George E. Ohr (1857-1918)

George E. Ohr (1857-1918) of Biloxi, Mississippi, started his own pottery in Biloxi in 1883. For two years prior to opening his own pottery, he hopped trains in 16 states to visit local potters. He styled himself as the ‘mad potter of Biloxi’ and is thought to have produced thousands of objects in his lifetime. Working with local clay on a potter’s wheel, his 'mud babies', as he called them, Ohr produced both glazed and unglazed objects, characterized by very thin walls and twisted, undulating shapes made by pinching, twisting and flattening. In 1894 a fire destroyed the pottery works. Undeterred, Ohr started making pottery again and some collectors and dealers detect less constraint in these later works.
Continuing to intrigue and gain popularity among museums and collectors, in 2004, The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art opened in Biloxi, Mississippi. The museum has an important collection of Ohr pottery encompassing the many styles and glazes in his work. Hurricane Katrina destroyed some of the site and in 2011 the town of Biloxi added its financial support to the museum. Much of the collection can by viewed online.

Vase, ca. 1893-1909, glazed earthenware. Cooper Hewitt Museum.

Pitcher ca. 1895-1900, earthenware and Vase ca. 1900, unglazed earthenware. Cooper-Hewitt Museum

Photograph of George E. Ohr (1857-1918) undated.