David Drake, an enslaved African American, worked as a “turner” in several pottery manufacturing facilities in South Carolina’s Edgefield District. Drake, who was known only as “Dave” before 1865, learned to both read and write, dangerous and even illegal skills for a slave to possess. Apparently with his owner’s approval, Drake openly expressed his literacy and his literary skills by inscribing original poems on many of the utilitarian works he created. The identities of millions of enslaved African Americans, whose talents and labor supported the development of American culture, are absent from recorded history. Through the modest utilitarian wares handcrafted and inscribed by David Drake, at least one remarkable voice remains to speak on behalf of the lives and stories irretrievably lost. This storage vessel bears the inscription: “Lm Aug 16 1857 Dave I wonder where is all my relation Friendship to all and every nation.” The Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the largest institutional collection of pottery vessels by David Drake, including single-handle jugs, storage jars, pitchers, a syrup jug, and a rare butter churn.