Anne Louise Gregory Ritter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Louise Gregory Ritter
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Anne Gregory, 1900
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Anne Louise Gregory
July 11, 1868 Plattsburgh, New York
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| Died | November 15, 1929 (aged 61) Denver, Colorado
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Artist, teacher |
| Years active | 1896-1929 |
| Known for | Van Briggle Pottery |
Anne Louise Gregory Ritter (born July 11, 1868 – died November 15, 1929) was a talented American artist and art teacher. She first created art using oil paints and watercolors. Later, she met Artus Van Briggle and started working with him on designing pottery and creating special glazes. Together, they opened the famous Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1901. After Artus passed away in 1904, Anne bravely continued to manage the pottery business. She even built a new factory to honor her late husband. In 1912, she rented out the pottery business and went back to teaching art. She sold the company in 1922. Anne moved to Denver in 1923 and focused on painting again.
Contents
Early Life and Art Studies
Anne Louise Gregory was born on July 11, 1868, in Plattsburgh, New York. She loved art from a young age.
Learning to Paint and Sculpt
Anne studied landscape painting with Charles Melville Dewey in New York. Later, she traveled to Berlin, Germany. There, she learned oil painting, watercolors, and even clay modeling at the Victoria-Lyzeum.
Meeting Artus Van Briggle
In 1894, Anne was studying art in Paris, France, at the Académie Colarossi. This is where she met another artist named Artus Van Briggle. Artus was researching special matte glazes for pottery, which are glazes that aren't shiny. Anne's artwork was already well-known. She had even been chosen to show her art at the famous Paris Salon several times. Anne and Artus became engaged to be married. In 1896, they both returned to the United States. Anne started teaching art, French, and German at a high school in Pennsylvania.
Starting Van Briggle Pottery
In 1900, Anne moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Artus was living. She became the Art Supervisor at Colorado Springs High School. At the same time, she worked with Artus to start their pottery business. She helped with designing the pottery and experimenting with glazes.
Building the Business
For the next two years, Artus and Anne worked hard. They kept experimenting with new pottery designs and glazes. They officially started their company and got ready to open it to the public. On June 18, 1902, Anne and Artus got married. Their wedding took place on Cheyenne Mountain, near Colorado Springs.
Working Together on Pottery
Artus's health became very poor, so Anne took on more of the daily tasks for the business. She also helped a lot with the design work. In 1902 and 1903, their pottery was sent to big cities. They also gave tours of their pottery factory. They even sent their pottery to the Paris Salon, a very important art show.
For the 1903 Salon, all 24 pieces they sent were accepted! This was very unusual because art made for businesses was often turned down, even from famous companies like Tiffany's. The pottery pieces that Anne and Artus created together won many awards. They earned "2 gold, 1 silver, and 12 bronze medals" at the 1903 and 1904 Salon shows.
Understanding the Pottery Marks
- Pottery pieces made by Artus had the Roman numeral "iii" carved into them.
- Pieces that Anne worked on had a special double mark: "AA" for their initials.
- If you see pottery marked "Anna Van Briggle," these pieces were made much later, between 1955 and 1968, long after Anne's death. They were not made by her or inspired by her. This mark was used to show a different type of clay and glaze used during that time.
Awards and Challenges
Anne and Artus also sent their pottery to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair. There, they won two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
Sadly, Artus's health did not get better, and he passed away on July 4, 1904.
Anne's Leadership and Later Life
After her husband's death, Anne decided to build a new pottery factory. She wanted to honor Artus's memory. The new building was finished in 1907 and opened in 1908. It was a larger factory with a showroom, which helped the business grow even more.
Continuing the Business and Teaching
Anne continued to run the company. In July 1908, she remarried a Swiss mining engineer named Etienne Ritter. She managed the pottery until 1912, when she leased it to Edmund deForest Curtis. He ran the business until 1916.
Anne then returned to teaching art classes at Colorado College. In 1922, she sold the company to J.F. and I.H. Lewis. The next year, she moved to Denver with her husband and went back to painting.
Anne Louise Gregory Ritter passed away on November 15, 1929, in Denver, Colorado.
