By Ima Potts

During the early 1970’s, when the Nelson McCoy Pottery (NMP) was a subsidiary of the Mount Clemens Pottery (MCP), the pottery introduced an array of new type articles. One of these new items was candleholders. Although from time to time over the years Nelson McCoy had issued some candleholders, but there were not very many. The MCP however, issued many styles at one time. For example, in 1971 there were 15 different styles, in three or four different colors.

In the mid-1970’s, after the Lancaster Colony Corporation (LCC) had purchased the Nelson McCoy Pottery, the LCC continued the practice and produced a wide assortment of them, but now they were called “Ornamental Lamps”. Most of the ornamental lamps the LCC produced featured glass globes, as shown on the Journal front and rear covers.

The LCC featured ornamental lamps for a year or two, but a large-scale production of them did not last. Following the purchase of the pottery by Designer Accents in 1985, ornamental lamp production was resumed. Although many of the lamps Nelson McCoy Ceramics (NMC), the pottery name assigned by the new owner, produced used previously existing molds, different decals were applied, and different colors were used. A selection of NMC lamps is given below and on the following page.

Due to the relatively small number produced, none of the candle holders or lamps shown here are easy to find. However, they would all make a fine specialty collection, don’t you think?