Tucker Factory

The first American porcelain factory of note, begun in 1825 by William Ellis Tucker (d. 1832) in Philadelphia. It became Tucker & Hulme in 1828 Tucker & Hemphill in 1831. From 1833 to 1836 the factory was run by Joseph Hemphill (1770-1842) with Tucker's brother Thomas (1812-1890) as manager. It closed in 1838. Early wares were decorated with painted scenes in sepia and dark brown, similar to blue-and-white Staffordshire wares: later, during the Hemphill period, they became much richer, often derived from Sèvres patterns, with heavy gilding and brightly painted flower decorations.