Between Craft and Industry: Archaeological research on Rhenish pottery production of the late 18th to early 20th century

Abstract

The process of industrialisation and its effects on traditional crafts can be studied archaeologically particularly well in the area of pottery production, as extensive production remains in the form of misfired pottery can be excavated in addition to workshops and kilns, and provide a good insight into the range of forms and decorations produced at the location. Archaeological research thus provides an insight that archival documents and museum collections can only offer in exceptional cases, as company archives are seldom preserved and everyday tablewares rarely become part of museum collections. Using two case studies from Frechen and Bedburg-Königshoven, this article shows how craftspeople retained their traditional vessel forms and tried to adapt to the changing tastes of consumers and compete with industrially produced ceramics. Excavations in Bonn-Poppelsdorf provide an insight into the emergence and development of a ceramic factory, which developed from a small faience pottery in the mid-18th century to an internationally operating company by the beginning of the 20th century, producing industrial whitewares and porcelain. The fourth example concerns a small factory in Bonn-Duisdorf, founded in 1908 as the Kunsttöpferei Gerhards & Wittelsberger and later renamed as the Lapitesta Werk Duisdorf. Here, research can be based not only on finds from archaeological excavation but also on objects in the Bonn City Museum and extensive archival sources dealing with the first 10 years of production.