American Art Tile 1876-1941 [Hardcover]

Norman Karlson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1998

From the world's foremost collector, here is the new, fully illustrated standard guide to America's first golden age of tile making. American Art Tile presents more than 2,000 tiles, arranged geographically and chronologically, made by more than 100 American potteries and manufacturers from the Civil War to the 194Os. Full-color photographs illustrate these collectible and rare tiles from all regions of the United States, as well as historic landmark tile installations, from the New York subway to Catalina Island. Tile collectors will appreciate the meticulously researched history of each pottery, biographies of tile makers, and rare examples (seldom seen even in museums) from little-known potteries in Norman Karlson's personal collection.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For collectors and aficionados of American art tile, this thoroughgoing, historically detailed book of more than 2,000 tiles from 149 potteries, studios, and factories will prove indispensable. And for casual readers who happen on its amazing array of delectable color photographs, it will be a seductive invitation to join the club. Author Norman Karlson was a photographer who shot some hand-painted Florentine tiles for a Ladies' Home Journal article in 1962. After 500 readers asked where to find them, Karlson started a European tile store in the basement of his home, branching into American art tiles in the 1980s. Here he has written brief, fascinating histories of each manufacturer, starting in New England and ending in California, with many down-to-earth details. Discussing Mississippi's Newcomb pottery, at the Southern women's college, Karlson mentions George Ohr, whose turn-of-the-century pots are now highly prized. "It is assumed that Newcomb asked Ohr to leave because his bawdy character was unsuited for the refined young ladies," Karlson notes dryly, next to photos of ceramic brothel tokens with ribald pictograms that Ohr sold as souvenirs at his own studio. Karlson provides pictures of scores of tile-clad surfaces, from cozy Arts and Crafts mantelpieces to the New York subway system. He also includes photos of potteries' identifying marks, biographical sketches of six leaders of the American art-tile movement, a glossary, and a detailed bibliography. --Margaret Moorman

From Booklist

Who better than a dedicated, devoted collector to document the history of American art tile? In 1962, while in Italy, photographer Karlson picked out some blue-and-white tiles and installed them at home, then photographed them for a magazine assignment. Requests flooded the editors, and Karlson started his collection and a retail shop exclusively for flooring products. Thirty stores later arrives this definitive reference source, arranging factories by state or area and illustrating each with at least a few photographs of actual ceramics output. Each entry includes not only a description of ownership, location, business size, and other corporate data, but also, whenever possible, notes about major installations, techniques, awards, and artisans associated with the pottery. Biographical profiles, a glossary, and selected reading appended. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084782098X
• ISBN-13: 978-0847820986
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a coffee table book...., September 1, 2000

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: American Art Tile 1876-1941 (Hardcover)

Well, okay, maybe you would place in on the coffee table if your book shelves aren't high enough, but this is a practical book. "American Art Tile" covers the period from 1876-1941. Why does it stop in 1941? Because sadly, many tile making firms shut down for WWII and never reopened.

The book shows photographs of hundreds of tiles made by more than 100 American firms (probably every one Mr. Karlson could identify). Included are the Dedham Pottery in Dedham Massachusetts with it's famous blue and white scenes of rabbits running around the edge of the tile; the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown, Pennsylvania with it's fantastic Eastern European images; The Weller Pottery in Zanesville Ohio with it's "Sicardo" works; Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio which produced the matte glazed architectural tile used in the New York Subway system such as Fulton's Steamboat at the Fulton Street Station; and the wonderful Pewabic Pottery in Detroit Michigan from the Chippawa word for copper colored clay.

These tiles are not all individually labled, so if you're trying to identify a particular item, the book will provide only limited information. On the other hand, it will probably help you determine the origin of the manufacturing company, if not the name of the specific design. According to Karlson, many of the companies are out of business, so this may be as good as it gets since catalogues are impossible to obtain.

Mr. Karlson includes many photographs of individual tiles, but few are show 'in situ' so the pages can become overwhelming in their detail. However, the book is probably destined to be something antique tile dealers keep in their reference desk. If you're a serious tile collector or fancier, you will probably find the book worth the cost.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Beautiful, November 10, 1999

By 

Jody Palm "bookgoddess" (Greeneville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Art Tile 1876-1941 (Hardcover)

This is a must for anyone interested in the history of tiles and tile makers.

The book gives a history of every tile making outfit in America from 1876-1941, and shows as many color samples of the tiles they produced as the author seems to have gotten his hands on, many from his own collection. It was sobering to notice, when reading about all the tile companies, how many went under during the depression or just afterwards. This country lost a wonderful heritage, as many never came back after the depression lifted. Too bad, really. There are currently some companies making copies or remakes of some designs (what with the renewed interest in all things Arts and Crafts). Maybe this book and the Neo Arts and Crafts movement will spark some new American tile making shops? I hope so.

The book is beautifully laid out and would be a nice coffee table addition for those who are not tile collectors, but who just enjoy looking at tiles.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A feast for the eyes!!!, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Art Tile 1876-1941 (Hardcover)

For the pragmatic who truly needs to see "slide-show" type arrangements of tiles and short descriptions of tile makers and their beginnings...this is for you! Practical and absolutely beautiful.