Vince Martonis, Hanover historian, is pictured with photos of 19th century potteries found in Chautauqua County.

The Fenton History Center in Jamestown will host Vince Martonis, Hanover historian, for a PowerPoint program on the 19th century potteries of Chautauqua County on Wednesday, April 9, at 1 p.m.

Martonis has researched and collected pottery vessels and sherds from the potteries since the 1980s. His focus over the years has been on three potteries: the Caleb Mathews pottery in Gerry, the Fenton and Whittemore pottery in Jamestown and Fluvanna, and the Haven and Kenyon pottery in Sheridan.

With Mathews, he will discuss how the potter mixed local and stoneware clays to make vessels. He will also explain how to clearly identify unmarked Mathews pieces by analyzing form and decoration. Five Mathews pieces in the Fenton collection will be on display, as well as a never-before-seen Mathews inkwell. His presentation of Fenton and Whittemore will cover the rare pitchers in the Fenton collection, which will be on display, and Fenton’s New England and New York early years during which he made pottery with his relatives. For the first time, people will get to see a cup, a candlestick, and a small bowl made of this pottery.

For Haven and Kenyon, Martonis will have two extremely rare pieces on display. One of them is connected to Sheridan, Fredonia, Forestville, and Jamestown history, as well as to botanic medicine and the War of 1812. Also on display will be a pottery flask recently made from clay dug from the Haven and Kenyon site by Ron Nasca of Fredonia. In addition, Martonis will have available his books on the Mathews and Haven & Kenyon sites, as well as a book on the Fenton site which is currently being published.