Hull-House Kilns
Hull-House Kilns was a commercial enterprise that created hand-made dinnerware and decorative ceramics. It was known for is Mexican inspired colors, specifically an orange-red glaze.[1][2]
Hull-House Kilns was established as part of the Chicago settlement house, Hull House. The program was developed by the potter Myrtle Merritt French (1886-1970).[3] She began teaching pottery at Hull House in 1924. The classes were first attended by Mexican immigrants in Chicago, and then by African Americans.[1] A notable potter working at Hull-House Kilns was Jesús Torres.[4]
By 1927 the enterprise began producing pottery commercially.[5] The workshop was located in the Boys’ Club Building of the settlement house.[6] The pottery was sold through the Hull House store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and through Macy's department store in New York City.[1] Hull-House pottery can be considered a precursor to Fiesta dinnerware.[6] In 1937 Hull-House Kilns closed. It was unable to remain viable during the Great Depression and the rise of larger commercial pottery operations.[1]
In 2000 the University of Illinois Chicago held an exhibit entitled Pots of Promise: Mexicans and Pottery at Hull-House, 1920-40. The accompanying catalogue was published by the University of Illinois Press.[7]
Examples of Hull-House Kilns pottery are in the Art Institute of Chicago[8] and the Hull House Museum.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d Koplos, Janet; Metcalf, Bruce (2010). Makers: a history of American studio craft. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina press. pp. 133–134. ISBN 9780807834138.
- ^ "Hull House Kilns Chicago vintage pottery". Worthpoint. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "The Many Faces of Hull House". Chicago Tribune. 8 October 1989. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Jesus Torres at Hull House Kilns". Terra Foundation for American Art. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Hull House Kilns". Wisconsin Pottery Association. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ a b Vermillion, Scott A. "Fiesta". International Museum of Dinnerware Design. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Review of Pots of Promise: Mexicans and Pottery at Hull-House, 1920-40". National Parks Service. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Hull House Kilns". The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "The Collection". Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
