Above all I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the people who welcomed me into their home to shoot their Red Wing Art Pottery and who shared their knowledge and resources with me: Steve & Barb Brown, Cliff & Margaret Ekdahl, Gale & Tom Erdmann, Dave & Diane Hallstrom, Curtis & Debie Johnson, Deanna & Jay Juergens, Phyllis & Mike Kendrich, Ron Linde, Art & Sharon Lombard, Pete & Cindy May, Bonnie Myers & Nick Marson, Jerry & Louise Mewhorter, Gerald & Louise Schleich and Peter Ullrich & Susan Pitman.

I would also like to give a special thanks to the Red Wing Collectors Society, its board members, its Business Manager Kay Wilshusen, and to all of its members, especially all the volunteers. This very special collectors club encompasses over 7000 members and is simply the best organized club filled with the most helpful people I have ever been involved with. (For information on joining, write Red Wing Collectors Society P.O. Box 50, Red Wing, MN 55066 or rwcsmem@win.bright.net)

I am also most appreciative to Fred & Sherry Caventer of Red Wing Antique Emporium for their help in hosting my photo session and book signing.

I am especially grateful to the people who took the effort to bring in pieces to photograph (and apologize if I missed or misspelled your name): Joe Alexander, Jennie & Rick Alfaro, the Eugene Allyn family, Bruce & Colleen Anderson, Chris, Anita & Mike Anderson, Karen Devine, Phil Diazza, Cindy Henley & Esther Schroeder from the Antique Center of La Crosse, Mark Anway, Wally & Jessie Armstrong, Todd Avery, Barb & Bernie Banet, Dan Barry, Nancy Barth, Allen Bauer, Helen E. Bell, Sherry & Wayne Bell, Carol Berg, Lou Blew, Ted Brinkman, Jo Ellen & Tim Broetzmann, Bill Burgess, Doug Bystrom, Francine Colling, Bob & Sharon Cox, Bob & Mona Deden, Burnette Dressen, Siobhan Fennessy & Ted Rice, & Hall, John & Shelly Hopperstad, Gary Hubbard, Jeff & Lynn Huppert, Vera and (?or vera lloyd) LLoyd Hutchinson, Paul Jacklitch, Jim Jensen, Ardelle & Dave Johnson, Kathleen & Wayne Johnson, Ron Johnson, Jim & Karen Kay, Dorthy Kirpach, Doug & Linda Krueger, Celia Ann Lango, John May, Peg Lear, David Lenling, Patrick Littgrer(sp?), Celda Lundin, Dennis Mabry, Lisa & Terry McClellan, Donna & Ken McEntee, T.J. McHose, Loraine & John Mehrkens, Marion Mincieli, Nancy Murphy, Kay Nash, Ernie and Colleen Nelson, Jim Norine, Mary Olson, Maurice & Donna Olms, Marilyn and Stan Palmer, Maxine Paxson, Dennis & Caroline Pechacek, Larry & Pauline Peterson, Margaret & Bernie Raetz, Mike & Dianna Rice, Mike & Russa Robinson, Kathy & Larry Rochin, Dode & Willie Safe, Roger Sexter, Bill Smith, Lawrence Sobaskie, Marge Stokke, Karen & Larry Sueehusan, Betty & Donald Swanson, Dale & Marlene Thompson, Pat Tri, Jackie & Tom Trulen, Betty Ann & Homer Twig, Lois Verges, Sue Wallin, James Waterman, Louis Whitman, Patrick Whittaker(sp?) and Terry & Lyn Wilmot.

Numerous institutions were very helpful in my search for original source material. I’m grateful to staff members at the Goodhue County Historical Society, Red Wing Pottery Sales, the Red Wing Public Library, and the Minnesota Historical Society.

A special thanks to a truly dedicated production staff of Tomasz Rostowski, Eric Ferrell, Sophia Kourkouvis, and Phillip Foley. And to everyone else who contributed in even a small way, my profound thanks!

Ray Reiss