M. Louise (Mary Louise) McLaughlin

Born in Cincinnati in 1847, Mary Louise McLaughlin became one of the key early figures in American art pottery. She was known as a ceramic painter and studio potter, and she emerged at a moment when decorative ceramics were becoming an exciting new artistic field in the United States.

McLaughlin is especially remembered for her role in developing underglaze decoration in America, an important advance in ceramic technique. She was also part of the creative energy surrounding Cincinnati pottery in the late 19th century, where she worked alongside — and in competition with — other major local figures connected with the rise of art pottery.

She lived a long life, dying in 1939, and her work is still valued for both its beauty and its place in the history of American ceramics. Today she is recognized not just as a skilled maker, but as one of the women who helped shape a distinctly American pottery movement.