Putnam & Speedwell

We collect antiques and vintage home furnishings, fashions, books and curiosities steeped in the colorful history of Athens, Ohio set in the natural beauty of Appalachia. We imagine the early settler Rufus Putnam was impressed by the abundance of native flora such as Speedwell. Our name Putnam & Speedwell signifies the balance and harmony between nature and community.

Natural resources like clay, coal and river ways attracted potters from across the Atlantic. The Ohio River Valley was soon crowned the capital of pottery. This history is present in our collection; each piece has a story of the past present in this place we call home.

We are delighted that you have stopped by . . . .

Good Design for Everyone: American Modern by Russel Wright

by Putnam & SpeedwellMay 26, 2018May 29, 2018

The glaze captures the imagination . . . Russel Wright dedicated long hours to mixing glazes to achieve the depth of soft color of American Modern Dinnerware. The first glaze colors – Chartreuse, Seafoam, Granite Gray, Coral, and Bean Brown –…

by Putnam & SpeedwellNovember 24, 2017May 29, 2018

Late in the 1960s, there was an exodus from the city to the country. If you are a boomer like me, you remember those days. The protests of late are peaceful compared to the days that we witnessed in our…

by Putnam & SpeedwellAugust 21, 2017May 29, 2018

At the turn of the last century, the potteries along the Ohio River were working overtime to fulfill rapidly increasing orders – bricks for streets, clay products for drainage, durable toilet wares, and dinnerware. American potteries had developed new production methods…