What is Bauer Pottery?

Bauer Pottery is pottery produced by the J.A. Bauer Pottery Company, which was active from 1885 to 1862. This pottery is viewed as an antique collector's item, with pottery from the 1930s and 1940s being especially prized. Collection of Bauer Pottery has been complicated by the fact that the company left many of its products unmarked, making it impossible to verify the provenance of some pieces. The company is associated with Los Angeles, but it was actually established in Paducah, Kentucky, by J. Andy Bauer. Bauer's work was widely sold in the Midwest, and grew very popular there, but he suspected that his distribution was limited by his location, and so he opened a factory in Los Angeles to expand operations in 1909. In Los Angeles, Bauer's pottery was heavily influenced by local artisans, and by the growing Arts and Crafts Movement. Bauer Pottery is stoneware, designed in a solid way which is designed to last. The pottery was meant to be used as every day dinnerware, and to withstan ... more