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 The
history of Haviland China is a remarkable tale of determination,
ingenuity and devoted craftsmanship. While most people associate old
Haviland porcelain with the French, in reality an American began the
first Haviland china factory. David Haviland worked as a partner in
the New York-based D.G. & D. Haviland Trading Co., an importer in
English and French dinnerware, during the early to mid- 1800's. One
day a customer brought him a piece of china she wished to match, and
the events that followed have become the legend of Haviland China.
It was
only a broken teacup, but something about the quality of the porcelain
struck Haviland with an insatiable curiosity about its origin. The
fragile piece was remarkably white in color, almost translucent, and
the consistency of the china itself was delicate and
impermeable.
Haviland knew this old porcelain must be French, but
being a devoted dinnerware importer, he could not be satisfied until he
had located the exact place in France where this impeccable china was
manufactured.
After
extensive travel through France, Haviland found the very factory that
had produced the elusive teacup. It was located in Foecy, north of the
region of Limoges. He special ordered several sets from this factory,
suggesting particular designs to suit American tastes. However,
the products he eventually received were not yet worthy of the name
Haviland China.
 Undeterred, David Haviland moved his family to Limoges, France in 1841
to begin his own factory. Limoges was already a
leading center of pottery manufacturing, but he chose the region
because it was then one of the few places in the world in which the
natural clay ingredient needed to make china, "kaolin," could be
found. While similar materials could be found elsewhere, even in
certain places in the United States, it was only the Limoges "kaolin"
that, when fired, was capable of replicating the non-porous eggshell
whiteware he had been seeking all along.
Haviland China distinguished itself immediately from the old French
porcelain dinnerware when David Haviland refused to send his products
to Paris for decoration, as was the standard practice. Instead, he set
up a decorating studio within the factory, in order to produce patterns
more closely suited to American tastes. This severely offended French
sensibilities, which clung to old traditions about how porcelain should
be manufactured. The idea was so radical, in fact, that protests
by French artists were held outside the Haviland china factory during
its early years. For a while, Haviland China was so controversial that
many of the decorators producing American patterns in Limoges could not
travel alone at night!
Eventually, however, Haviland China came to be respected by French
society. Far from remaining isolated from artistic developments in the
country, early Haviland China was strongly influenced by the
Impressionist movement that developed in France during the same
period. In 1872, David's son Charles opened the Auteuil Studio in
Paris. It was here that the famous "Haviland Barbotine" was first
produced. This innovation of painting on earthenware with liquid clay
attracted the attention of great French artists such as Manet, Monet,
and the Damousse brothers. It is often said that the work of the
Impressionists greatly influenced the floral designs of Haviland China.
 After
David Haviland's death in 1879, the firm passed into the hands of his
two sons, Theodore Haviland and Charles Edward Haviland. However, an
irreconcilable disagreement concerning business practices led to the
liquidation of the old porcelain factory, and the
creation of two separate Haviland china companies. Charles Edward
began "Haviland et Cie," French for "Haviland & Co.," while
Theodore
Haviland installed another porcelain producing factory under his own
name. Charles Haviland marketed his china under the slogan "Buy
Genuine Haviland," while Theodore Haviland commissioned several artists
from the Auteuil Studio to work for his firm, "Theodore Haviland,
Limoges." While the rivalry seemed vital at the time, ultimately the
work of both of these companies would become synonymous with the name Haviland
China.
During
this time, as though seeking to escape the French porcelain rivalry,
Charles Haviland's son Jean moved to Bavaria in 1907 to begin the
Johann Haviland Company. Bavaria was the only other region outside
France and China where the essential "kaolin" could be found. The
Johann Haviland Company was comparatively short-lived, ceasing
production in 1924. The name rights to Johann Haviland were eventually
purchased by an Italian Company, and later by the Rosenthal Group.
Although Haviland & Co. continued to operate, the future of the company
seemed dire following Charles Haviland's death in 1921.
Theodore Haviland's superior marketing strategies allowed his company
to survive the Stock Market Crash of 1929, which finished Charles's
company for good. In 1941, Theodore Haviland, Limoges, under the
ownership of Theodore Haviland's son William, won exclusive rights to
Haviland & Co.'s name and backstamps. The two Haviland China companies
again became one.
It
is estimated that over 60,000 Haviland China patterns were produced by
the time the Haviland family retired from management in 1972. The
pieces that remain are highly collectible, not only due to their
historical and artistic significance, but also because of their
sheer beauty and timeless quality. The name Haviland China today is
inseparable from the legacy of French and American dinnerware, and are
certain to be collected and treasured for many years to come.
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