Frederick Rhead Art Ware Sketches
LaurelHollowPark.net, an informative website created and
maintained by Mark Gonzalez. Copyright © 2009-.
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While working as art director at the Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, West Virginia, Frederick Rhead made a sketch book of potential art ware items. As implied in the introduction below, it was his hope HLC would produce some of these wares, even though the company specialized in dinnerware production. It's not that surprising considering his previous art ware experience at Roseville Pottery and the American Encaustic Tile Company.
The pages appear in the sketchbook like the one below complete with a title/description on the left, a page number in the upper right hand corner, and a sketch number at the bottom. For this web page focus is given to the actual drawings so below each image is the title and in parentheses is the sketch number. "NSN" means no sketch number was given. Also, "U.G." in the titles/descriptions stands for under glaze decoration.
Rhead's Sketch Notes for Art Wares is part of the collection of the Fiesta® Tableware Company (formerly HLCCo.) The work is undated. However the drawing numbers coincide with those in the company's listings in the Record of Sketches and Drawings from 1934.
Some of Rhead's concepts came to fruition in 1936 when HLC was developing a line of art ware for Woolworth's. At least twelve items were modeled in March through May 1936. Unfortunately, the line did not go into production. Shown below are some examples of this line. From left to right: model number 565, the "four tube" vase in Fiesta red, based on number 172 from the sketch book, a pair of bottle vases, model number 568 (based on sketch number 166) in green and a pastel yellow, and model number 561, a fluted vase in rose ebony.
Four Tube Vase in red |
Bottle Vases in green and yellow |
Fluted Vase in rose ebony |
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Frederick Rhead's Sketch Notes for Art Wares
Book Cover |
Special Book Plate |
Introduction |
Modeled Vase, Glaze Effects (145) |
Bottle Vase, Single Flower (146) |
Beaker for Flower Arrangements (147) |
Fluted Vase, Flower Arrangements (NSN) |
Turquoise Vase (149) |
Flower Bowl (150) |
Tall Beaker, Flower Arrangements (151) |
Vase, Small Sprays (152) |
Ashtray (153) |
Bowl, Flower Holder Inside (154) |
Candlestick (155) |
Candlestick (156) |
Beaker - Flowers (157) |
Beaker for Flowers (158) |
Trinket Boxes (159, 160, 161) |
Ashtray (162) |
Candlestick (163) |
Low Bowl (164) |
Low Tray (165) |
Bottle Vase (166) |
Modern Vase (167) |
Modern Vase (168) |
Modern Vase (169) |
Modern Vase (170) |
Modern Vase (171) |
Modern Vase (172) |
Hanging Basket (173) |
Hanging Basket (174) |
Mask, Flower Holder (175) |
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Grotesque Cat (176) |
Grotesque Lion (177) |
Triple Candlestick (178) |
Lamp Base (179) |
Flower Pot (180) |
Flower Pot (181) |
Beaker (182) |
Low Bowl (183) |
Low Bowl (184) |
Deep Bowl (185) |
Cup-Bowl (186) |
Cup-Bowl (187) |
Fish Motif for Low Bowl (188) |
Flower Holder (189) |
Tray or Platter (190) |
Tall Vase (192) |
Fern Dish (203) |
Tea (204) |
Flute Platter (205) |
Scotch Pup (206) |
Rabbit (207) |
Bowl (208) |
U.G. Vase (209) |
Onion Soup (210) |
Jar (211) |
Diamond Shape Bon Bon Dishes (212) |
Hexagon Bon Bon Dishes (213) |
Vase for Flower Arrangements (214) |
Onion Soup (215) |
Plate, U.G. Decoration (216) |
Plate, U.G. Decoration (217) |
Plate (218) |
Plate (219) |
Plate, U.G. Blue (220) |
Plate (221) |
Plate (222) |
Vase, U.G. Flowers (223) |
Jug, U.G. (224) |
Jar, Flowers, etc. (NSN) |
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