Pickard China

Pickard China is an American porcelain decorating and manufacturing company in Antioch, Illinois, United States. The company was founded in 1893, and continues to produce ceramic tableware and art ware today.

Pickard China
IndustryCeramic manufacturing
Founded1893
FounderWilder Austin Pickard
Headquarters
Antioch, Illinois
,
U.S.
Key people
Andrew Pickard Morgan
ProductsTableware
Websitewww.pickardchina.com

History

Pickard China was incorporated in Edgerton, Wisconsin, in 1893. Wilder Austin Pickard (1857–1939) started the company in 1894 by offering his customers hand-painted giftware, artware, and eventually dinnerware. He moved the company to Chicago in 1897. The company was originally called Pickard China Studio and it specialized in hand-decorating dessert and tea sets.

Pickard assembled a group of men and women china painters, many emigrating from Europe, to create this uniquely American style of hand-painted china. Many of the original artists were from the Art Institute of Chicago. At first all the porcelain was manufactured in Europe. Pickard would import the blank plates and decorate them in their studio.

Wilder Pickard's son Austin Pickard began to work at the company and made the decision to begin manufacturing the blank plates and dishes themselves. In 1930 the first experimental china was made. Pickard also worked on making its own glazes. In 1937, after the experimentation was complete, a production facility was opened in Antioch, Illinois.

Austin's son, Henry A. Pickard, aka Pete Pickard, was the third generation to enter the family business and served as president from 1966 until his retirement in 1994. Pete's brother-in-law, Eben C. Morgan II, succeeded him as the president of the corporation and remained until shortly before his death in June 2008.[1][2] Richard E. Morgan and Andrew Pickard Morgan, the founder's great-grandsons, both joined the company and represent the fourth generation of the family in the business.

Pickard, Inc., remains a family-owned business. The company's sales are primarily in fine china dinnerware, decorative accessories and collectibles.

Official sets
Barack Obama White House state china

In 1977, Pickard was selected by the U.S. Department of State to manufacture the official service of china used by American embassies and other diplomatic missions around the world. The special decoration has an embossed gold border of stars and stripes and an embossed reproduction of the Great Seal of the United States. Pickard was also selected to produce exclusive fine china services for heads of state,[3][4] corporations, and hotels, including the King of Saudi Arabia, Hilton Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Corporation, General Motors, the U.S. Air Force, New York's Gracie Mansion, the United Nations, Air Force One, Blair House and Camp David.

The 3,520-piece Obama State China service was introduced on April 27, 2015.

References
  1. "Remembering Eben Morgan". Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Eben Morgan, former president of Pickard China died on June 7 at his home in Winnetka, IL.
  2. Mitchum, Robert (June 24, 2008). "Eben C. Morgan, former Pickard China executive". Chicago Tribune. Eben C. Morgan Jr. was a fierce center for Duke University's basketball team, setting the single-season record for fouling out of games in the 1954-55 season... But in his professional life, Mr. Morgan dealt in a more delicate trade as an executive for Antioch-based Pickard China, makers of fine china place settings.
  3. Koncius, Jura (January 8, 2009). "To Serve Twin Needs, White House Unveils a China Accord". Washington Post. The Bush White House has adopted a two-china policy. Laura Bush unveiled not one but two new sets of china yesterday:
  4. Pierri, Vincent. "Antioch's Pickard China creating Obama pieces". Antioch Daily Herald. Whether it's campaign buttons, posters, historic front pages of newspapers or bobblehead dolls, it seems anything with an image of President-elect Barack Obama is a hot collectible.

Sources
  • Reed, Alan B. (1995) Collector's Encyclopedia of Pickard China: With Additional Sections on All Chicago China Studios. Collector Books, Paducah, Kentucky. ISBN 0-89145-646-5
  • Platt, Dorothy Pickard. (1970) The Story of Pickard China. Everybodys Press, Inc.
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