There is something so sweet about mid-century pottery. It embodies the 'good life' sentiment of the mid-century middle class that has somehow seeped quietly from American culture in the decades since. I think that may be part of what makes it such a popular collectible; it's an artifact from the American Dream: handmade, bold, and enduring. I don't have much to offer as far as historical background on the subject other than the fact that studio pottery was part of the Arts and Crafts Movement that began in the late 19th Century and had strong roots in northern Europe, but I can offer you a little reading if you are interested in the history. I found a great article on mid-century American studio pottery and there is a wonderful book I would like to get my hands on titled California Pottery: From Missions to Modernism by Bill Stern as well as a short introduction to a 2004 exhibition by the same title at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage that is worth reading.
Please leave any interesting facts or comments you have on the subject below. I'd love to know more.
