The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-03-30
POTTERY EXHIBIT
EXPECTED TO WIN
ACCLAIM AT FAIR
Potters Adept At Stealing
Shows With Display
Of Rure Skill
BEAUTIFUL MURAL
NEARS COMPLETION
Advance Of Industry Under
Collective Bargaining
Pact Shown

When New York's World Fair of
Tomorrow is officially opened the end
Of next month, it is a safe prediction
that one of the most popular exhibits
will be that Of the potters. Given
trials on different occasions in the
past, the art of the clay workers has
never failed to steal the show. Even
though it will this time be up against
the stiffest competition possible, it is
once more expected to be numbered
among the main attractions.
The display, which is a miniature
plant with a circular kiln and Broth
erhood members to skillfully shape,
fire and decorate the raw clay into
beautiful ware, is unique in that it is
the only exhibit jointly sponsored by
Capital and Labor.
The idea for the exhibit was born
in the annual convention of the Natl
onal Brotherhood of Operative Pot
ters last June when President James
NJ. Duffy, representing the Executive
Board in its effort to promote the sale
of American-made pottery ware, in
troduced resolution to have a dis
play at the Fair, the expense of which
should be divided between the organ
ization and the United States Potters
association. A month later at the con-
ference with the manufacturers six
firms, Homer Laughlin China Co.,
Hall China Co, Edwin NJ Knowles
China Co., Cronin China Co., Paden
City Pottery Co. and w. S. George
China Co., agreed to furnish half Of
the $4,000 needed to present and
maintain a suitable exhibit for six
months.
An extremely advantageous spot in
the important Household Furnishings
building was selected the first week in
December when President Duffy, w.
H. Locke Anderson, then L. S. p. A.
head and an official Of the Edwin NJ.
Knowles China Co., and Arthur Wells,
Homer Laughlin official, went over
the Fair grounds. The pottery dis
play is just inside the main entrance
of the building which stands in front
of the main gates and close to the SUBJ
way and railroad terminals.
An extremely fitting and beautiful
background for the exhibit is the
mural pictured on this page which is
being completed at the Homer Laugh
lin No. plant by artist Charles Muir
ply and his assistant William H.
Blair.
Taking for his theme the forty
years Of splendid relationship existing
between the National Brotherhood Of
Operative Potters and the United
States Potters association under the
collective bargaining arrangement, de-
clared by most authorities to be model,
the youthful artist has constructed a
masterpiece showing every phase Of
the great ceramic industry. Workmen
at their benches, executives at their
desk, chemists, artists and modes of
transportation of the raw materials
into the plant and the finished prod
ucts to the markets are depicted.
Those familiar with the industry
will not find it hard to place noted
figures portrayed at their work. Pres
ident Duffy can be seen close to the
center of the canvas. The late w. f.
Wells, executive; Frederick Rhead,
art director; DR.. A. V. Bleininger, re-
search chemist, are among those easily
seen.
Using background of maroon, Mr..
Murphy has made clever use of his
colors to bring out the necessary CO.
operation between the heroic figures,
Capital and Labor A scaffold with
three levels operating on trolley is
used to allow the artists to work on
different sections of the canvas with
out interfering with each other. When
completed and dry, the painting will
be carefully rolled and sent to New
York to be placed on the rounded
backwall of the exhibit.
1t was not necessary to step out
side of the scope of the pottery indus
try to find a master artist. Charles
Murphy is an employe of the Decal
Products Co. of East Liverpool, FORM
erly identified with the Salem China
Co. and the Homer Laughlin China
Co. as an artist designer. He comes
by his knowledge of the industry first
hand since his father, Harry Murphy,
was secretary-treasurer of the Willis
Chetwin plant here for many years
and later connected with the sales de-
partment of the Sebring Co.
East Liverpool is the birthplace of
the portrait artist, but he moved to
Sebring with his family to spend most
of his early school days. While at
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