Founded in Salem, Ohio by Pat and John McNichol, Dan Cronin and William Smith in 1898, the Salem China Company operated as manufacturer of ceramic wares in East Liverpool, Ohio until 1967. In 1918, the company was suffering financially and Frank A. Sebring, of the Sebring Pottery Company and Limoges China Company in Sebring, Ohio purchased it that year (presumably for his son Frank H. Sebring Jr. who was away at war). Beginning in the mid-1930s, Viktor Schreckengost began designing for Salem, becoming the company’s chief designer in 1946. Among his most successful shapes for Salem were “Victory” (1937), “Hotco” (1937), “Symphony” (1940), “Tempo” (1948), “Lotus Bud” (1950), “Constellation” (1953), and “Free-form” (1955). In 1968, after ceasing production of wares, the company continued operating under the name ‘Salem China Company’ but just as a distributor.
