Susan Frackelton Collection

Vase
Loving Cup
Plates

A Native Milwaukeean, Susan Frackelton (1848-1932) was a pioneer in the American Arts and Crafts Movement, due in part to her unique china painting and pottery throwing styles. Early in her career, she decorated china in her parent's crockery import business, but later opened a shop of her own. The release of her china painting manual, Tried By Fire, brought her notice by her peers within the movement, and among Milwaukee women, Anna Hottlet among them, who also became a talented china painter. Frackelton took china painting one step further by applying for, and receiving a patent for a kiln that was designed for use in people's homes.

By the 1890's, she gravitated towards pottery throwing and painting, receiving numerous exposition medals and awards for her unique style. The Frackelton "Blue and Grey" is characterized by its grey glaze and blue painted decorative patterns. This style helped move functional pottery into the realm of "art pottery", a medium that sees pottery as an art form, not as a functional tool. Other examples of her collections can also be found at the Wisconsin State Historical Society, Milwaukee Public Museum, and Sinsinawa Mound.

Vase
MCHS Number: M1975.044.001

Oval shaped with flared rim. Has a grey salt glaze and blue painted decorations. There is a half-flower and stem design around the interior of the rim. The upper body has six bloomed flowers circling it with stems that have smaller buds above and below the larger flowers. The lower body has a geometrical pattern consisting of 12 vertical rectangular shapes circling the vase that are inside a solid blue pattern outside of those shapes. The rectangle's shape narrows as it gets closer to the base. The colors of the rectangles have a darker shade as they get to the base. A maker's mark, "SF", is incised and painted blue on the underside. Donor was Mrs. Herman G. Seely, 700 Kent Rd. Kenilworth, IL. Purchased by donor from Frackelton in 1901.

Loving Cup
MCHS Number: M1975.044.002

Cup has a cylindrical shape with strap shaped applied handles that run slightly below the rim to the base. Grey glaze with blue incised decorative work on both the body and handles of the cup. Stylized flowers and leaves decorate the areas below the rim and above the base. There is a geometric motif on the sides of the handles consisting of a rectangular line with three hollow circles running the length of the handle. In the middle of both sides are decorated with a flower, leaf, and berries design with a German word profiled on parchment. The outlines of the painting have been scribed into the surface of the cup. The two words on the cup have yet to be translated. A maker's mark, "SF", is incised and painted blue on the underside. Circa,1906.

Plate
MCHS Number: M1975.044.012E

Leaf shaped porcelain plate with hand painted flower and leaf designs in various colors. This plate has large green leafs that are painted in green and gold scrollwork. There are glazed orange flowers starting at the top and scattered down the right side of the plate. The flowers are connected to a green stem at the top of the plate. In the background behind the fern are light green leafs that are much smaller than the main leaf. On the reverse side of the plate is the maker's last name, "Frackelton" and the year the plate was produced, "1885" are inscribed in red ink.

Plate
MCHS Number: M1975.044.012A

Leaf shaped porcelain plate with hand painted flower and leaf designs in various colors. This plate has a large green and gold fern leaf laid across the center with a pink and white orchid-like flower laid on top. The edging and leaf shapes for the fern are painted in gold scrollwork. There is a glazed, hand-painted stem on the top of the plate that is connected to a small pink flower bud, which is located close to the open flower. In the background behind the fern are light green fern leaves that are much smaller than the main leaf. On the reverse side of the plate is the maker's last name, "Frackelton" and the year the plate was produced, "1885" are inscribed in red ink.

Plate
MCHS Number: M1975.044.017B

Porcelain with a cobalt blue ring along the outside edge. Gold leafing is present on the plate's rim, and is painted in a scroll-work pattern on the blue ring, and also on the inside edge of the white concave section on the plate. Decorate floral arrangements have been painted in the plate's center. Frackelton signed her last name in gold leaf on the reverse side of the plate, as well as the text, "For Mrs. Steinmeyer Christmas 1897".

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