Product Description

A critical appreciation of the rise of the Rockwood Pottery of Cincinnati to its commercial pinnacle. Nancy E. Owen assesses the labour practices and production of ceramic ware as a way to explore anxiety about women's roles outside the home as well as about immigration and industrialization.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2885300 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 349 pages

From Library Journal
Academic theses are written for three audiences: the committee passing judgment on the candidate, present and future researchers, and the inquiring public. Owen (American art and women's studies, Northwestern) aims her book squarely at the first two audiences. This is not to say that general readers will not find the 237 pages rewarding, but they may be dismayed that 98 thorough pages of index, footnotes, and bibliography are balanced by a mere 12 color plates of indifferent quality. In analyzing the history of artistic pottery, copious illustrations would certainly help readers gain a sense of the pots produced and how they differed from the mechanical output of the larger commercial concerns of the era. This distinction is crucial to understanding Rookwood and its birth in the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century. The heart of Owen's investigation lies in her dissection of the role of cultured and wealthy women in elevating the unglamorous, workaday world of the ceramic industry into an avenue of artistic expression and of the role of Rookwood Pottery in furthering American interest in the Arts and Crafts movement. As such, her book will be of interest to large academic collections only. David McClelland, Philadelphia
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Not for the average collector
This is not a book for the average pottery collector. It contains no "values" or "prices" and has only enough illustrations to explain the author's points. It is, moreover, not written in a popular style and occasionally lapses into academic jargon. For anyone interested in the "why" or "how" of Rookwood and American art pottery in general, its role in American industrial and cultural history, and its relationship to the increasing freedom of American women, this book is without peer. It includes an excellent bibliography that goes well beyond the usual suspects.

Wonderful history of the culture behind Rookwood Pottery
Owen's book is an unparalleled source on Rookwood Pottery's history. Owen does an excellent job of placing the people involved with Rookwood Pottery in the greater context of their time. Unlike many collector's price guides, which tend to have minimal (and often incorrect) information, this book is meticulously researched and provides an accurate picture of Rookwood and the cultures surrounding the pottery. A must-read for anyone looking for more than surface information about early American Art Pottery.