Catalina Pottery
| Industry | Ceramic manufacturing | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1927 | |
| Defunct | 1937 | |
| Successor | Parent | Santa Catalina Island Company |
Catalina Pottery (or Catalina Island Pottery) is the commonly used name for Catalina Clay Products, a division of the Santa Catalina Island Company, which produced brick, tile,
History
In 1927,
In 1930, Wrigley brought artisans to the Island to design decorative and functional pottery products including souvenirs, vases, bookends and figurines.. Dinnerware and art ware was sold through department and jewelry stores. The pottery's tile was used for the interiors and exteriors of buildings on the Island. Tile products were used throughout the United States. The Arizona Biltmore Hotel's swimming pool was built using Catalina tile.
In 1937, Catalina Clay Products, including all equipment, stock, molds, and trademarks, were sold to Gladding, McBean & Co. The pottery on the Island was closed. "The Santa Catalina Island Company initially suggested that Gladding McBean lease the production facilities at Pebbly Beach and continue to produce the Catalina Pottery on the island. This proposal did not interest the mainland firm because the high cost of importing clay had caused the problem in the first place."[3] All molds and equipment were moved to Gladding, McBean & Co.'s Glendale plant in Los Angeles. Gladding, McBean continued to produce Catalina art ware and dinnerware shapes for their Catalina Pottery art ware lines until 1942. Gladding, McBean & Co.'s Catalina Pottery art ware was marked Catalina Pottery, made in USA, with an ink stamp. All tile products were discontinued.[3]
Max Weil of California, formerly The California Figurine Co. purchased the Catalina art ware molds and patterns from Gladding McBean and Co., however Gladding, McBean & Co. retained the trade name Catalina.[4] In 1947, Gladding, McBean & Co. returned the use of the trademark to the Santa Catalina Island Company.
References
- ^ “Bogged Auto Starts New Industry. Fine Clays, Found by Accident, Used in Pottery.” Los Angeles Times. October 9, 1932.
- ^ a b Fridley, A.W. (1977). Catalina Pottery, The Early Years 1927-1937. Costa Mesa, California: Rainbow Publishing. p. 13.
- ^ ISBN 0-915269-10-4.
- ^ Tufft, J. Edward (September 1945). "Artware Pottery Gossip from Southern California". Ceramic Industry: 72.
Further reading
- Coates, Carole Catalina Island Pottery and Tile Island Treasures 1927-1937. Schiffer Publishing Ltd (2001) ISBN 0-7643-1401-7
- Fridley, A. W. Catalina Pottery: the Early Years, 1927-1937. Rainbow Publishing Co. (1977)
- Hoefs, Steven and Aisha Hoefs Catalina Island Pottery: Collectors Guide. S. & A. Hoefs (1993)
- Pedersen, Jeannine L. The Art of Catalina Clay Products. Catalina Island Museum Society Inc. (2000) ISBN 0-9720668-1-0
- Rosenthal, Lee Catalina Tile of the Magic Isle. Windgate Press (1992) ISBN 0-915269-10-4
- Stern, Bill California Pottery: From Missions to Modernism. Chronicle Books (2001) ISBN 0-8118-3068-3