An extensive display of decorative glass items owned by one of Mapleton’s former mayor’s is currently on display here.
Long-time local politician Carl Hall has been collecting china containers for well over 40 years.
His first teapot was a musical old-fashioned pauper lady whose one arm was on her hip, crating a handle while the other arm was upturned to form the spout. Hall was at an auction, and when the item struck his fancy he managed to be the successful bidder.
Hall didn’t set out to be a collector, but after acquiring his first teapot, he began to notice unique ones in store windows, antique shops, at auctions and other locations.
He sought out unusual examples, or ones that fit into a series. Soon he was being gifted by friends and relatives who would search out and give him a teapot for Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions.
It didn’t take long to fill a shelf, then a china cabinet, and another shelf, and so on … When the Halls moved to a bungalow from their old farm house the collection of teapots again took up prominent display areas.
Today his whole basement is a museum showplace. He also started a series of Christmas village buildings. As with the teapots – Hall never meant to get into serious collecting, but his stockpile just kept getting bigger and bigger. The village started out on a table covered with cotton batting for snow, then the addition of a sheet of plywood, and then another.
Today the village is a massive ceramic community, complete with snowy mountains, trees, and trains as well as the houses, factories, stores and many lights, bells and whistles.
In addition to endless bookcases and shelving units containing teapots, there are many series in Hall’s basement. There’s a whole cabinet of animals. One of his more recent acquisitions was a panda bear which sits among the camels, moose, elephants, giraffes and zebra – a virtual Noah’s Ark.
There’s also a series of ladies in hoopskirts and a collection of Sports-related items, and comic characters. It’s truly amazing how many things have been fashioned into teapots. It’s questionable if some were intended for actual use or were just designed to commemorate something – like Hall’s teapot based on the old I Love Lucy television show.
Every conceivable thing about jolly December has been put into a winter and Christmas collection. Not to be outdone by more modern ceramics, there are many beautiful antique floral china pots, many of which are family heirlooms.
Very few of Hall’s massive collection are doubles. He might have four black cats, but each one has a different pose. There are several “donut” teapots, but each is a different size or color.
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| On display – Teapots and decorative items from the collection of Mapleton resident Carl Hall are currently on display at the Harriston library. ABOVE: a few of the teapots in the collection. BELOW: A ceramic Christmas village.
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Hall’s wife Margaret also participates in the hobby. Topping all her kitchen cupboards is a continuous line of replica household teapots (a refrigerator, sewing machine, telephone, cars, washing machine etc.). She is also a paper tole artist and prominently displayed is a most complimentary picture of a tea setting.
The teapot collection has been exhibited on three occasions. About 10 years ago there was a small display for the opening of the Drayton Library. Two years ago there was a 65-teapot exhibit at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
Currently much of the collection is showcased in the two upper rooms of the Harriston Carnegie Library. This is the largest external exhibit of Hall’s collection, with over 300 teapots, plus dozens of the miniatures that used to be found in Red Rose Tea.
The Harriston Historical Society occupies the Minto Arts Council gallery at the library each summer and the “I’m A Little Teapot” display will be there until the end of August. Viewing hours are Tuesday afternoons and evenings, plus Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Viewers may also call 338-2244 for confirmation of other viewing hours or to book an appointment.
Other current displays are antique kitchen utensils, and memorabilia commemorating the 100th anniversary of 4-H in Ontario
The Harriston Historical Society will have an information booth including pictures of these topics at the Wellington County Plowing Match to be held off Highway 109 between Harriston and Teviotdale on Aug. 20.
Submitted by Willa Wick of the Harriston Historical Society
