Bauer Pottery: A SoCal Classic
Author:Abigail StoneBold, brightly colored Bauer pottery is as quintessentially Southern Californian as In-n-Out and Dodger Stadium, so it may be surprising to hear that the ceramics company almost went the way of that other SoCal staple, the formerly prolific citrus grove.
Biltmore pots in the foreground, and an Oil Jar fountain in the back.
It turns out the history of Bauer Pottery is just as colorful as the line. Originally founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1885, the company enjoyed much success after the Great Depression when they moved operations to Los Angeles and introduced new styles of vibrantly colored kitchenware, for which it’s still known to this day. Despite the boon, the company closed in the 1960s, but the story doesn’t end there.
Monterey pitcher in lime green, $65
About twenty years later an avid Bauer collector, on a whim, thought to check the US Patent & Trademark Office to figure out who held the trademark for the then-defunct line. As luck would have it, nobody did, and Janek Boniecki, that one-time collector, registered and started production recreating those old Bauer designs. The new factory is located not far from the original in Los Angeles.
Canoe pots, $125 each
Today you can still find Bauer’s bright designs on Californian’s tables and in gardens across the state.
To see the full line visit the website, or stop by any one of the many California retail locations.
