I haven’t been able to find too much about the Hoenig name for California Pottery. It is not listed in either Chipman’s Books or Lehner’s Marks. From the style of items I’ve seen, I’m estimating the date of operation to be somewhere in the 1950s-1960s, although I can’t be sure of that.

One of the most popular items marked with Hoenig are the Lazy Susan and Apple Dish server sets. The latter has one covered dish in the center with six apple dishes around it - I’ve seen this in turquoise and pink. This seems to be a specialty of the pottery - and there numerous variations. The piece I found seems to be part of a similar server set.

The other item I’ve seen frequently is a covered “Pumpkin Dish” casserole. I’ve seen this in pink, green and turquoise so far. There are also ashtrays and vases, though I see those less frequently.

Some pieces are marked “Hoenig of California” while others are actually marked with what I believe is the first name of the designer “Lou Hoenig”. Some have ID numbers as well. Note that “Hoenig” is a relatively common last name, so a search of simply “Hoenig” on Ebay will bring back quite a few mismatches. Also, the name is sometimes spelled “Honig”. Note that there seems to be a connection with Belmar of California.

One other interesting thing: I’m also not yet sure if the name “Lou” is a he or a she!

Update 1/2010: Completely forgot, but this past summer I had a chance to check out a few Ceramic Industry periodicals at the library. This periodical is known for its mention of various California potteries and ceramic businesses. In the Feb 1955 issue, I came across a little blurb, and I quote: “Lazy Susans will be quite in evidence in the coming gift show. Lous Hoenig will present serveral new and exciting ones in his Brack Shop showroom.” So I guess that’s pretty definitive that it’s a “he”.

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