Newcomb Pottery in the Decorative Arts Collection

In 1886 Josephine Louise Newcomb made a gift to Tulane University to establish the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, a coordinate women's college. Newcomb's Art Department, especially its art pottery enterprise, proved to be a success for many decades. In the early 20th century, Newcomb Pottery became the most recognizable example of the Arts and Crafts style in the American South. Newcomb artists regularly won prestigious awards at international expositions and were featured in numerous publications.

The Louisiana State Museum houses one of the largest collections of Newcomb pottery. The Newcomb College pottery collection encompasses approximately 100 pieces made by craftsmen and women at Newcomb College between the 1890s and 1940s. Forms include bowls, vases, candlesticks, plates, cups, paperweights, tiles and figurines. Potters Joseph Meyer, Jonathan Hunt, Francis Ford, and Kenneth Smith are represented, as well as decorators Sadie Irvine, Henrietta Bailey, Anna Frances Simpson, Harriet Joor, and many others.

There are also products of Newcomb's precursors, such as the New Orleans Art Pottery and the Tulane Decorative Art League, and an early pitcher by Joseph Meyer.