The Gonder Collector.com

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A new on line resource for collectors art pottery produced at Gonder Ceramic Arts in Zanesville, Ohio.

Welcome Gonder Collectors and Dealers!

Welcome to a brand new on line resource for collectors and dealers of wares produced at Gonder Ceramic Arts. This web site replaces the former GonderCollector.com newsletter produced in 2009 and 2010.

This site, relaunched in August 2011, is a work in progress. Some individual Item Inventory pages and links may not yet be available. Be sure to check back often as item pages will continue to be added until the site is complete. When complete there will be approximately 530 unique item pages! Currently approximately 325 pages are complete.

CLICK HERE TO SEE NEWLY ADDED PAGES

The lamps sections - covering over 125 different lamps - are also to be added at a later date.

The Mission...

The mission of this web site is to share knowledge, promote respect and broaden popularity for this often misunderstood and overlooked art pottery.

The Audience...

Who will benefit from this web site? Collectors, dealers, auctioneers, sons, daughters, grandchildren that have found themselves with a piece of Gonder - really just about anyone that has come across a piece of this often elusive pottery! Anyone that deals in American Art pottery should also consider expanding their knowledge to include this wonder example of 1940's and 1950's vintage pottery.

Gonder Imperial #523 - Butterfly Vases in Gold Lustre, Mother of Pearl Lustre and Shell Pink Lustre

Meet the Editor…

My name is Michael Bower. I have been collecting Gonder pottery for the last 20 years. I live in Columbus, Ohio a mere 55 miles from the home of many of the great American Art Potteries of the 20th century. As the many collectors that know me can attest, I love this pottery and sometimes just can't stop talking about it! After some encouragement from fellow collectors, I have decided to undertake this venture and share my knowledge (and photos of my collection) of this pottery I have become so very fond of.

My proximity to Zanesville has afforded me frequent visits to "Clay City". These trips have been invaluable in increasing my knowledge of the pottery and my personal collection. I have spent many hours discussing this pottery with dealers, collectors and even a few former Gonder employees!   These discussions have greatly increased my knowledge of the pottery but also bring to light that there is still much more we just don't know about Gonder.

Two publications have proved to be valuable resources in identifying and valuing the many pieces produced at Gonder. The first publication from Ron Hoopes was published in 1992 and was my introduction to a pottery that at that time, I knew very little about. A second guide was released in 2001 by Jim and Carol Boshears.  If you do not own one of these guides, purchasing one may prove beneficial in your collecting efforts. Both guides are easily found through several on line venues.

I have also benefited greatly from the many veteran collectors that have come before me. I have met some amazing collectors during my collecting journeys and I appreciate their willingness to share their knowledge and collections in the effort to enlighten others.

It is with that same spirit of sharing that I begin the journey of publishing this web site.