Adam Weitsman, owner of Upstate Shredding / Weitsman Recycling, headquartered in Owego, N.Y., recently donated multiple copies of a book, the proceeds of which will benefit the Owego Dog Owners Group (ODOG). “Art for the People: Decorated Stoneware from the Weitsman Collection” is on display and available for purchase at Riverow Bookshop located at 187 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. For every copy purchased, $35 will be donated to ODOG and supports the Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park located in Owego’s Hickories Park. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Adam Weitsman, owner of Upstate Shredding/Weitsman Recycling, headquartered in Owego, N.Y., recently donated multiple copies of a book to Riverow Bookshop, the proceeds of which will benefit the Owego Dog Owners Group (ODOG).
The extraordinary book, “Art for the People: Decorated Stoneware from the Weitsman Collection” is on display and available for purchase at Riverow Bookshop located at 187 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. For every copy purchased, $35 will be donated to ODOG and supports the Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park located in Owego’s Hickories Park.
Inspired by his sister, Rebecca, who passed away from cancer in 2001, Adam Weitsman fully funded the Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park, which officially opened in September this year, and is named in her memory. ODOG assists with the dog park’s upkeep through fundraising efforts and membership.
Through the generosity of Adam Weitsman, the New York State Museum has on display in their Albany, N.Y. location a premier collection of American decorated stoneware. The book, “Art for the People: Decorated Stoneware from the Weitsman Collection,” was funded by Weitsman, and is not only a tribute to his interest in decorated stoneware of the nineteenth century; it is also an effort to share the collection with as many people as possible.
On the book’s title page, Weitsman is quoted, “Some of my best childhood memories were searching for stoneware. It is not about collecting the pieces; it is all about the hunt for them. My plan was always to donate the collection, so that everyone could enjoy it.”
The spectacular pieces most likely graced American homes in the nineteenth century and include crocks, jugs and churns, among other spectacular pieces. John L. Scherer, senior historian emeritus at the New York State Museum compiled the examples of decorated stoneware in a beautiful book format.
Decorated stoneware was used to commemorate historical events, memorialize famous people, and celebrate anniversaries and special occasions, among other uses, and the decorations represent the feelings and the spirit of the artist, as well as represent life in the nineteenth century.
Current Director of the New York State Museum, Mark A. Schaming shares in the book, “Through the vision and generosity of Adam J. Weitsman, these remarkable works of art and craftsmanship are now part of the people’s collection. Many thanks to Adam Weitsman for acquiring, sharing and ultimately helping us preserve this great American tradition with such important roots and connections in New York State.”
Adam Weitsman got hooked on collecting stoneware in 1980, and at the age of 11, Weitsman, along with his father, Harold F. Weitsman, dug up two stoneware beer bottles on their property. An Owego stoneware collector helped identify the great finds, and soon Adam and his father were buying pieces together.
Throughout his teenage years, Adam was on the hunt for additional pieces in New York State and the East Coast, and his pursuit took him to antique and estate sales and auctions as well as working directly with dealers. The stoneware, painted with animals, bouquets and numerous intricate and unique designs, was used primarily to hold foodstuffs of the day. News about his finds often made the antique trade papers, and in the late 1990’s, Weitsman donated his stoneware collection to the New York State Museum in Albany, N.Y.
For more information, view the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov, and search for “The Weitsman Stoneware Collection.”
For questions regarding the book, contact Riverow Bookshop at (607) 687-4094 or stop by and view the book at their 187 Front St. location in Owego, N.Y.
