Since ceramics, both prehistoric and historic, preserve so well, they are of invaluable use to archaeologists in identifying and dating cultural layers. In American historical archaeology, makers’ marks on ceramics can give the researcher precise information about the site that may not be otherwise forthcoming. Erica Gibson of Sonoma State University has produced this much needed catalogue of ceramic makers’ marks that are often found in the United States.
It contains some 343 marks from 112 manufacturers, importers, or retailers from the mid-19th through the 20th centuries, including information on the history of the mark and its variants. Of these 112 sources, 100 are British, four are French, one German, and seven are American. This volume will be an indispensable tool for historical archaeologists, collectors, antique dealers, museum curators, art historians, students, and anyone interested in ceramics. Plus, the marks illustrated in the volume are of historical and aesthetic interest in themselves.
