▁when ▁William ▁Bo ch ▁& ▁Brothers ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁soft - paste ▁por cel ain ▁( a ▁mixture ▁of ▁ka olin ▁and ▁ph osph ate ▁of ▁l ime , ▁after ▁an ▁English ▁formula ) ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁kil n . ▁By ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁their ▁enter prise ▁was ▁organized ▁under ▁several ▁names ▁including ▁the ▁Union ▁Por cel ain ▁Works ▁and ▁Empire ▁Por cel ain ▁Works . ▁The ▁brothers ▁proved ▁un success ful , ▁and ▁their ▁factory ▁passed ▁into ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁a ▁stock ▁company , ▁who ▁succeeded ▁in ▁indu cing ▁Thomas ▁Car ll ▁Smith ▁( 1 8 1 5 – 1 9 0 1 ), ▁then ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁architect ▁and ▁builder ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁to ▁loan ▁them ▁considerable ▁sums ▁of ▁money ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁The ▁war ▁came ▁on , ▁the ▁company ▁failed , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁Smith ▁found ▁himself ▁obliged ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁factory ▁for ▁his ▁deb t . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁Smith ▁visited ▁the ▁Man ufact ure ▁nationale ▁de ▁S è v res ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁English ▁pot ter ies ▁in ▁Sto ke - on - Tr ent , ▁during ▁which ▁visit ▁he ▁became ▁determined ▁to ▁switch ▁to ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁hard - paste ▁por cel ain . ▁He ▁thus ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁to ▁make ▁true ▁por cel ain . ▁He ▁re work ed ▁the ▁factory ▁tools ▁accordingly ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁purchased