president and general manager of Pass & Seymour, Inc. in Solvay, a suburb of Syracuse, New York in 1914. He ran both companies for many years.-History:Bert E. Salisbury was born...
was appointed as president after James Pass died in 1913. Salisbury
Bert E. Salisbury
Bert Eugene Salisbury , was appointed president of Onondaga Pottery Company , later renamed to Syracuse China in 1913 and president and general manager of Pass & Seymour, Inc. in Solvay, a suburb of Syracuse, New York in 1914. He ran both companies for many years.-History:Bert E. Salisbury was born...
led the company to a "new age of marketing and advanced technology." National advertising campaigns were soon found on the pages of popular magazines.
By November 1917, the company had completed a new addition adjourning their Fayette Street plant. It was constructed on property the company purchased in 1916 and was equal to one third the capacity of the old structure. H. D. Beat & Company of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, were the contractors. By 1917, Onondaga Pottery Company produced one-third of all vitreous china made in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Fayette Street structure was 579 feet (176.5 m) by 287 feet (87.5 m) and had 284850 square feet (26,463.4 m²) on 6.5 acres (26,304.6 m²). The "very complete and modern power plant" was equipped with the Jones Underfeed Automatic stokers and had a boiler capacity of 750 hp as well as complete electrical equipment for generating and distributing power and light.
There were twelve of the "largest and most modern" type downdraft and four updraft kilns for firing bisque
Bisque
Bisque may refer to:* Bisque , a piece of unglazed pottery* Bisque , a thick, creamy soup made from puréed seafood or vegetables* Bisque, a free turn in a handicap croquet match* Bisque, a free point in a handicap real tennis match...
and glossed ware.
In 1921, the company built a new factory at 2801 Court Street on 300 acres (1.2 km²) in Lyncourt, New York
Lyncourt, New York
Lyncourt is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 4,268 at the 2000 census.Lyncourt is in the Town of Salina.-Geography:Lyncourt is located at ....
, a suburb north of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to produce its restaurant ware.
The initial construction activity on the new site involved an outlay of $300,000, "exclusive of the actual cost of the property upon which the factory will be erected."
The plant was opened on June 7, 1922. It was the first linear, one-floor plant in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
china industry. Manufacture of fine china continued in the West Fayette Street plant until 1970 at which time the factory was torn down and all production moved to the Court Street facility.
The company's first, "colored" china body, Old Ivory, appeared in 1926. The narrow-bodied Econo-Rim was tailored for the cramped table space of dining cars and was designed by R. Guy Cowan in 1933. For decades, O.P.Co. manufactured 70% of the nation's railroad china.
World war
During World War II, under the leadership of Richard Pass, the company developed non-detectable ceramic anti-tank land mines. For their efforts, the company received the distinguished United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
-Navy "E" award for "excellence in service" to the war effort.
Bert E. Salisbury
Bert E. Salisbury
Bert Eugene Salisbury , was appointed president of Onondaga Pottery Company , later renamed to Syracuse China in 1913 and president and general manager of Pass & Seymour, Inc. in Solvay, a suburb of Syracuse, New York in 1914. He ran both companies for many years.-History:Bert E. Salisbury was born...
, former chairman of Onondaga Pottery Company, died on October 20, 1946.
Employees
The Blue Plum collection, which featured "intense cerulean (blue) shades that transitioned into spotless whites" was made available only to the employees of Syracuse China during the holiday seasons and was never made available to the consumer.Mid century
After the war, the company "developed a record number of shapes and patterns for both commercial hotel and dinnerware china." During 1954, the Onondaga Pottery Electronics Division was formed to produce printed circuit ceramic components for radio and television manufacturers; however, this venture closed in 1959.Canadian subsidiary
During 1959, the company also established a Canadian china manufacturing subsidiary called the Vandesca Pottery Ltd. of Joliette, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It was the only pottery in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to manufacture vitreous china.
In 1988, Syracuse China/Vandesca wanted a product to compete with Lenox's white-bodied china. The company imported similar Japanese Biscuit-ware which was decorated and glazed at the Canadian plant. A small amount of "custom" work was decorated at the Mayer plant while it was in operation and later at the Court Street plant.
The imported product was called Royal Rideau and was back stamped as such in Canada. The same product was called Luxor in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and back stamped as Luxor Mayer. The china served the upscale market. It was used for the Parliament and Chateau shapes.
Problems arose with the product when it was discovered that the dimensions of the bisque
Bisque
Bisque may refer to:* Bisque , a piece of unglazed pottery* Bisque , a thick, creamy soup made from puréed seafood or vegetables* Bisque, a free turn in a handicap croquet match* Bisque, a free point in a handicap real tennis match...
were inconsistent. In 1993, the ceramic engineers at the "revived" laboratory at Syracuse China, directed by Roger Markell, developed its own "bright white" high alumina body using clay imported from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. At that time, the Luxor name was dropped and Royal Rideau was used instead.
When the Mayer Pottery plant closed, the production shifted to the Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
plant and the backstamp was changed to Royal Rideau Fine China, Syracuse China Company.
Vandesca Pottery Ltd. was closed in 1994.
New management
As the company approached its 100th anniversary in 1971, major changes were underway. Facing competition from low cost Asian manufacturers for the retail consumer market, the company was forced to take drastic actions.Since 1871, the company had been owned by two Syracuse families, the Pass family and Salisbury family, now after four generations, ownership passed to new management who purchased the assets of the old company and formed the Syracuse China Corporation on September 30, 1971. At that time, the company began focusing exclusively on restaurant commercial grade china and the food service industry.
During 1975, under company president and chairman, Robert J. Theis, a new line of hand-cast, hand-finished metal tableware and useful accessories were introduced. They were manufactured and marketed by a new subsidiary of the company called Country Ware Corp. The product was crafted in a metal alloy, Syralloy, which could hold a variety of attractive finishes and was "virtually impossible to crack or break."
By February 1977, the company introduced "a major array of new products and appropriate selling programs."
Candle company
Early in 1973, Syracuse China bought local Will & Baumer candle manufacturing company of SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The company produced dinnerware and religious candles. Combined sales that year totaled $20 million (including $9 million of candle sales).
The merger did not prove profitable for the china manufacturer. Almost immediatelyj after the acquisition, paraffin wax costs climbed from five cents to twenty-one cents a pound due to the Mideast oil embargo in 1974. At the same time, Roman Catholic rituals were changed, which reduced the need for religious candles and resulted in a decline in profits for the company.
Consequently, Syracuse China sold Will & Baumer in 1978.
Ownership changes again
In April 1978, shareholders of Syracuse China Corporation voted to merge with Canadian Pacific Investments, Ltd. The company further expanded its presence in 1988 by acquiring the Mayer China Company in 1984 and Shenango China Company (formerly Shenango Pottery), both of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Shenango was purchased from Anchor Hocking Corp. Both plants were closed and operation was consolidated to the Court Street plant in the early 1990s.
In late 1978, the company sold its subsidiary, the Country Ware Company to Wiltale Armetale, a leading competitor. This decision occurred after Canadian Pacific decided not to support a foundry operation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1989, Canadian Pacific put the Syracuse China Company on the market and the Susquehanna-Pfaltzgraff Company of York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, outbid more than 20 investors for the pottery. After 6 short years of ownership, Susquehanna sold the company to Libbey Inc. in 1995.
The engineering team made many advances in the 1990s. The company became the first American commercial pottery to operate a fully computer-controlled tunnel kiln. The new kiln reduced the number of skilled kiln technicians needed because it collected information as the kiln fired and made adjustments automatically.
Outlet store
The Syracuse China Factory Outlet Store, operated by Syracuse China Corporation, was a popular shopping destination in SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
during the 1980s.
The store was located at the company headquarters in Lyncourt Plaza, on the corner of Teall Avenue and Court Street in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. They sold their china including first quality and second quality, which were popular and economical china sets with young households in the area. Additionally, the company sold many other kitchen wares in the shop including products from companies such as Oneida Community, Ltd., a producer of flatware and silverware located in Oneida, New York
Oneida, New York
Oneida is a city in Madison County located west of Oneida Castle and east of Canastota, New York, United States. The population was 10,987 at the 2000 census. The city, like both Oneida County and the nearby silver and china maker, takes its name from the Oneida tribe...
and Libbey Inc., a producer of glassware.
Syracuse production moved
On April 9, 2009, after 138 years of production, the factory on Court Street was closed by Libbey Inc. of Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, and all production of Syracuse China moved from North America. At that time, the plant had to lay off 275 employees, all members of Local 381 of the Glass, Molders, Pottery and Allied Workers International union.
On the last day of production, each employee was given a commemorative plate with a montage of images from throughout the company's history and eight of the company logos used over the course of the company's history. The face of the plate states, "Though the world may change around us, our history remains the same."
The back of each plate was stamped "38-A," the last date stamp to appear on a Syracuse China product made in Syracuse. The "38" is code for the year it was made (1971, the company's centennial year, plus 38 years). Within the nomenclature, the "A" stands for the first quarter of the year. The back of each plate also has text indicating it was one of the last "pieces to be made in Syracuse, N.Y."
Historical archives
The archives and china collections of Syracuse China were donated to the Onondaga Historical Association after the society began working with the new owner, Libbey Inc. to secure the company's revered collection of historical china.After arrangements were made with Libbey Inc, the Onondaga Historical Society "found itself sitting on a pile of collectibles that had already been catalogued but required packaging, labeling and transportation." The items filled six and a half tractor trailers and included over 30,000 pieces. At any one time, the museum exhibit, which will open to the public in 2011, will display enough china to fill 30 glass-front display cabinets. The museum will "change out items occasionally to keep the exhibit fresh."
The "wide range" of pieces on display includes a ceramic spittoon from the mid-19th century and plates hand-painted by such artists as Grandma Moses
Grandma Moses
Anna Mary Robertson Moses , better known as "Grandma Moses", was a renowned American folk artist. She is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Although her family and friends called her either "Mother Moses" or "Grandma Moses,"...
and N. C. Wyeth
N. C. Wyeth
Newell Convers Wyeth , known as N.C. Wyeth, was an American artist and illustrator. He was the pupil of artist Howard Pyle and became one of America's greatest illustrators...
. Additionally, the company's award-winning Imperial Geddo ware and a ceramic land mine from World War II as well as examples of china sets including those used by American embassies around the world and airlines, steamships and American railroads such as Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, Union Pacific, Great Northern
Great Northern
Great Northern may refer to:* Great Northern , led by former 30 Seconds to Mars member Solon Bixler*Great Northern , led by former Mission Mountain Wood Band member Rob Quist...
and New York Central.
Highly sought after collectible patterns sell regularly on collectible sites, eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
and at estate sales.
Company management
- Henry Case (1871) director and first general manager of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- Lyman W. Clark (1871–1875) superintendent of Onondaga Pottery Co. manufacturing
- George W. Oliver (1873–1889) general manager of Onondaga Pottery Co. business affairs
- Richard Henry Pass (1875–1880) superintendent of Onondaga Pottery Co.
Company presidents
- R. Nelson Gere (1871-) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- Mills Pharis (-1892) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- E. B. Judson (1892-) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- James Pass (1910–1913) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- Bert Eugene SalisburyBert E. SalisburyBert Eugene Salisbury , was appointed president of Onondaga Pottery Company , later renamed to Syracuse China in 1913 and president and general manager of Pass & Seymour, Inc. in Solvay, a suburb of Syracuse, New York in 1914. He ran both companies for many years.-History:Bert E. Salisbury was born...
(1913-) president of Onondaga Pottery Co. - Richard Pass (1942–1958) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- Foster T. Rhodes (1958–1967) president of Onondaga Pottery Co.
- William Root Salisbury (1961–1971) president of Syracuse China Corp.
- Robert J. Theis (1971–1978) chairman and president of Syracuse China Corp.
- Chester D. Amond (1978–1991) president of Syracuse China Corp.
- William Simpson (1992-1992) president of Syracuse China Corp.
- Charles S. Goodman (1992-) president of Syracuse China Corp.
Back stamps
The back stamps are useful as guides to the age of the china:
- 1885-1890: O.P.Co. with a broken line beneath with the word CHINA
- 1890-1895: O.P.Co. with a solid line beneath with the word CHINA
- 1895-1897: Syracuse China O.P.Co. surrounding a hemisphere
- 1897-1926: O.P.CO. Syracuse China
- 1920-1946: O.P.CO. Syracuse China with date codes
- 1927-1960: Old Ivory
- 1932-1972: Adobe ware
- 1933-1967: Econo Rim
- 1959-1974: Syracuse China of Canada
- 1968-2009: Syracuse China Made in America (or USA) - numerous versions
Syracuse shapes
Before a piece of china can be made, a staff of designers, modelers and pattern artists have created models and studies for the shape of the new piece. From initial design, to completion, a new shape sometimes required as much as a year of preparation. Only after a shape was approved, was the final mould created.- Cable (1873)
- Empire (1873)
- Square (1879)
- Doris (1887)
- Grecian (1887)
- Juno (1888)
- Imperial Geddo (1891)
- Fork Handle Square (1892)
- Roundedge (1896)
- Empire (1915) "new"
- Governor Winthrop (1922–1935)
- Winchester (1928–1952)
- Clinton (1932–1933)
- Econo-Rim (1933)
- Shelledge (1937–1942)
- Virginia (1937–1970)
- Winthrop (1949)
- Berkeley (1950)
- Essex (1953)
- Trend (1955)
- Carefree (1957)
- Silhouette (1961)
- Tudor (1966)
- Calypso (1968)
- California (1968)
- Wellington (1968)
- Signet (1975)
- Gibraltar (1978)
- Chateau (1988) Canadian
- Parliament (1988) Canadian
- Belmont (1989)
- Tremont (1989)
- Verona (1989)
- Castleton (1990)
- Justine (1993)
- Barista (1995)
- Cantina (1996)
Mayer and Shenango shapes included Stylus, Staffordshire, Carlton, Parliament, Fanfare and Cord-edge.
Additional shapes included Oneida, Mayflower, Morwel, Syrene, A la Carte, Savoy, Turina, Marmora, Puritan, Rolled Edge, American, Olympus and Doric.
Other names found on Syracuse China include; Canterbury, Old Ivory, Nature Study, Old Cathay, Palomino, Key Biscayne, Golden Maize, Harmony and Superior China.