Born in Alsace-Lorraine in 1865, Fritz Wilhelm Albert immigrated to America and ultimately became one of the very finest designers of Teco Pottery. His designs have consistently brought significant sums at auction.

Albert worked under the employ of William Day Gates. In 1881, Gates founded the American Terra Cotta Tile and Ceramic Company in Terra Cotta, Illinois, close to Crystal Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. In addition to producing the first architectural terra cotta in America, especially for Prairie School building projects, Gates also developed various clays and glazes for art pottery.

Teco, which is a contraction of ‘Terra Cotta,’ soon became synonymous with excellence in decorative design in the Arts and Crafts style. Although Teco comes in a range of colors and glazes, the rich, matte green glaze is the most distinctive and prized of all. Teco Pottery usually favors simple geometrical or natural designs that highlight a given form.

Gates eventually turned over control of the Terra Cotta Company to his son Major. The firm later expanded to Indianapolis and Minneapolis, but these operations were purely industrial in nature. With Gates’ retirement, the production of art pottery largely ceased.