Mary Louise McLaughlin

Biography Mary Louise McLaughlin was born September 29, 1847, to a wealthy family of Cincinnati, her father being the owner of a successful dry goods company in the city. Her older brother was architect James W. McLaughlin. Showing an artistic ability at a young age, McLaughlin did not take formal art lessons until 1871 at a private school for girls. In 1874, at Cincinnati's McMicken School of Design, later the Art Academy of Cincinnati, McLaughlin took a china painting class offered by a Mr. Benn Pitman. During an exhibition by Maria Longworth Nichols Storer at the school that same year, McLaughlin's interest in painting china ripened.

In 1875, the two women's works were featured at The Centennial Tea Party to critical acclaim, and in 1876 both women had exhibitions at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While at the exhibition McLaughlin was especially taken by the works presented by Haviland & Co. of France, who showcased pieces that featured paintings using the underglaze technique. Since this was a unique advancement at the time, McLaughlin returned to Cincinnati with the determination to figure out the secret to their method. She also wrote a book on china painting upon her return which sold many copies (China Painting: A Practical Manual for the Use of Amateurs in the Decoration of Hard Porcelain). McLaughlin sold more of her works at the exhibition than Storer did, thus starting a competition of sorts between the two women.

In the 1890s Mclaughlin returned to pottery, this time working out of her own backyard in the studio pottery style (the hardest of its kind). She effectively went from painting porcelain to creating it. Starting from 1885, McLaughlin was assisted in her work by her companion and housekeeper of 47 years, Margaret "Maggie" Hickey. Hickey was an Irish immigrant who started working for McLaughlin when she was about 20 years old. By the winter of 1898-1899 she was doing all the casting of the ware, and by the fall of 1901 she was also managing all the firing. In 1906 Mclaughlin gave up pottery and began writing again. Hickey died in 1932, still working for McLaughlin. In 1934 Grace W. Hazard (1869-1952) replaced Hickey; Hazard called McLaughlin "Ma" and she was the main beneficiary of McLaughlin's will, that was contested by McLaughlin's family. McLaughlin died January 19, 1939, at age ninety-one and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. Hazard is buried near her.

Books alt=A white shallow bowl with a border of light orange with darker orange flowers and gold streaks. China Painting: A Practical Manual for the Use of Amateurs in the Decoration of Hard Porcelain (1880) Pottery Decoration under the Glaze (1880) Painting in Oil: A Manual of Use for Students (1888) China Painting: A Practical Manual for the Use of Amateurs in the Decoration of Hard Porcelain (1894) An Epitome of History: from Pre-Historic Times to the End of the Great War (1923)