Waynesboro’s John Bell was one of the most accomplished potters of nineteenth century America. But he was also one member of a multi-generational pottery making dynasty that stretched from Pennsylvania through Maryland and into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Join Nick Powers, Curator of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley as he places John Bell’s career into the context of his larger family, including his father Peter and brothers Solomon and Samuel, among others. Following the lecture will be an in-depth look at sherds, kiln furniture, and other artifacts recovered from the John Bell Pottery in Waynesboro, part of the collection of the Nicodemus Center for Ceramic Studies (NCSS), and the permanent Bell Family collection of Renfrew Museum and Park.
