Eugene Fleischer Collection
There are many reasons to hail the early ceramics collection of Eugene Fleischer. His talents have been legendary in amassing encyclopedic and rarities collections in the fields of historical “Old Blue” Staffordshire and other English ceramics featuring subjects of American interest. His extraordinary collection includes War of 1812 and Liverpool jugs, painted American scenery on fine porcelain, and Parian; and the list goes on. The variety of forms, many unrecorded, has astounded seasoned collectors who have visited his display cabinets.
It has been my privilege to be a personal friend of Gene for many years. I first met him in 1996 when he answered a classified advertisement that I had placed in the Maine Antique Digest: “Collector desires to correspond with other collectors, purchase or exchange.” In the years since, Gene has been my champion and, sometimes, my nemesis. But throughout he has shared great advice and war stories on his campaign to find Americana – on both sides of the Atlantic – among the early wares of English ceramics. And he deserves special commendation, no less, in standing up to his extraordinary wife Lucille, who, as a diehard equestrian art and stirrup cup collector, gave Gene no quarter. She ever derided his “Old Blue” china as “boys’ toys.” To this, I replied gratefully, “One less competitor.”
Gene began collecting “Old Blue” in 1963. When asked which is his favorite view, Gene’s taste was found to match that of the legendary dealer, Sam Laidacker’s:
“Christianburg, Danish Settlement off the Gold Coast of Africa.” As to form, Gene generally favors platters for their similarity to paintings.
In the field of “Old Blue,” our shared passion, Gene took up the challenge of an “encyclopedic collector,” or one who seeks a copy of all known specimens on record. Encyclopedic collecting is a dying art, mainly for reasons of cost and space limitations. In the long line of Americans who have chased dark blue Staffordshire china showing great American buildings, battles, scenery and patriotic heroes, one of the most accomplished of the encyclopedic collectors was Ellouise Baker Larsen. Her collection now resides in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History.
But Gene aspired to – and attained – membership in an even more mythical group of “Old Blue” collectors: those who have successfully acquired all twelve examples by Thomas Mayer of the “Arms of the States,” or the original colonies (notwithstanding New Hampshire, an example of which has never been found). The first known instance of an American who reached this feat was the late George Kellogg of Amsterdam, New York, whose collection was auctioned on November 6 and 7, 1925, at the American Art Association in New York City. According to newspaper reports of the period, Mr. Kellogg took pride in the fact that no other collector before him had been able to procure
representatives of the twelve known “Arms of the States” – “So choicely did he hold his precious dozen that he refused offers of $50,000 for them.”
Although since then, some very few collectors have succeeded in matching Mr. Kellogg’s achievement (roughly one per generation), there remains simply no greater test of a collector’s patience and passion than to build a complete set of the “Arms,” several items in the set being extreme rarities. Gene has done this, and my hat is off to him.
As this catalogue will show, Gene Fleischer has achieved milestones in the field of early Liverpool collecting as well. His collection features many outstanding rare jugs of American interest, such as a fine example of the nicknamed “Boston Fusiliers” (or, its full title, “Aut Vincere Aut Mori [Victory or Death] Success to the Independent Boston Fusiliers, Incorporated July 4, 1787, America Forever”); a jug showing the “Signals at Portland [Me.] Observatory Eastern Staff Western Staff Explanation”; and a monumental jug showing “The Gallant Defense of Stonington [Ct.] Aug. 9th 1814 Stonington is Free Whilst Her Heroes Have One Gun Left”. And the list goes on.
The hunt for rare views and forms such as these requires patience, energy and dogged determination, and Gene deserves resounding applause for the accomplishment showcased within this catalogue. I know he will continue to find things to chase, but deep down I’m a little glad it’s no longer “Old Blue.”
Ted Gallagher
Information courtesy of Freeman’s Catalog April, 2007