Van Briggle Artist Markings 

There are three basic classes of artisans at Van Briggle, and they each have distinctive marks that may appear on the bottom of Van Briggle Pottery:

• Artist Mark: The initials of the potter who threw an original piece of pottery on the wheel.
• Finisher Mark: The initials of the person who adds or enhances detail on both cast pieces and pieces thrown on the wheel by others.
• Glazer: The person who applies the glaze to the once-fired bisque pottery.

To be fair, the artist who first created a design should be identified as the "artist" of a piece which subsequently gets cast thousands of times, and should have his initials incised on the bottom. But such is not the case.

Only on wheel-thrown original pieces is the actual artist identified, and only on those pieces is the mark called the "artist mark." However, in many instances there will also appear - along with the artist mark - the mark of the etcher. This is done when the etcher refined a piece or added carved decoration to the thrower's original. Without knowing whom is whom, it can get confusing. We hope these tables will help unravel the mystery.

We don't pretend that the following is a complete and concise listing of all bottom marks. As reliable information becomes available, we will add to and update these listings. In that respect, these tables should be viewed only as the most currently available information, not "the" definitive final definition of all artist markings.

Where examples are readily available, we will include those as well, although it must be repeated that artists did not sign their own work, so there may be many different "looks and styles" to artist marks. Don't view a single handwriting style as an artist's "exclusive" signature - it is rather the "signature style" of the etcher that happened to mark the bottoms that day.

NOTE:

Some time beginning in the 1990's, Van Briggle no longer used bottom etchers to incise bottoms. The person who finished the piece ALSO incised the bottoms.

Van Briggle hires many art students who demonstrated the skill necessary to throw on the wheel and etch pottery, but are nonetheless summer help during the tourist season - often tasked with demonstrating for tourists (throwing "originals") and thus freeing up time for the master potters to produce more work.

Significant and prolific artists are in BOLD. Less prolific artists and etchers are in standard type. That is not to lessen the talent of those persons, but to offer a means of differentiating between prolific or famous producers and less prolific and famous producers. Again, keep in mind that the above is based on our best knowledge to date, and that may change.

Ambrose Schlegel - Master Potter from 1903 - 1930. See also "a.s." under artists (alt for Ambrose Schlegel).

Ambrose Schlegel - Master Potter from 1903 - 1930. See also "A. Schlegel."

NOTE: See also "a.s." (Arlene Shucklhart) under finishers. Use clay and glaze types and style to properly determine date.

Note: The initials "DH" not confirmed.

Scott Ladzinski - Threw originals from 1991 - 1994.

About Scott: "I worked there from 1991 - 1994 while I was going to college at CSU in Fort Collins. I grew up about 1 mile from the old roundhouse that Van Briggle is located in. When I went to college I started studying Graphic Design and Pottery, the first summer I came home for break (1991) I went to Van Briggle to see if I could get a summer job. Craig (Stevenson - owner) asked me if I could throw on the wheel because they had just lost a potter (Fred had just recently retired, or semi-retired i should say). I said sure I could and he had me throw some pots for him to show I could do it and what my style was. He liked me right away and at the age of 18 I became a potter for Van Briggle. I worked there every summer and Christmas break until I graduated. My signature on the bottom of the pots changed every summer because at the time I did not realize the importance of it in identifying pieces in the future. I had an SL, an SL with the L running down the middle of the S, and then just my name 'Scott'"

NOTE: See also "SL" below for alternate monogram.

Scott Ladzinski - Threw originals in 1990. Initilas are an "S with an "L" intersecting it vertically down the center.

See also "Scott" above.for short bio and comments from the artist.

Van Briggle Finisher Markings 

Finishing artists took the imperfect castings from their molds, cleaned them up, and frequently added quite a bit of artistic talent to modifying the original to one extent or another. They also frequently cleaned up originals thrown by the master potters, and often added artistic engravings to those as well.

Finishers generally did not throw originals, though, and vice versa. There are several exceptions. One major exception to that was Otis Wills (init. "O"), who did castings and finishing before he was taught to throw on the wheel by Clem Hull and his nephew, Fred Wills. Another exception is Fred Wills, who in the later portion of his career, threw particularly delicate baskets and vases, which he etched himself to avoid damage and because at that point in his career, he could do pretty much what he wanted.

Finishers generally did not etch the bottoms with the logo etc., although to some degree as mentioned above, many regular employees did many jobs outside their normal duties. Etchers are another category of Van Briggle artisan.

NOTE:

Some time beginning in the 1990's, Van Briggle no longer used bottom etchers to incise bottoms. The person who finished the piece ALSO incised the bottoms.

Arlene Shuckhart - Known to have finished pieces from 1988 through 1997. (See also "AS")

NOTE: This finisher's initials likely changed from "A.S." to "A.L.S." because of confusion with early Ambrose Schlegel initials.

Arlene Shuckhart - Known to have finished pieces from 1988 through 1997. See also "ALS" - alternate finisher initials for Arlene Shuckhart.

NOTE: See also "a.s." - Ambrose Schlegel under "artists" above. Use clay and glaze types and styles for proper dating.

This finisher's initials likely changed from "A.S." to "A.L.S." because of confusion with early Ambrose Schlegel initials.

Etcher Styles 

We've already discussed the fact that most artists did not finish their own pieces. Rather, etchers most often did so.

Many etchers were so prolific or so unique that their "etching style" can be identified at a glance, much as one can recognize a relative's handwriting.

Below are some examples of prolific etchers styles. We have not yet tried to match the below styles to etchers.

NOTE:

Some time beginning in the 1990's, Van Briggle no longer used bottom etchers to incise bottoms. The person who finished the piece ALSO incised the bottoms.

Etcher "A"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces between (but not limited to) 1952 and 1965.

Prolific incisor.

Etcher "B"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces between (but not limited to) 1952 and 1965.

Etcher "C" 

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces between (but not limited to) 1952 and 1965.

Prolific incisor.

 Etcher "D"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised gloss pieces after 1968.

Etcher "E"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces between (but not limited to) 1948 and 1952.

Etcher "F" 

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces between (but not limited to) 1946 and 1948.

Etcher "G"

Incision Artist Unknown

Known effectionately as "Mr. Sqare G's," this incisor had a very long employ at Van Briggle - From at least the early 1920's through at least the late 1940's.

 Etcher "H"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised pieces in the 1930's and early 40's.

Prolific incision artist.

 Etcher "I"

Incision Artist unknown.

Known to have incised moonglow pieces, which would date this incision artist some time after 1946.

Etcher "J"

Incision Artist unknown.

Believed to have etched pieces in the 1960's.

Etcher "K"

Brad Roach

Late 1990's.

Etcher "L"

Fred Wills

In the late 80's, Fred WIlls etched many of his own pieces. At left is an example of Fred's etching style.

Ink Glazer Markings 

The meaning of inked marks is also often misunderstood. Such marks were applied after WWII. There are instances of ink markings earlier (such as the inked mark "IX" which according to Sasicki was a batch number for an experimental cream colored matte glaze preceding moonglow.)

Commonly and mistakenly referred to as "manufacturing marks" or "process marks," these are actually the unique marks of the person who applied the glaze, and not related to the glaze type, color or other manufacturing processes.

Glazing is a critical step in the pottery making process. A vase can be perfectly thrown or cast and beautifully finished, but if the glaze is improperly applied, it will ruin the piece and it will wind up in the dump.

Whereas there were scores of finishers during the period of the 1940's through the 1960's, there were few glazers. This process was not entrusted to summer art student help, as were many other processes, including throwing pottery on the wheel for tourists. Proper application of glaze - applied with an airbrush - is as much an art as it is a technical process or a mere "afterthought" of the manufacturing process. While some potteries have mechanized and computerized the glaze application process, Van Briggle still does it the old school way - by the hand of skilled artisans.

Glazer marks are applied in cobalt or other heat-resistant inks, rather than incised, because when glaze is applied to a piece, it has already been fired once. The ink mark is applied in this once-fired, or "bisque" stage, because the clay is no longer pliable and cannot be incised.

Finally, some sources imply a difference in such marks when they are on a bias or rotated on the piece. For example, an "I": could be viewed as a "/" if viewed strictly from the orientation of the incised writing. Equally, the mark "III" could be viewed by some sources as "///" or "\\\" based on an arbitrary slant. This is a mistaken view. A single hash mark (here labeled "I") is the same glazer whether the mark is made upright on the piece or is made sideways on the piece.

Often times, the job of glazing - as many other tasks - would fall on the shoulders of the Master Potters. "I worked in the packing room," reflects Fred Wills on his varied tasks as a Master Potter. "Rebuilt the kilns about every two years, dipped pottery for the spraying room and even sprayed in the summer time."

Since the late 1970's, Roman Numeric glazer markings (V, VI, VII, etc.) have been SCRATCHED into the hard bisque (once-fired) clay bottom before glaze has been applied, and display markedly more angular and shallow marks.

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Martha Oliver - Glazer from 1970 through 2004

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Arlene Shuckhart - Glazer in 1995

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Helen Boyd - Glazer from 1970's through the 1980's

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Amber Roach - Glazer from 1998 through 2000

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Helen Johnson - Glazer from 1983 through 1994. Daughter of Fred Wills.

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Rosemary Dobbs - Glazer from 1988 through 1995

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Gean Holland - Glazer from 1994 through 2002

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Dory Bernecky- Year(s) of service unknown

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Mickie Shaw - Glazer in 1993

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Linda Dry- Glazer in 1995

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Annette Moody - Glazer from 1994 through 1997

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Garoid (Gary) Dhondt- Glazer from 1995 through 2004

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

John Bartlett - Glazer from 2001 through 2004

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Dene Kiser - Plant Manager from 1994 through 2004

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

John Bartlett - Glazer from 2001 through 2004

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Jeffrey Oelklaus - Master Mould Maker from 1998 to present

ROMAN NUMERAL SCRATCHED INTO BISQUE

Michael Cowles - 2003 to present

Numeric Incisions 

The meaning of numeric incisions (NOT ROMAN NUMERALS) is a matter of confusion as well.

Some sources suggest they are all finisher marks. They are not, although some early numeric marks may be. Many records were lost in the flood of 1935, and we will never know all the details of early Van Briggle production.

Numeric marks in mid-century pieces (1940's - 1960's) are clay batch and recipe marks. Also important to the manufacturers was the position of the mark. A "29" to the left of the logo would denote clay "recipe," #29, while the same number to the right or below the logo might the same recipe made on a different day, or a slight variation of that recipe.

The numbers 8 and 44 in these examples are clay batch munbers:

Clays are a delicate balance of natural clay "mud" and chemicals and minerals that is refined to varying degrees. Clays from Colorado were typically mixed with clays from the American South, and between 1954 and 1968, Van Briggle's ceramics experts were struggling to adapt the purchased Dryden clays and glazes to the currently existing Van Briggle clays and glazes. After more than a decade of effort, they met success and "unified" the different clays into a single Van Briggle clay that would accept the traditional matte glaze, the newer Van Briggle gloss glazes, and the gloss Dryden glazes.

It should be noted again that not ALL numbers incised on Van Briggle pottery are clay batch numbers. Just mid-century pieces. Some hand incised numeric marks are known to have other specific meanings, such as date marks in the early 1900's and the 1980s, and numeric style numbers in the early part of the 1900's.

In 1984 and 1985, the numbers "84" and "85" were incised beside the logo.

Also note that numerals on "Anna Van" pieces are not clay batches, but Mould Numbers.

Following is an example of an "Anna Van" line mark on a console bowl- made at the Dryden Pottery in Kansas from1954 to1956, with the numeral 44 representing Dryden mould #44:

New Century Dating Scheme 

Beginning in 2001, the year after it's centennial, Van Briggle began a new dating scheme to reduce confusion about the manufacture date of thier potttery. It will last 90 years, when presumably another scheme will be introduced.

The scheme uses the letters in the name VANBRIGGLE (10 letters) and an associated number (0 through 9). Note that during the first 9 years (2001 - 2009), the "V" will have a serif on the left hand branch, to avoid confusing it with the roman numeral VI.

Following is an example of the "V" as it is used in the year 2006:

Note the horizontal serif on the left hand branch of the "V".

In 2000 - the Centennial year, there were two significant commemorative marks used:

Used in the first 90 days of firing.

For the remainder of 2000, the VB100 is etched.

Not pictured is another mark, signifying a 2004 special event firing, commemorating Artus Van Briggle's death.

V1 - V9

A0 - A9

N0 - N9

B0 - B9

R0 - R9

I0 - I9

G0 - G9

GG0 - GG9

L0 - L9

E0 - E9