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American Art Tile
 
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American Art Tile [Hardcover]

Norman Karlson (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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From Amazon

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
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Superb reference, Mar 14 2002
By 
Sean J. Malloy (Union, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: American Art Tile (Hardcover)
Superb photos and beautifully written and researched text make this a must for any serious collector of American Art Tiles! Karlson pushes the information envelope with regard to many American tile artisans. For example, he includes a photograph of perhaps the only known example of a glazed Matt Morgan art tile. If you are a serious Art Tile collector this book should be in your library!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for novice tile collectors and lovers alike!, Jun 20 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: American Art Tile (Hardcover)
This bountiful volume conatains gorgeous photos and detailed information on tile manufacturers from the turn of the century to WWII. Some famous ones, and a lot of obscure ones that I was thrilled to learn about. Besides being pleasing to the eye, it really did broaden my understanding of the different tile manufacturers and the influences that shaped the work and heritage. I rarely spend this much on a book, but I found it to be well worth the money.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Not a coffee table book...., Sep 1 2000
By 
Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: American Art Tile (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.

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