Johann George Pfaltzgraff, a German immigrant, moved to Pennsylvania in the 1830s to join a relative, George Falsgraff, a potter there since 1811. Pfaltzgraff taught his sons the pottery trade, and in 1889, after his death, sons George and Henry Pfaltzgraff forged a partnership that would grow into the Pfaltzgraff Company. In seeking to identify a Pfaltzgraff piece, first look for the manufacturer's stamp on the back of the item. Genuine Pfaltzgraff stoneware will have the mark.

Current Patterns

If the Pfaltzgraff Company still markets the pattern, you will be able to find it on the Pfaltzgraff.com site. A link to patterns and collections can be found on the home page near the top left. In the patterns and collections pages, thumbnail images show the edge of a plate. Scroll over the thumbnail image and an image of a complete place setting will appear. Click on the thumbnail image and a page will appear showing all pieces available for that pattern.

Retired Patterns

If the Pfaltzgraff pattern you seek to identify has been retired, the search will be more time-consuming. Replacements Ltd. is a Greensboro, North Carolina-based company that specializes in selling tableware to replace missing or broken pieces. The online site has a comprehensive list of old and new patterns, alphabetized by manufacturer and pattern name. Click on the name of a pattern and a page will open with information on the manufacturing status, pieces in stock and prices. If a picture of the pattern is available--and it usually is--a thumbnail image can be found at the top left of the page. Click on the thumbnail image and a larger picture will open. The thumbnail images are ordinarily plates, but if you scroll down to the type of piece you are most familiar with, such as a mug or a salad bowl, often there are pictures of these pieces as well. Look at that picture to determine if that is the pattern you are seeking.

Source:

Pfaltzgraff.com

Replacements.com