William K. Eby

From Pennsylvania to Waterloo - A Biographical History of Waterloo Township

Item Name	Earthenware Syrup Pitcher	Image1
Other Owner(s)	Nil
Category	Artifacts
Year	Early: 1857 - Late: 1905
Description	A squat, bulbous bodied jug with an incised line under the flared rim and another below on the body. The applied handle has broken off with little bits still attached where it had been. It is decorated with brown spatter on the body, the outside, and the inside of the rim. The large, dark patches might be the result of over firing. There are short incised lines inside the rim. The finish is a clear glaze, applied unevenly. There are some patches missing along the base, suggesting where the piece was held when glazing. The bottom shows smears of ochre and red clay.
Maker\Attribution	Attributed to William K. Eby
Provenance	Probably made by William K. Eby (1831-1905) at the Conestogo Pottery sometime between 1857 and 1905. William Eby produced a general line of utilitarian earthenware, among which were drain tiles, storage crocks, plates, pitchers, bowls, flower pots and other common things for daily use. In addition to this functional pottery, he made a smaller number of specialty pieces, primarily for his immediate family, friends, children and grandchildren.
Collection	Joseph Schneider Haus Museum Contact : 466 Queen St. S. Kitchener 519-742-7752 www.region.waterloo.on.ca
Accession No.	1984.028.012
Curatorial Comments	Among Pennsylvania-German potters working to a late date in the same region, the best known is William K. Eby (1831-1905) of Conestogo. He and his younger brother Cyrus had most likely learned the craft form their father while growing up in the village of New Hamburg. In 1855, William opened a pottery in Markham. He sold it two years later to John Byer and purchased land from Burton Curtis at Conestogo in 1857. Even at the most active period of his career, William was at most a part-time potter, carrying on the business during the winter months, alternating with farming in the rest of the year. For several years prior to building a house, the family lived in a cramped but warm quarters on the second floor of the pottery. It is evident from anecdotes told by descendants that the Eby pottery served not only as a place of business but as somewhat of a social centre as well. Simeon Martin (born 1892), grandson of William Eby, remembers many lively stories concerning day-to-day life at the Conestogo pottery. Rural Waterloo County was a favourite stopping place for the scores of transients making their way across Ontario during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Simeon can recall hearing his grandfather tell of more than one such transient who would come to the pottery during the winter, knowing that a warm night's sleep could be had near the kiln which was continuously fired day and night. Like most village potters, William Eby produced a general line of utilitarian earthenware, among which were drain tiles, storage crocks, plates, pitchers, bowls, flower pots and other common things for daily use. In addition to this functional pottery, he made a smaller number of specialty pieces, primarily for his immediate family, friends, children and grandchildren. Among these are his finest and most colorful works. For grandchildren he made miniatures: pitchers, spittoons, bowls and other pieces. Many of the articles made for the family were finished with a distinct green glaze, like a small and unusual "harvest ring" (Ringkrug). This earthenware "canteen" resembles a large lifesaver, hollow, with an opening stopped by a cork. It could be carried on an arm or tied to a belt while the person was away from the house for awhile. Presumably it was filled with water. In addition, he made a small number of pieces for the table of his own family and relatives, such as covered sugar bowls, spoon holders, cups without handles, saucers and even candle holders. Upon the bowl of one spoon holder is the words "Spoon Holder" in green glaze, but to the uninitiated, it appears more like a large eggcup. These are all treated with a clear glaze revealing a pinkish clay body with blue and green decorative marks. These are among the rarest and most appealing of the known examples of Eby redware. Experiencing a general decline in commercial production toward the end of the 19th century, the business eventually closed in 1905, upon William Eby's death. This was the last Pennsylvania-German pottery in Ontario. A distinctive mark of the pottery of William K. Eby (1831-1905) is the dark green glaze on several pieces made specifically for his own family.

Region of Waterloo

Fraktur design based on Family Register by Jacob Shoemacher in Joseph Schneider Bible, 1821.