The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-04-26
THE CERAMIC ART.
Mrs. M. N. MaCLaren, of Milwaukee,
Delivers an Interesting Address
Before the Woman's Club.
cH1NA's PLACE IN HISTORY.

AOW WIG Early 6ngI1Sl anu american
wares Glorifed the Deeds of American
Heroes.-The Finest Pottery in the World
is the "Rookwood'', Discovered by an
American Woman Pottery Making as an
Art-Habits of Collectors.
The Woman's club held their regular
fortnight1y meeting Wednesday after
noon atthe residence of Mrs. DR.. Farr,
which proved to be one of the most en-
joyab1e of the year. The guest of
honor was Mrs. M. N. MacLaren, of
Milwaukee, who is a famous student
of pottery.
Mrs. MacLaren delivered very
Ceramic Wares of the Late Colonial
and Early Federal Days.. She spoke
as one having authority, for there is
no one IN the west better posted on the
subject of Ceramic art than she. In
the beginning of the talk she spoke of
the -Rookwood pottery and gave the
ladies. some very interesting informa-
ton by telling that this pottery which
was considered the finest in the world,
was the invention of an American
woman. It was first made in Cincin-
natl in 1892, but the invention only
proved success after the inventor had
worked for years to bring about the
delicate tints in the firing.
Since the invention of the lockwood
it has been the rage of the pottery
world, but no one has ever succeeded
in duplicating it. The lockwood is
the purely artistic in china and this is
what has given it its value. Other
noted American china is the Ches1ea,
made by a man named Robinson, in
Massachusetts,. Mr.. Robinson is
maker of china wholly for its artistic
value and has given up his health and
life to the production of the artistic
tirts'in wares. He was true artist
and has brought the Ceramic art to it's
highest standard.
The speaker then touched on the
history of china and stated that at the
time the Pilgrim Fathers came to
America they brought no table ware
with them and the first introduction of
china into America was at the coming
of the Cavaliers after the death of
Charles 1. This ware was largely
brought from China and Japan and
with it came the blue India wares.
China was first made at Staffordshire
in England, in 1755 and in this way
the early co1onists became possessed of
the blue and whites, the black and
whites and pinks so eagerly sought for
by collectors in those days.
Mrs. MacLaren showed that the
making of pottery had been closely
connected with the history of the
American people and in the early days
of the nineteenth century the potter's
art was made to g1orify the deeds Of
American heroes.
In 1918 English potters began to
make plates for the American market
and the first sets we're decorated with
pictures of American buildings and
kp1aces of interest. Among these early
sets were the Lafayette set, clarifying
the deeds of Lafayette, and the Bunker
Hill set, and on one .of these early
plates is to be found the only picture
of the Boston fAthenium, now extant.
Samples of all these early wares are
now highly priced and are sold to col
leCtors at extravaganza prices. There
are now large number of collectors
of pottery, and, strange as it may
seem, many of the greatest enthusiasts
are men. These men gather the china
from ali parts of the globe simply for
it's artistic value
The most remarkable set IN any col
lection is the Washington set which
was recently sold in New York. It con-
sists of four pieces and was made for
the Order of the Cincinnati to be pre-
scented to General Washington. The
pattern was exclusive and was to have
been made only for the members Of
the order. AS far as can be discov-
cred only the one set was ever made.
After the lecture Mrs. McLaren ex-
hibited a. number of historic pieces of
china from her collection.
Previous to the lecture the ladies had
their usual parliamentary drill, and
the evening closed with the usual cup
of tea. Tea was poured by Mrs. w. P.
Robinson and Mrs. Tanner.