Hugh C. Robertson (1844 to 1908)
The art pottery era is filled with Robertsons, but there is only one Hugh.
Hugh Cornwell Robertson managed two notable Massachusetts potteries: Chelsea Keramic Art Works and Dedham Pottery. At each location, he applied his creative genius to advance American art pottery as well as his own livelihood and reputation. At Chelsea, dogged determination led him to rediscover the ancient secrets of Chinese oxblood (first produced in 1885) and crackle (1886) glazes. The red glaze came to be known as Robertson’s Blood. Scholars claim that Robertson produced only 300 true hand-thrown and signed oxblood pieces, but trial pieces surface occasionally.
At Dedham, Robertson added a third discovery: volcanic ware (1896-1899). Multiple glazes and as many as 12 separate firings were needed to produce Robertson’s hand-thrown and signed Volcanic Dedham. The finished creation was experimental, clunky, cracked, thick and appreciated by advanced collectors.
To insure Dedham’s financial survival, Robertson introduced a line of cute and colorful animal-decorated dinnerware in crackle glaze. It was – and continues to be – extremely popular.
After 1875, Robertson signed his hand-thrown pieces with a stylized, incised and interconnected HCR. In general, his hand-thrown work at Chelsea was more Victorian and scarce; at Dedham it was more unadorned Arts and Crafts. Robertson continued to turn and burn vases in oxblood glaze after opening Dedham; his famous red was not confined to his tenure at Chelsea.
Reference note by p4A Contributing Editor Pete Prunkl.