Pickard China is an American

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

decorating and manufacturing company in Antioch, Illinois, United States. The company was founded in 1893, and continues to produce ceramic

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, List of glassware, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variet ...

and art ware today.

History

Pickard China was incorporated in

Edgerton, Wisconsin Edgerton is a city in Rock County and partly in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,799 were in Rock County, and 146 were in Dane County. Known locally as "Tobacco City U.S.A.," beca ...

, 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

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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 The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

. At first all the

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. 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

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, corporations, and hotels, including the King of Saudi Arabia,

Hilton Hotels Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an international semi-luxury hotel chain owned by Marriott International. As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Cen ...

, Marriott Corporation,

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, the U.S. Air Force, New York's Gracie Mansion, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...

Blair House Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...

and

Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwe ...

. 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
Porcelain of the United States Kitchenware brands Manufacturing companies based in Illinois Ceramics manufacturers of the United States American companies established in 1893 Manufacturing companies established in 1893 1893 establishments in Illinois