Grueby Pottery

A beacon of the beauty of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, Grueby pottery, also known as Greuby Faience pottery, was one of the leading East coast pottery producers in the late 19th and early 20th century. Grueby pottery is known for its faience technique and the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Established in the city of Revere, Massachusetts in 1894, Grueby pottery was named for its founder, William Henry Greuby. Having visited the World’s Columbian Exposition the previous summer, Grueby was inspired to try to recreate the amazing variety of glazing techniques he witnessed on display. This early inspiration was first poured into terra cotta tile designs treated with the faience technique. With his company’s esteem growing, and with the aide of George Prentiss Kendrick, who joined the company as a designer in the late 1890s, Grueby expanded production into art pottery.

From their early days making Greuby tiles to their development of Greuby vases, Greuby pottery shares a rich investment in the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement. Stressing the hand of the artist in the piece, along with the organic sensibilities of their motifs, Grueby pottery is beloved by audiences around the globe. Though their production petered out by 1920, Grueby’s status as a prominent potter has nevertheless been secured in history.

Quick Facts

• As a signal of his future success, Greuby won multiple medals for his pieces from 1901-1904, including a silver medal at Paris’ Exposition Universelle and a gold medal at the Saint Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition
• Some Louis Comfort Tiffany-designed lamps feature Greuby ceramic bases
• Greuby tiles are featured both in the murals of the Lackawanna Train Station in Scranton, Pennsylvania and on the revetments of some of New York’s subway stations