R. Guy Cowan’s first pottery, operating between 1912 and 1917, was located on Nicholson Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. When he experienced problems with his gas supply, he moved his operations to Rocky River. The move also resulted in a production switch from a red clay ceramic body to a high-fired porcelain one.

By the mid-1920s Cowan manufactured a number of commercial products including dinnerware, desk sets, and planters. In addition, he made art pottery. In 1931, just a year after establishing an artists’ colony, Cowan ceased operations, one of the many victims of the Great Depression.

Reference: Mark Bassett and Victoria Naumann, “Cowan Pottery and the Cleveland School,” Schiffer Publishing, 1997.

by Harry L. Rinker
“Official Price Guide to Collectibles”