A is for Art Pottery

Weller, Wild Rose pattern, 1930's; Roseville, Gardenia pattern, 1950

Roseville, Freesia pattern, 1945

Roseville, Clematis pattern, 1944

"To learn is to understand, to understand is to know, to know is to appreciate, and to appreciate is to love." So now you have it, the madness behind the method to educate and thereby get you hooked on beautiful things from the past. Today we begin with A for Art Pottery. Originating in Ohio and spreading to Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and California in the late 1880's, this type of pottery was intended for decorative, rather than utilitarian use. The regions which produced it were rich in the natural resources of clay and a work force with manufacturing experience. Talented artisans working with glazes in more than a dozen or more companies contributed to the uniqueness of the craft and created countless gorgeous pieces over the course of 100 years! Keep in mind these were home-grown companies, producing their wares during War and post-War periods and strengthening the economy by keeping jobs in America. Prior to WWII most American Pottery was unmarked. From the late 1940's through most of the 1950's MADE IN THE U.S.A. was an important marking, proudly displayed. Listed are some of the more common Art Pottery manufacturers: Bennington(1843), Fulper(1860-1910), Haeger(1871 - Present), Weller(1872-1948), Rookwood(1880), Roseville(1890-1954), Hull(1905-1986), McCoy(1910-1967), VanBriggle(1900-Present), Marblehead(1904-1936), RedWing(1900-Present), Bauer(1909-1930's), Stangle(1921-1970's). Happy Treasure Hunting!

Aren't We Lucky!

At last simplycoolstuff welcomes you to my first post and my little world of creativity. The hope is to inspire through writing, photography, art, vintage home goods and decorating, garden design and more. These pages will be organized and posted alphabetically on Mondays and every other week a vintage item will be highlighted to educate and promote my passion for precious old things. Just for fun, the blog will follow a stream of consciousness format which, according to Wikipedia "is a technique in modern narrative fiction which attempts to convey the characters' rambling thoughts." I plan on mixing up the content with interviews of maybe famous and maybe not so famous everyday locals with something to share. The object is to enjoy yourself for a short time - ramble a little - and see where it leads...Love to have you join in every now and again! And, with that introduction, I give you a window into some local beauty. The perfect time of the year to reflect: Aren't We Lucky!