Pickard China is an American

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

decorating and manufacturing company in

Antioch, Illinois Antioch is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,622. The village is nestled into the Chain O'Lakes waterway system and borders the state of Wisconsin. Part of t ...

, United States. The company was founded in 1893, and continues to produce ceramic

tableware Tableware items are the dishware and utensils used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. The term includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, serving utensils, and other items used for practical as well as decorative purposes. The ...

and art ware today.

History

Pickard China was incorporated in

Edgerton, Wisconsin Edgerton is a city in Rock and Dane counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census, of which 5,799 were in Rock County and 146 were in Dane County. Edgerton was historically known as "Tobacco City U.S.A." ...

, 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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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 company's original artists were from the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

. Pickard first relied on

that was manufactured in Europe. Blank plates were imported and then decorate in Pickard's studio. When Wilder Pickard's son Austin Pickard joined the company, he decided Pickard would begin manufacturing its blank plates and dishes. In 1930, the company's first experimental china was made. Pickard also worked toward making its own glazes. In 1937, after the experimentation was complete, a production facility was opened in

. Austin's son, Henry A. "Pete" Pickard, was the third generation to enter the family business, serving as the company's president from 1966 until his retirement in 1994. Pete's brother-in-law, Eben C. Morgan II, succeeded him as president, holding that position until shortly before his death in June 2008. Richard E. Morgan and Andrew Pickard Morgan, the founder's great-grandsons, both joined the company and represent the family's fourth generation 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

In 1977, Pickard was selected by the U.S. Department of State to manufacture the official china service used by American embassies and other diplomatic missions around the world. This service's special decoration includes 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, corporations, and hotels, including the

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General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

, the

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, New York's

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, the

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and

Camp David Camp David is a country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont, Maryland, Thurmont and Emmitsburg, Maryland, Emmitsburg, a ...

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

References

Sources

* Reed, Alan B. (1995) ''Collector's Encyclopedia of Pickard China: With Additional Sections on All Chicago China Studios''. Collector Books, Paducah, Kentucky. * Platt, Dorothy Pickard. (1970) ''The Story of Pickard China''. Everybodys Press, Inc.

External links

*{{Official website
Pickard Collectors Club
1893 establishments in Illinois American companies established in 1893 Ceramics manufacturers of the United States Companies based in Lake County, Illinois Kitchenware brands Manufacturing companies based in Illinois Manufacturing companies established in 1893 Porcelain of the United States