The History of Frankoma Pottery

Frankoma Pottery available on Etsy

We have a fabulous collection of Frankoma pottery coming to our next sale, so I thought I would give you a bit of history on the company. A combination of the owners last name, Frank, and letters from their home state, Oklahoma, gives the company their unique name. John and Grace Lee Frank founded Frankoma Pottery in 1933 in Norman, Oklahoma, later moving the factory to Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Although the Sapulpa factory was devastated in a fire in 1938, they rebuilt the company and began producing dinnerware pieces in addition to fine art clay sculptures.

John Frank studied at the Chicago School of Art before being asked to head the ceramics department at the University of Oklahoma in 1927. Working alongside Oklahoma geologists, Frank discovered the rich clays of the region and set up a studio using a butter churn to mix the clay and a fruit jar to grind the glazes.

To this day, the Frankoma pieces tell the history of the company as they periodically used different clays. From the company’s early days until 1954, the pottery was made using the light tan clay found in Ada, Oklahoma. Even after moving the operations to Sapulpa, he continued to haul the clay from Ada which required a three-day trip. In 1954 he discovered that the clay in Sugar Loaf Hill near Sapulpa worked well for his pieces. The change from the light tan Ada clay to the red brick color of the Sapulpa clay also changed the final coloring of his pieces. He experimented with formulas using rutile, a mineral that contains titanium dioxide, which allows the color of the clay to partially show through the glaze. In 1980, the company began using additives to the Sapulpa clay which lightened the color from brick red to a lighter pink/orange hue.

While Frankoma Pottery produced an array of items, it is best known for its dinnerware with the popular “Wagon Wheel” design at the forefront. The Great Southwest served as an inspiration for his designs as well as the colors of the glazes—Prairie Green and Desert Gold being some of the favorites.

A collection of the “Wagon Wheel” dinnerware

And, yes, we have an amazing set available at our upcoming estate sale with its own history, this time in Texas. A mix of “Wagon Wheel” and “Plainsman” designs, these pieces were used by the Sisters of Divine Providence in Helotes for years and come to our sale by way of them. I love the idea of seeing the sisters gathered around a table full of these beauties.

Frankoma Pottery set from the Sisters of Divine Providence

Frankoma Pottery serving pieces at upcoming Stash sale

We hope to see you at our sale on July 8-9. As always, the best way to stay current on our sales is to join our email list, so if you have not yet done so, you can do that here.