The Author
For more than forty years, Moe Johnson has collected and studied Canadian material history, with a special emphasis on 19th-century earthenware and stoneware pottery. A recognized expert and sought-after author and speaker on the subject, Johnson applies an astute business lens to his collecting. He passionately conveys the social, economic, and domestic histories that these artefacts comprise.
To reach Moe use email: moe@moejohnson.ca or message him on Facebook.
Inside The Potter’s Reach
Click for samples of the book’s interior pages.
Testimonials
- Not since Howard Pain’s The Heritage of Upper Canadian Furniture or Philip Shackleton’s The Furniture of Old Ontario has a Canadian author successfully attempted a book on the scale of The Potter’s Reach. Moe Johnson’s new book, which comprehensively documents the history of the manufacture of pottery in Ontario, is a welcome addition to the reference libraries of all collectors and is certain to grace bookshelves in North America for many years to come.”
— Shaun Markey, Author & Collector - After more than fifteen years of research and hundreds of miles of travel, Moe Johnson has succeeded in writing what will no doubt become the definitive work on Ontario pottery and in illustrating its history with a wealth of absolutely breathtaking photographs. The scope of The Potter’s Reach is thorough, if not encyclopedic, as he meticulously covers the backgrounds and careers of potters from the beginning of the 19th century until the death knell of the craft in the first two decades of the 20th century. Serious collectors of Ontario pottery will have to add this significant volume to their shelves.”
— William Reeve, Professor Emeritus, Queen’s University - Moe Johnson’s The Potter’s Reach masterfully examines the history and nature of 19th century earthennware and stoneware. His readable account embraces Ontario’s early business, labour, urban and women’s history — for example, in his discussion of the key role of women in the home dairy industry, a key part of the pottery market.”
— Dr. Sandra Campbell, Pauline Jewett Institute (retired), Carleton University
- Moe Johnson convincingly takes The Potter’s Reach well beyond the undeniable beauty of 19th-century Ontario pottery, instructively placing the physical objects within their social and historical context. Featuring utilitarian pottery of the time, he illustrates for the reader the relevance and importance of the home dairy, the development of a Canadian currency by 1858, European and American immigration and the temperance movement in Canada. As for the 1,300 photographs, they’re truly remarkable!”
— Ethan Miller, Executive Officer, Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. - It’s safe to say that Moe Johnson’s The Potter’s Reach is a tour de force, unmatched in terms of the rich context it brings to this highly collectible genre. The thorough cataloguing and beautiful colour photography of 19th-century Ontario pottery are unlikely to be superseded by any other book covering this category of provincial material heritage. It will serve as an indispensable reference source for years to come.”
— Don Hewson, Collector
A Definitive Resource!
Across 55 chapters and 712 pages, the book documents the rich visual history of Ontario-made utilitarian earthenware and stoneware pottery.
A sampling of chapters include:
Chapter 4: The Decline of the Potter’s Home Dairy Market
Chapter 15: The Bradwin Brothers of Western Ontario
Chapter 21: James Woodyatt, the Unlikely Brantford Proprietor
Chapter 32: Adam Bierenstihl and William Eby
Chapter 44: John Marx: Skilled Peripatetic Potter and Master of Picture Frames
Chapter 53: John Kennedy and His Late 19th-Century Art
The Potter’s Reach… Live!
We will be posting new events very soon. Stay tuned!
In the Media
New book delves into 19th-century Ontario pottery
When Moe Johnson set out to write a book about the history of pottery in Ontario, he figured it would take about five years from start to finish. Now, 15 years later, he finally has a copy of The Potter’s Reach in 19th-Century Ontario in his hands.
When Moe Johnson set out to write a book about the history of pottery in Ontario, he figured it would take about five years from start to finish. Now, 15 years later, he finally has a copy of The Potter’s Reach in 19th-Century Ontario in his hands.
Author of a new book shares Kingston history through pottery
Global News Morning Kingston chats to author Moe Johnson about his new book, The Potter’s Reach, about regional history revealed through earthen and stoneware.
Global News Morning Kingston chats to author Moe Johnson about his new book, The Potter’s Reach, about regional history revealed through earthen and stoneware.
Moe Johnson has written a refreshing history of Ontario’s pottery in the 19th century in the context of the region’s economy. He looks at the technological developments of the industry and at its social impact.
The Potter’s Reach on Facebook
Stay up to date! For updates and news about The Potter’s Reach, Ontario-made pottery and the history it tells, follow author Moe Johnson on Facebook.
