Rosemeade Virtual Exhibit
Laura Taylor Hughes was born in Rosemeade Township in western North Dakota. She was interested in art, ceramics specifically. In 1932 she enrolled at the University of North Dakota, where she showed a talent for modeling ceramics. In 1939, Laura was asked to demostrate pottery making at the World's Fair in New York. It was there that she met Wahpeton resident RJ Hughes, who was there looking for opportunities for North Dakota clay. They formed a partnership that became the Wahpeton Pottery Company, later the Rosemeade Pottery. Laura and RJ married in 1943.
In the beginning, Laura did much of the work herself, but by mid-1940 the pottery had 5 employees and they grew from there. At its peak in the 1950s, Rosemeade Pottery employed 27 people and made 1400 pieces from 250 designs daily. Rosemeade was originally sold out of the factory, but was eventually marketed around the Midwest. They expanded their market to museums and zoos around the country and even to some National Parks. Eventually, Rosemeade was being sold in the Sears Roebuck catalog. They expanded to the foreign market in the 1950s.
Laura died in 1959. Two years later the pottery shut its doors. Much of the their remaining pieces went to the Richland County Historical Museum, which is now the official Rosemeade Interpretive Center.
Although some of the early pieces produced by the Pottery were thrown on a pottery wheel, the majority of pieces were created through a process called slip casting. A model piece is used to make a plaster mold. The finished mold is then filled with a liquid form of clay, called slip. The plaster mold absorbs the water in the clay, leaving behind a clay skin. When that skin is the desired thickness, the remaining slip is poured out and the cast ceramic item is removed from the mold. This process allows potters to create multiple identical pieces. The cast pieces are fired in a kiln, glazed and then fired a second time. Many Rosemeade designs were hand painted with several layers of different colors of glaze to create a more realistic look to the pieces.
In the beginning, Laura did much of the work herself, but by mid-1940 the pottery had 5 employees and they grew from there. At its peak in the 1950s, Rosemeade Pottery employed 27 people and made 1400 pieces from 250 designs daily. Rosemeade was originally sold out of the factory, but was eventually marketed around the Midwest. They expanded their market to museums and zoos around the country and even to some National Parks. Eventually, Rosemeade was being sold in the Sears Roebuck catalog. They expanded to the foreign market in the 1950s.
Laura died in 1959. Two years later the pottery shut its doors. Much of the their remaining pieces went to the Richland County Historical Museum, which is now the official Rosemeade Interpretive Center.
Although some of the early pieces produced by the Pottery were thrown on a pottery wheel, the majority of pieces were created through a process called slip casting. A model piece is used to make a plaster mold. The finished mold is then filled with a liquid form of clay, called slip. The plaster mold absorbs the water in the clay, leaving behind a clay skin. When that skin is the desired thickness, the remaining slip is poured out and the cast ceramic item is removed from the mold. This process allows potters to create multiple identical pieces. The cast pieces are fired in a kiln, glazed and then fired a second time. Many Rosemeade designs were hand painted with several layers of different colors of glaze to create a more realistic look to the pieces.
Resources and More Information
Bakken, Linda J. The ABCs of Rosemeade. 2018.
"Carnegie Praises Pottery from Rosemeade Line." Richland County Farmer Globe, 27 February 1951, P. 1.
Dommel, Darlene Hurst. Collector's Encyclopedia of Rosemeade Pottery: Indentification and Values. Padukah, KY: Collector Books, 2000.
Dommel, Darlene Hurst. "Rosemeade Pottery." Dakota Pottery Collectors Society. ndpcs.org/rosemeade/
Helm, Merry. "Dakota Date book: Laura Hughes, Rosemeade Pottery." Prairie Public Newsroom, 19 April 2004. news.prairiepublic.org/show/dakota-datebook-archive/2022-04-25/laura-taylor-rosemeade-pottery
Martin, Andrew. The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting. New York, NY: Lark Books, 2006.
"Museum Visitors Can See Wahpeton Pottery Display." The Wahpeton-Breckenridge Daily News, 27 July 1978, Pp. 1, 7.
North Dakota Pottery Collectors Society. ndpcs.org
Taylor, Louisa. The Ceramics Bible: The Complete Guide to Materials and Techniques. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2011.
"Wahpeton Newest Manufacturing Plant in Home." Richland County Farmer Globe, 9 August 1940, P. 1.
"Wahpeton Pottery Company Open House Friday." Richland County Farmer Globe, 18 October 1940, P. 1.
Wikipedia. "North Dakota Pottery." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota_pottery
"Carnegie Praises Pottery from Rosemeade Line." Richland County Farmer Globe, 27 February 1951, P. 1.
Dommel, Darlene Hurst. Collector's Encyclopedia of Rosemeade Pottery: Indentification and Values. Padukah, KY: Collector Books, 2000.
Dommel, Darlene Hurst. "Rosemeade Pottery." Dakota Pottery Collectors Society. ndpcs.org/rosemeade/
Helm, Merry. "Dakota Date book: Laura Hughes, Rosemeade Pottery." Prairie Public Newsroom, 19 April 2004. news.prairiepublic.org/show/dakota-datebook-archive/2022-04-25/laura-taylor-rosemeade-pottery
Martin, Andrew. The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting. New York, NY: Lark Books, 2006.
"Museum Visitors Can See Wahpeton Pottery Display." The Wahpeton-Breckenridge Daily News, 27 July 1978, Pp. 1, 7.
North Dakota Pottery Collectors Society. ndpcs.org
Taylor, Louisa. The Ceramics Bible: The Complete Guide to Materials and Techniques. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2011.
"Wahpeton Newest Manufacturing Plant in Home." Richland County Farmer Globe, 9 August 1940, P. 1.
"Wahpeton Pottery Company Open House Friday." Richland County Farmer Globe, 18 October 1940, P. 1.
Wikipedia. "North Dakota Pottery." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota_pottery