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Wonderful early 20th-century advertising stoneware jar/crock from L. F. Hersh & Bro., Wholesale Grocers, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
The front features attractive blue advertising reading:
L. F. HERSH & BRO.
WHOLESALE GROCERS
ELIZABETH, N.J.
The jar measures approximately 10” tall × 6” wide and has a cream stoneware body with a rich brown glazed shoulder and top. It retains its ceramic Weir closure and wire bail, an especially nice feature to find intact.
The ceramic closure is marked “THE WEIR” and carries patent dates including March 1, 1892 and April 16, 1901. The 1901 patent date provides an important clue to the age of the piece. Weir Pottery was sold in late 1905 and became part of Western Stoneware, making approximately 1901–1905 a reasonable production period for this example if the closure is original to the jar.
A Little History
L. F. Hersh & Bro. was an established wholesale grocery business operated by brothers Louis F. Hersh and Herman Hersh in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Historical records trace their partnership to approximately 1888.
Period Elizabeth records list the company as L. F. Hersh & Bro., Wholesale Grocers, at 1167–1169 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth, N.J. The firm also dealt as commission merchants in products including butter, cheese and eggs.
The Hersh business continued to grow in the early 20th century. In 1907, the brothers expanded their wholesale grocery interests into Plainfield, New Jersey. The Hersh family would later become associated with the Hersh Tower, an Art Deco landmark constructed in Elizabeth in 1932.
This jar therefore represents more than an attractive piece of early stoneware—it is a surviving piece of Elizabeth, New Jersey commercial history from an established regional wholesale grocery business.
Weir-style stoneware containers were used commercially during this period for food products and were designed with reusable ceramic closures. The exact original contents of this particular L. F. Hersh jar are unknown, so no specific food product is being attributed to it.
Condition
Very nice antique condition for a piece approximately 120+ years old. It shows expected age-related wear, crazing/discoloration and oxidation to the metal hardware. The blue advertising remains remarkably clear and attractive.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description. No attempt has been made to aggressively clean or restore the piece.
A particularly appealing piece for collectors of New Jersey advertising, Elizabeth NJ history, antique stoneware, Weir Pottery, general store advertising, wholesale grocery memorabilia or early American kitchenware.
