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Bohemian, Czechoslovakian & Ceský Marks
Marks for Importers
Part IV of IV

Work has Barely Started

Click Button An alphabetical index of factory names, common names, and Mark words with hyper links to the appropriate Marks table and Section.

Just Started! Bohemian factories that used a bindenschild (beehive) for a mark.
There is information on the Fakes Part I - Famous Painters and Fakes Part II - Royal Vienna and others page.

Click a mark to enlarge, or click a link to go to the present day factory web site.

Two Marks, Multiple Importers Importers - New York City, New York (USA) According to Henderson four New York importers used the double shield and crown mark, they were PH Leonard, Bawo & Dotter, Charles L Dwenger, and Paul A Straub & Co. It was used on the Vienna China line from Count Thun's factory in Klášterec. The documentation is confusing. PH Leonard was the first to use the mark, and then Bawo & Dotter after Leonard went broke in 1898, next was Dwenger, and then Straub sometime after 1915. I believe the only thing one can be sure of is that the mark represents a Count Thun factory line of china from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. This particular line was supposed to be like the porcelain coming from the former Imperial and Royal Porcelain Factory, Vienna. At least they did not use the infamous beehive or the words Royal Vienna. Many collectors identify this mark exclusively for PH Leonard. 1890 - 1908+ 1890 - 1908+ 1890 - 1908+ These marks can also have no text. One mark includes the dates 1790 & 1890, as well as Vienna China. Baum Bros Imports Marks Baum Bros Imports, an importing firm in New York, New York. The firm began importing European dinnerware and glassware about 1950. Formalities is a 5 year-old "brand" for an assortment of formal giftware, wood accessories, figurines, collector plates, and English teaware. Another division of Baum Bros is Style-Eyes. There is a bit of information concerning this company on the Baum-Essex-Crossroads Web site. with Thun Karlovarský Porcelán AS Závod Klásterec mark with Thun Karlovarský Porcelán AS Závod Lubenec mark 2000 to present     PH Leonard - Leonard, Blakeman & Henderson Blakeman & Henderson Marks PH Leonard - Importer New York City, New York (USA) 1880 Peter H Leonard started his own import company after dissolving his partnership for Klingenberg & Leonard. Peter's son Harry P Leonard joined the company. Leonard started buying whiteware from Bawo & Dotter's factory in Rybáre, Czech Republic (Fischern, Bohemia, Austria) and Count Thun's factory in Klášterec, Czech Republic (Klosterle, Bohemia, Austria), and other Bohemian factories. The Vienna China trademark porcelain came from Count Thun's factory. The Bohemian factories substituted a Leonard mark for their own. 1898 the company went bankrupt. 1899 Leonard, Blakeman & Henderson was a successor created by the former employees of the company and Harry P Leonard, until Harry died later in the year. Subsequently it was Blakeman & Henderson. The latter company only imported from Limoges. 1908 Anna Leonard, according to Rontgen, continued the business after it went bankrupt in 1908, and had porcelain decorating clubs in Denver, Colorado and Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, 1909 to 1910 Anna had a professional china decorator and had a studio in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. ~1908 ca ~1917 Leonard Vienna 1890 - 1908 Used by multiple importers.   Kittel & Klingenberg - Kittel, Klingenberg & Co - Klingenberg & Leonard - Charles L Dwenger Marks Alexander Klingenberg became a partner with Kittel a china importing business in New York City, New York USA, and the company was known as Kittel & Klingenberg. 1865 Peter H Leonard became a partner and it became Kittel, Klingenberg & Co. 1866 (or 1870) Kittel retired and the company was named Klingenberg & Leonard. They imported French porcelain and Bohemian glassware. They had offices in New York City and Limoges, France. 1880 The Klingenberg & Leonard partnership was severed and each continued business on their own, with Leonard starting the PH Leonard company. 1895 Charles L Dwenger purchased Klingenberg's factory and import business after he died in 1894. He had previously worked as a clerk for the company in the 1860's-1870's. It appears that Dwenger purchased some china from Moritz Zdekauer because of the MZ Classic marks. It is reported this company was in business until sometime after 1917. 1891 - 1895 1895 - 1917 ~ 1912 Replica of mark 1890 - 1908 Used by multiple importers. Ebeling & Reuss Co Marks Ebeling & Reuss Co Importer - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) 1886 to present - The company imports porcelain, earthenware, and ironstone from several Bohemian, Czechoslovakian factories and other European countries, including toys, dinnerware, and gift items. 1886 Theodore Reuss and Frederick Ebeling, both of whom emigrated the USA from Germany as teenagers, became partners with JEF Zeh who had a glassware and china firm. The company was known as Zeh, Ebeling & Reuss Co. 1900 Zeh withdrew from the company and it was then known as, Ebeling & Reuss Co. It moved to Devon, Pennsylvania. The company remained in the Ebeling & Reuss families. In 1988 the company went bankrupt. Ronald Rapelje joined the company. 1992 Rapelje purchased the assets of the company and moved it to Allenstown PA. Even though the company remains in business today, I do not find a Web site for it. Note: Ebeling & Reuss did not manufacture ceramics, they just imported them and replaced the manufacturers mark with their own. Neither Rontgen nor Henderson's book say which Bohemian-Czechoslovakian factories from which they imported. Rontgen does state that they imported from Czechoslovakia before WWII. Because they imported ceramics from several European countries their mark with Germany can be confusing as to whether it is a piece made in the Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia during WWII. Their mark, ERPhila is for Ebeling & Reuss Philadelphia. Their other Mark is E&R, Inc. 1920 - 1940 1920 - 1940 1918 - 1939 on pottery     Golden Crown 1950's 1938 - 1945 The reference books have this as being on Czechoslovakian products, during the Nazi occupation However, the company imported from Germany as well as Czechia.   1959 Ad "For you, the proud hostess... a truly distinguished dinnerware pattern reflecting generations of artistic design and styling. A laurel motif in rich coin gold on white, translucent, exquisite porcelain. Cup is gracefully footed and tastefully highlighted in gold. You will be enchanted by "Golden Laurel." Five piece place setting, $16.00. Open stock." Geo. Borgfeldt & Co Marks Geo. Borgfeldt & Co Importer - New York City, New York (USA) 1881 to 1976 - The company imported doll heads and porcelain from Europe. However, there is no mention of Czechoslovakian factories. 1936 - 1976 ? - 1976     George W Bassett & Company, George F Bassett & Co Marks George F Bassett & Company Importer - New York City, New York (USA) 1874 the George W Bassett & Company business was founded before this date. In 1879 George F Bassett, George W's son and EF Anderson were successors and continued in business until 1963. The company had a factory in Limoges, France and imported porcelain from various Bohemian and Czechoslovakian factories. Its advertising implied a factory in Austria, but not verified. 1890 - 1963 The company's earlier mark was the text G.F.B. & C. Carlsbad.   Graham & Zenger Marks Graham & Zenger Importer - New York City, New York (USA) 1925 to 1941 Imported porcelain from the CM Hutschenreuther factories in Germany and Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovakian factory was in Stará Role (Altrohlau). See CM Hutschenreuther Stará Role. ~1925 - 1941 ~1925 - 1941     Charles Ahrenfeldt & Son Herman C Kupper Marks Charles Ahrenfeldt & Son Importer - New York City, New York (USA) Ahrenfeldt was a New York importer, as well as owning decorating studios and factories in Stará Role, Czechoslovakia (Altrohlau, Bohemia, Austria) and Paris and Limoges, France. See decorator section above. 1831 Ahrenfeldt establishes the import business in New York City. He is thought to be the first to import Bohemian China to the United States. Later, his partner was Herman Trost. Which factories he imported from and whether he continued to import from other Bohemian factories after he started the Stará Role (Altrohlau) decorating studio in 1886 is unknown. Ahrenfeldt's son Charles Jules Ahrenfeldt Jr operated the business in the later years. 1910 Herman C Kupper bought the import business. It was still in business in 1981. I can find no record of it in 2004. The decorating studio in Stará Role was sold to another firm. 1896 - 1910 The mark is also without the word SAXE. I believe the mark to the left is for the import business. I do not find a mark for Kupper. 1886 - 1925 I believe this mark is for the decorating studio, not necessarily the import business. The decorating studio was founded in Stará Role in 1886. Michael Werckmeister - Hinrich & Co Marks Hinrich & Co, an importer. Altrohlau, Bohemia (Stará Role, Czech Republic) The information for the first mark is unconfirmed. In 1844 Charles F A Hinrich took over the New York City import firm Michael Werckmeister and began importing porcelain. In 1886 his son assumed control of the business and named it Hinrich & Co. They had offices in Newcastle, England, Paris and Limoges, France, Shelten and Karlsbad, Austria. The business was sold at auction in 1898. What leads me to believe this is a Hinrich mark is that in Hinrich advertisements and other Marks. The village name was Altrohlau, but called Role Stara, where the present day name is Stará Role, Czech Republic. The Anton Siegl & Co, Stará Role, Czech Republic (Altrohlau, Bohemia, Austria) established a decorating studio under an exclusive contract for Hinrichs. unconfirmed     L Straus & Sons Nathan Straus & Co Marks L Straus & Son - New York City, New York (USA) 1869 L Straus & Sons (LS&S) was founded in New York City by Lazarus Straus in 1869, as importers of crockery. (Henderson shows Straus' first name as Lazarus and Rontgen has it as Lewis.) 1924 it became Nathan Straus & Co, and in the 1930's it closed. In 1874 Nathan Straus (Lazarus' son) convinced the company RH Macy to permit the Straus firm to have a small glass & chinaware department in their store. The first china and glassware to be sold by Macy's. The company made and imported porcelain and glassware from Europe including England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia (then Austria). L Straus & Sons had factories or offices in London, Paris, Limoges, Rudolstadt, Kamenicky Senov, and Karlovy Vary. The Karlovy Vary operation was a porcelain factory in Stará Role (Altrohlau, Bohemia, Austria) and Kamenický Šenov was a glass factory. LS&S purchased porcelain from several European factories including Moritz Zdekhauer in Stará Role (Altrohlau). LS&S had a decorating studio in Limoges, France. LS&S claims it invented the condensed milk or marmalade jar. Additionally it was a financial backer for Oscar & Edgar Gutherz's factory in Stará Role (Altrohlau). 1891-1917 1891-1917 1891-1917 1891-1917 1891-1917 1891-1917 Unconfirmed France Paul A Straub & Co - HMW Industries Marks 1915 to ? Paul A Straub founded a company in New York City, New York, USA. As well as importing the Vienna China line from the Count Thun factory, it imported china from the L Hutschenreuther factory in Selb, Germany. 1970 the business was sold to HMW Industries. It continued to import from the L Hutschenreuther factory through a subsidiary, Wallace Silversmiths. 1890 - 1908 This mark was reportedly only used 1890 to 1908, but Straub did not open until 1915. Used bymultiple importers. Other of this factory's marks have the acronym PASCO.     Support this site < Back to: Bohemian & Czechoslovakian China   < Back to Part III of IV Just a start; I do not have much for this section. Check back later to see if I am doing more construction. If you have a sample of a mark and know which factory it belongs to, please send me an email. Contact Me Collectors Circle

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