Research Guides: Black History Month @ The University Libraries: This year's Black History Month events

Books on David (Dave) Drake

I made this jar-- : the life and works of the enslaved African-American potter, Dave by Jill B. Koverman
Call Number: Reese Library Special Collections, 3rd Floor (Does Not Circulate) ; S.C. NK4210.D247 A4 1998

Publication Date: 1998

A catalog of an exhibition held at McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina, Apr. 19-Dec. 19, 1998, and at other museums.
The words and wares of David Drake: Revisiting I made this jar and the legacy of Edgefield pottery by Jane Przybysz; Jill Beute Koverman
Call Number: Reese Books, 3rd Floor NK4210.D247 A4 2023

Publication Date: 2023

Collects multifaceted scholarship about Drake and his craft. Building on the 1998 national traveling exhibit catalog, "I Made This Jar...": The Life and Works of Enslaved African American Potter, Dave, and featuring more than eighty beautiful images and seven new essays, it presents the diverse perspectives of African American and American Studies' scholars, archaeologists, artists, collectors, and historians.
Carolina clay: The life and legend of the slave potter Dave by Leonard Todd
Call Number: Reese Library Special Collections, 3rd Floor (Does Not Circulate) S.C. NK4210.D247 T63 2008

Publication Date: 2008

Fascinated by the man and by this troubling family history, Leonard Todd moved from Manhattan to Edgefield, South Carolina, where his ancestors had established a thriving pottery industry in the early 1800s. Todd studied each of Dave's poems for biographical clues, which he pieced together with local records and family letters to create this moving and dramatic chronicle of Dave's life--a story of creative triumph in the midst of slavery. Many of Dave's astounding jars are found now in America's finest museums.
Dave the Potter: artist, poet, slave by Laban Carrick Hill; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Call Number: Reese Library Juvenile JUV NK4210.D247 H55 2010

Publication Date: 2010

In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.
Great and noble jar: Traditional stoneware of South Carolina by Cinda K. Baldwin
Call Number: Reese Books, 3rd Floor NK4364 .B35 1993 ALSO AVAILABLE online

Publication Date: 1993

The first authoritative study of South Carolina stoneware--from its beginnings in colonial times and its heyday in the 1850s through the post-Civil War period and the first half of the twentieth century. Folklorist Cinda K. Baldwin examines not only many traditional pottery forms but also the methods by which they were thrown, glazed, decorated, and fired. Among the topics on which Baldwin focuses are the contributions of slaves and freed blacks to the pottery industry, including the remarkable work of the potter named Dave, who marked his wares with brief verse inscriptions, including this one found on a large food-storage container: "Great & Noble Jar, / hold sheep, goat, and bear."

Black History Month 2024 @ The University Libraries

Black History Month 2024

This year, The University Libraries host a film screening and Q&A session on David Drake, an enslaved potter who lived in Edgefield, SC.

Text in flyer:
In celebration of Black History Month, the University Libraries present: “Discovering Dave: Spirit Captured in Clay” Film Screening.
** Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 3:30pm, UH 170 **
This documentary highlights the artistic and poetic skills of David Drake, an enslaved potter from Edgefield, South Carolina, who produced and signed thousands of pots in the 1800s. We will be joined by George “Buddy” Wingard, Archaeologist & Program Coordinator for the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program. Q&A following the film screening. Refreshments will be served.

Couldn't make it to our film screening event? Check out the trailers and watch the film below!

"Discovering Dave: Spirit captured in clay" trailers & film

Intrigued by the preview? Watch the entire film on Vimeo
Stream the film for free on Vimeo.
Borrow the DVD: Discovering Dave: Spirit captured in clay / a Savannah River Archaeological Research Program
Augusta University students, staff, faculty, affiliates, and community members who have an AU Library card can borrow the DVD from Reese Library. Ask for it at the Information Desk.

Intrigued by the preview? Watch the entire film on Vimeo
Stream the film for free on Vimeo.
Borrow the DVD: Discovering Dave: Spirit captured in clay / a Savannah River Archaeological Research Program
Augusta University students, staff, faculty, affiliates, and community members who have an AU Library card can borrow the DVD from Reese Library. Ask for it at the Information Desk.

Dave the Potter video - South Carolina ETV (5 mins, 55s)

Articles & sites on David (Dave) Drake

Websites & webpages

Dave The Potter
Website featuring videos and more on Dave Drake.
Hear me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina Museum Exhibit
Provides an overview of the exhibition held September 9, 2022–February 5, 2023, and previously on view at The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 955.

News and other online articles

Dave the Potter’s Mark on History
JStor Daily (August 23, 2023)
Daring eloquence: The ceramic poetry of enslaved potter David Drake
Saint Louis Art Museum article (September 22, 2021)
David Drake’s Poetic Pottery Was Resistance
National Gallery of Art - Artist Spotlight article (June 16, 2023)
Their enslaved ancestor’s pottery sells for over $1 million. They get nothing. - AU users
Washington Post (April 2, 2023) article available to AU students, staff, faculty, and affiliates.
Their enslaved ancestor’s pottery sells for over $1 million. They get nothing. - Guest access
Washington Post (April 2, 2023)
If you're not AU-affiliated, you can create a free account on the Washington Post website to access 1 free article.
A history carved in stoneware
LSA Magazine - Fall 2023 (University of Michigan)
David “Dave” Drake: Potter and Poet
Smithsonian American Art Museum article (February 1, 2023)
The Enslaved Artist Whose Pottery Was an Act of Resistance
New York Times (June 17, 2021)
In a slave's pottery, a saga of courage and beauty - AU users
New York Times (Jan 30, 2000) article available to AU students, staff, faculty, and affiliates.
In a slave's pottery, a saga of courage and beauty - Guest access
New York Times (Jan 30, 2000) article on NY Times website. If you're not AU affiliated, you may be able to access it if you create a free account.
Leonard Todd: Carolina clay: The life and legend of the slave potter, Dave
Todd shares info on his book, Carolina Clay, and on David Drake's life, pots, and poems.