Jack's Visit to Campus

We were honored to have Troy, Peter Beseaker and a group of SU students come to our campus yesterday to see the collection of White's Pottery housed in the Fountain Elms section of the Museum of Art. These pieces from the Utica pottery made during the 19th and very early 20th century are important to understanding the need for potters during that era and the skills they possessed. Jack's love of early American crocks is noted in his first book on salt fired pottery published in 1977. Assistant Director and Curator of Decorative Arts Anna D'Ambrosio hosted the visit, providing us a rare opportunity to view up close these important objects.

Jack's comments revealed his underlying interest in the working conditions of the day and the story behind the potters that made these pieces. Peter's questions were often about the origin of influences for the forms and decorations. My interest centered on how they were fired and how much concern about kiln affects these potters had. The answers to all questions might be found in one simple fact- this was commerce. These were business men making very practical decisions, with the benefit of highly skilled artisans, in response to the market. White's Pottery and others like it had a relatively short existence, being largely replaced by glass in the early to mid 20th century. But American potters of today can look at these American "unknown craftsmen," (to borrow Soetsu Yanagi's term for the potters of the Mingei era in Japan), with much to respect and appreciate. For me, the simple use of salt for glaze finish, borrowed from the German potters of the 16th century, unintentionally nurtured an aesthetic we value today.

We also enjoyed the group's visit to our shop and kiln shed. The clay department is housed in a 19th Century carriage house built by the Williams family, the main benefactors of Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, who also designed the base of the Statue of Liberty, the building is an architectural force. (Again, I think of the very few degrees of separation contemporaries often enjoy with others in the field and with history.) The sturdy construction of brick and timber reflected an affluent response to a common need, in this case, the mode of transportation of the day- the horse and carriage. The interior enamel glazed brick is ironically appropriate for a carriage house turned into a pot shop. There was a system of elevators for carriage storage on the second floor. The horses were kept in the north bay of the carriage house with the attendants bunked in a small room to the south end that included a beautiful terra cotta fireplace for the cold winters of central New York. Quite a building.

Unfortunately, paint covers much of the enamel brick in what is now the wheel room. It makes me wonder what some people were thinking. The enamel was not only beautiful, but practical. On the other hand, the fireplace, uncovered (irresponsibly?) as soon as I was aware of it, has been, once again hidden by a shelving unit. I have mixed feelings about that. But our storage needs in the end serve to protect what certainly is a valuable architectural feature.

Over the years, I have done my best, when suggesting functional improvements in the space, to retain the building's character. I think the unique nature of the carriage house is more readily apparent today. A small victory when compared to the damage done to classic main street buildings in almost any community in this country, a result of "modernization"- the urban renewal disasters. Our structure remains a wonder. We are truly lucky to work in such a historic setting. And happy to share in the story behind it.