Mary Louise McLaughlin, (1847-1939) – American Potter

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Mary Louise McLaughlin (1847–1939) was an American pottery and porcelain decorator who played a formative role in the development of art pottery in the United States. She worked primarily in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she became a central figure in the city’s late nineteenth-century ceramics movement.

Education

McLaughlin studied art in Cincinnati and later attended the University of Cincinnati School of Design. There, she trained under Benn Pitman, whose teaching strongly influenced her early approach to decorative art.

Early Influences and China Painting

Underglaze slip-decorated Haviland faience from Limoges proved especially influential when McLaughlin was first introduced to painting by Pitman and the German instructor Maria Eggers. Inspired by these examples, she began experimenting with similar techniques and soon attempted to reproduce the effects herself.

As a result, McLaughlin emerged as an early leader in the American ceramics movement. In particular, she helped popularise china painting at a time when the practice was still largely associated with European production.

Writing and Technical Innovation

In 1877, McLaughlin published China Painting: A Practical Manual for the Use of Amateurs in the Decoration of Hard Porcelain. That same year, she successfully duplicated Limoges-style faience at P. L. Coultry’s pottery in Cincinnati, demonstrating that such wares could be produced locally.

She later served as president of the Cincinnati Pottery Club from 1879 until its dissolution in 1890. Founded by Laura Fry, Agnes Pitman, and Elizabeth Nourse, the club initially fired its work at Frederick Dallas Pottery before moving to Rookwood Pottery, which was owned by Maria Longworth Nichols until 1883.

In 1894, McLaughlin began experimenting with slip-painting within moulds at the Brockman Pottery. She referred to this patented process as “American Faience.” However, dissatisfied with the results, she soon abandoned the technique.

That same year, she established the Associated Artists of Cincinnati and served as its president. The group brought together metalworkers and ceramic decorators, reflecting her growing interest in interdisciplinary craft practice. Among her published works from this period was Pottery Decoration Under the Glaze (1880).

McLaughlin also produced the monumental 40-inch Ali Baba vase, the largest ceramic vessel made in the United States at the time. Only three versions of this ambitious work were created.

Later Work

After briefly working in copper, McLaughlin returned to ceramics in 1895. She produced carved Losanti ware until 1904, when she abandoned pottery altogether to concentrate on writing about politics and history.

Throughout her ceramic career, she received technical assistance from Margaret Hickey, who maintained the kiln and cast porcelain forms. From 1914 onward, McLaughlin increasingly devoted her time to metalwork, jewellery, needlework, etching, painting, and sculpture. Remarkably, she continued working into her early nineties.

Exhibitions and Recognition

McLaughlin exhibited a carved desk at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition under the direction of Henry Lindley Fry and William Henry Fry. The following year, her Limoges-type faience was exhibited in Cincinnati and New York.

She received an honourable mention at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle and later showed twenty pieces of Losanti ware at the 1899 exhibition of the Cincinnati Art Museum. At the 1901 Buffalo Pan-American Exposition, she was awarded a bronze medal for her ceramic work, while her metalwork earned a silver medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle.

The Met Collection Mary Louise McLauglin

Primary Publications by Mary Louise McLaughlin

China Painting: A Practical Manual for the Use of Amateurs in the Decoration of Hard Porcelain
Published in the late nineteenth century, this manual outlines McLaughlin’s approach to china painting and ceramic decoration and remains a key primary source for understanding American art pottery practice.
Available via Amazon: https://amzn.to/44KSxfu

Pottery Decoration Under the Glaze
This work documents McLaughlin’s technical experiments with underglaze decoration and American faience and is frequently cited in discussions of early American ceramics.
Available via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YivEfM

Painting in Oil: A Manual for Use of Students
A practical instructional text reflecting McLaughlin’s broader engagement with art education beyond ceramics.
Available via Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pxDSMp

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL