Pickard China
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Pickard China is a china and porcelain, decorating and manufacturing company in Illinois.
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[edit] Early years
Pickard China was incorporated in Edgerton, Wisconsin in 1893. The company was started by Wilder Austin Pickard, and he moved the company to Chicago in 1897. The company was originally called Pickard China Studio and it specialized in hand decorating dessert and tea sets. Many of the original artists were from the Art Institute of Chicago. The staff was increased by hiring ceramic artists from all the leading china decorating countries of Europe. At first all the china was manufactured in Europe. Pickard would import the blank plates and decorate them in their studio.
[edit] Manufacturing
Wilder Pickard's son Austin Pickard began to work at the company and made the decision to begin manufacturing the blank plates and dishes themselves. In 1930 the first experimental china was made, but it wasn't until 1937 before Pickard was able to reproduce the same quality that was available in Europe. Pickard also worked on making its own glazes. In 1937, after the experimentation was complete a production facility was opened in Antioch, Illinois.
[edit] Henry A. Pickard
Austin's son, Henry A. Pickard, aka Pete Pickard was the third generation to enter the family business and served as president from 1966 until his retirement in 1994. Pete's brother-in-law, Eben C. Morgan II, now the president of the corporation. Richard E. Morgan and Andrew Pickard Morgan, the founder's great grandsons, both joined the company and represent the fourth generation of the family in the business. The company's sales are primarily in fine china dinnerware, decorative accessories and collectibles.
[edit] Official sets
In 1977, Pickard was selected by the U.S. Department of State to manufacture the official service of china used by American embassies and other diplomatic missions around the world. The special decoration has an embossed gold border of stars and stripes and an embossed reproduction of the Great Seal of The United States. Pickard was also selected to produce exclusive fine china services for heads of state, corporations, and hotels. The King of Saudi Arabia, Hilton Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Corporation, General Motors, The U.S. Air Force, New York's Gracie Mansion, the United Nations, Air Force One, Blair House and Camp David are all clients.
