~ HALL CHINA HISTORY ~ |
The Hall china Company was established on August 14, 1903, as a result of the dissolution of the East Liverpool Potteries Company. This company had been formed in 1901, as a result of the merger of five East Liverpool potteries. Robert Hall bought one of the companies-the former East Liverpool Pottery Company-located in the old West, Hardwick, and George building at Fourth and Walnut Streets in East Liverpool, Ohio.Initially, thirty-eight potters were employed at three kilns to produce spittoons, bedpans, combinets,and a limited amount of dinnerware. In 1904, Robert Hall died and his son, Robert Taggert Hall, became manager. In 1908 Hall became associated with Francis Simmers, and the partnership between them kept the pottery in business. Simmers kept the orders coming in. These were lean times and often the management had trouble meeting the payroll. Disaster struck in in 1910 when vandals entered the plant on Memorial Day and did over $3,000 worth of damage to equipment.This could have been the end of the Hall China Company, but Hall became more determined to succeed.
Robert T. Hall kept the plant operating by producing primarily toilet sets, jugs, and other white ware. At the same time he experimented endlessly to rediscover a lost process from the Ming Dynasty ( A.D. 1368-1644) in China, which would allow him to produce non-lead glazed china with a single-fire process. This single-firing would allow the glaze to penetrate the unfired body, creating a craze-proof finish. Crazing is the small pattern of fine cracks seen on some china, the result of the china body and the glaze expanding at different rates. Robert T. Hall experimented from 1904 until 1911 before he finally achieved success. His new process created a colorfully glazed china which was strong, non-porous, and craze-proof. The new technique fused together the white body, color, and glaze when it was fired at a temperature of 2400 degrees F. The resulting product was very dense, did not absorb moisture, and held heat well.
Hall China experimented briefly with dinnerware from 1908 until 1911, but then chose to concentrate on institutional wares. In 1914 the company was faced with a great opportunity to establish themselves in the American market. World War One in Europe meant that china items could not be readily imported, so Hall became a primary supplier of casseroles, teapots, coffeepots, coffee urn liners and other ware used by the military, and institutions. Hall China's reputation for the quality of its ware grew so much during this period that when the war was over, even when the cheaper European ware became available, the institutions did not buy it because it was less expensive over the long term to invest in the Hall ware. European ware was fragile, soft, porous, and absorbent with a rough finish. Hall ware was strong, smooth, non-porous, non-absorbent, and glistened like new even after years of use. As the company grew, and the institutional line expanded, two more plants were added in East Liverpool. The successful addition of their Gold Decorated Teapot Line in the 1920's pushed the capacity of these plants to the limit. By 1923, Hall claimed the title of "The Worlds Largest Manufacturer of Fireproof Cooking China in the World." In 1930, a new plant was built on the east side of East Liverpool and the three old plants were abandoned. This new plant enjoyed numerous expansions during the 1930's and early 1940's as production boomed with the intense concentration on decal dinnerware and kitchenware patterns.
The Hall China Company is still operating in this plant today. Once again, production is targeted primarily at institutional and commercial customers. However, in 1985, Hall re-introduced some of it's old kitchenware and teapot shapes for the retail trade. Also, of great interest to many collectors are the limited edition pieces which are currently being made for a private company called China Specialties, and the National Autumn Leaf Collectors Club.
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