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Midwest Art Pottery
Midwest Potteries
Hundreds of gracefully shaped planters and vases decorate Christine and Jamie Boone's home in Roscoe, Illinois. In 25 years of collecting art pottery, the couple has rarely needed to look beyond Midwest makers when adding new gems to their collection. This region has a rich history of pottery, producing some of the country's most sought-after items, and their popularity is growing, even among non-collectors. "People buy for many reasons: to use in decorating, to save as an investment or because of a regional interest in something American-made," Christine says.
Notable Midwest pots are found at antiques shops, garage sales and pottery shows, but Internet shopping has made them readily available to buyers willing to forego the thrill of the hunt.
Haeger
EAST DUNDEE,ILLINOIS 45 miles northwest of Chicago.
Haeger, one of the few art-pottery companies still in production, started out as the Haeger Brick & Tile Company in 1871. The company made bricks to help rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire.
In 1900, Edmund Haeger changed the company to Haeger Potteries. "He was influenced by the other potteries of the day and wanted to move ahead of the competition," says Alexandra Haeger Estes, granddaughter and current president of Haeger Potteries.
The company began with simple vases and planters for florists. It expanded to artware with unique glazes and textures in bright colors (oranges, blues and reds) and speckled or swirled designs. "Haeger has always changed with the trends," says Ellen Tyne, a collector from De Kalb, Illinois. "Over the years, they've produced just about every color and style."
Display Tip
Simple ivory-glazed, floralindustry urns and planters offer clean storage for bath salts, sponges, soaps or decorative seashells. For an easy accent, fill a planter with water and float a candle or flower. Or, fill an urn with sand to anchor a candle.
Cues for Collecting
WHAT'S HOT TODAY? Retro pieces with modern shapes and bright colors from the 1940s to 1960s, including the Royal Haeger line designed by Royal Arden Hickman from 1938 to 1944; Hickman was Haeger's first designer to use more unusual glazes and bright colors.
IS IT THE REAL DEAL? Most pieces are stamped or marked with the Haeger name and with an impressed or raised "U.S.A."
WHAT YOU'LL PAY Antique art pottery pieces run $5-$200. New pottery pieces are $20-$180.
SEE UP CLOSE View early-era pieces and purchase reduced-price one-of-a-kinds. The Haeger Factory Store and Museum, 7 Maiden Lane, East Dundee, IL 60118 (800/288-2529; www.haegerpotteries.com). New Haeger pottery pieces are sold in fine gift stores.
