Cooper Hewitt says...
Stangl Pottery was founded in 1814 as Samuel Hill Pottery in Flemington, New Jersey. The company’s earliest production was comprised of basic items such as storage crocks and red clay pipes. In 1860 the firm’s name changed to Fulper Pottery following the acquisition of the company by Abraham Fulper who had been an employee of the pottery since the 1820s. Under the artistic direction of William Fulper, Abraham’s son, the manufacturer earned acclaim for their colorful art pottery in the early twentieth century. Johann Martin Stangl came to work for Fulper Pottery in 1910 as a ceramic chemist and plant superintendent to revitalize the firm’s “Vasekraft” line with sophisticated glazes and an expanding array of forms including candleholders, bookends, desk accessories, and lamps. In 1928, he acquired financial interest and became president of Fulper. The company changed its name to Stangl Pottery in 1955. The firm built its reputation at mid-century on the production of dinnerware, lamps, and decorative items for the home. Colorful ceramic birds, modeled from John James Audubon’s print series The Birds of America (1827-38), were some of the manufacturer’s most popular offerings from the 1940s until Stangl ceased production in 1978.
