Which Came First? Deciphering the development of Heath dinnerware design from the archival record

Jay Stewart and Jessie Durant

The Heath archives, which were donated to the Environmental Design Archives (EDA) at UC Berkeley in 2011, are a rich record of the history of Heath Ceramics and the lives of Brian and Edith Heath.

In October 2011 Jessie Durant began processing (sorting, organizing, and archivally housing) the collection and Jay Stewart assisted for several days in November 2011 and April 2012.

While going through the records, we found an intriguing note on a label written by Edith: “1946 Gift Show—Met N.S. Gustin at this show”.

One short-term goal, while processing the collection, is to create a chronology of significant events in the history of Heath Ceramics and this note piqued our curiosity. The N.S. Gustin Co. distributed Heathware for many years but, until now, we had no indication of how and when that relationship began. Another document found within the collection suggests that the gift show Edith mentions was 10 California Craftsmen, a post-war exhibition at the Merchandise Mart in San Francisco.

In April 2012 we discovered an N.S. Gustin Co. brochure dated 1947 (the date is penciled in Edith’s hand).

This is the earliest Heath Ceramics promotional material by the N.S. Gustin Co. that has been located.  In 1947 many design elements were refined—the teapot handle, the creamer and sugar bowl, the salt and pepper shakers and the design of the knob on the lids of the casseroles, as well as the tab handles on the bottom.

The transition from the tab handle on the casseroles to the current style probably occurred in 1947 because the “new” casserole was featured in a 1947 exhibition “Useful Objects for the Home” at the Akron Art Institute (Heathware on the left in photo).

The Gustin Company also distributed the iconic Heath ashtrays, this brochure (n.d.) shows the myriad of glazes available and is juxtaposed with a photo taken at EDA of a set of three ashtrays (c. 1950/60s) in front of their new home, an archival acid-free box and an archival document box with archival folders containing historic photographs, including this marketing photograph of the Heath ashtray.

As we continue to sort and arrange the documents, clippings, and photographs we find links and make connections amid these fragments to reveal the story of Brian and Edith Heath and the evolution of Heath Ceramics.

Jay Stewart is the trustee of the Brian & Edith Heath Foundation.

Jessie Durant is a processing archivist at the Environmental Design Archives. Prior to working on the Heath Archives she processed the Robert Marquis Collection. In 1958-59 Marquis and his partner Claude Stoller were the architects who worked with Edith on the design of the Heath factory in Sausalito.

All images from the Brian and Edith Heath Collection courtesy of the Environmental Design Archives © 2012

Marfa Amigos – Friday 3/14/12 @ Heath LA

Looking forward to LA this weekend. Our Marfa Amigos show opens on Saturday, Robin and I will be there. Here are the details:

WHAT: A six-week show organized by Heath and Jamey Garza, where the community, mystique and good design of Marfa, Texas, comes to LA.

WHO: Meet the artists + see the work // Opening Reception March 24, 2012, 5-9 pm

Jamey Garza, furniture
Constance Holt, textiles
Pat Keesey, wood
El Cosmico, posters
Marfa Brands, recycled glass and soap

WHY: Texas Ranch Food BBQ, tequila cocktails and Mexican beer — Eat and drink with chefs Larry McGuire, Lou Lambert and friends. Live musical performance by Amy Cook.

The details: Heath Ceramics Los Angeles, 7525 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles. The show runs through May 6.

Hope to see you Saturday night! – cathy

Yolo color house blog post

I’ve got a blog post on Yolo Color’s blog today. If you comment at this link they’ll donate $1 to the Edible Schoolyard. You’ll also see a sneak peek of a few images for Heath’s summer collection. – cathy

Place of Hope—The Kasama Potters Community and the Great Ordeal!

We wanted to share with you this wonderful project: Place of Hope—The Kasama Potters Community and the Great Ordeal!

Featuring potter Akio Nukaga, a friend of Heath Ceramics

According to Akio, film producer Mike Douglass and wife Etsuko, with Etsuko’s potters community in Hawaii, first visited Kasama many years ago, forging a connection with Akio Nukaga that manifests today into a film to document Akio’s and the community’s collective dedication to rebuilding Kasama after the devastating earthquake.

From the Indiegogo site:

“Our film will focus on Akio Nukaga, a Kasama potter who spearheads a movement to bring potters together to rebuild and rejuvenate Kasama and its rich ceramic-making heritage. Under the banner of “Save Kasama”, the movement is reaching beyond Kasama to nearby towns as people join together in ways they had not done before and voluntarily help each other to recover from the devastation of the March 2011 earthquake. Saving Kasama represents more than just the recovery of a local economy. In recent years, new generations of people had began coming to Kasama with a spirit of revitalizing declining rural regions of Japan through ceramics and related arts and crafts. In this way, saving Kasama represents hope for all of Japan to sustain strong communities and family lives and livelihoods in the country’s post-industrial age.”

WHEN: Join Heath in donating now (only 16 days left!) to support the final production of this documentary. View a portion of the short film and donate here.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Place-of-Hope

Also, Akio will have a show in San Francisco this July (dates tbd) with Heath Ceramics. Save the date to come and show your support.

WHY: Says Akio Nukaga:

“Mike believes film has more power than papers. He was interested in the volunteer activity that I started after the earthquake and our community. Our people wanted to get our relationship with each other very strong. So he had an idea for this film project.”

“How lucky I am to be going to San Francisco! I want to bring my new work and work with the Heath studio. It will be most exciting for me to meet the people enjoying my works and tell them about Kasama.”

2011 (from a HEATH point of view)

I put together this video of some of our favorite moments of 2011. Check it out at this vimeo link, and Thank You for being part of it. -cathy

SF’s Renegade Craft Fair

Spent the day at the Renegade Craft Fair in SF today. I’ve gone for the past four years and each year gets more interesting. Lot’s of new craft and design. Here’s a few of my favorites:

willowship.com - san francisco

 

nolinoli.com

 

jasonmunn.com - san francisco

non-perishable goods – PDX

vogtsmith.com – san francisco

 

lemonbird jams

-cathy

 

Modern Kids @ Heath this Sunday

Loved these photos! Sarah at Modern Kids Photo set these over, they are all photos that’s she and her crew have taken for these kids and their grown-ups at Heath’s past events. Come on over if you want to see how adorable she can make your kids and family look! She’s have a photo booth going this Sunday in Sausalito and in LA at our stores (1-3), it’s free but you can purchase photos from her that she’ll post online if you like they way they turn out.

If you look closely notice the bottom row second from the left photo (Adam and his adorable Poppy)

-cathy

Geoff McFetridge – Heath LA – tonight! (sneak peek)

So much work has gone into this show/work. The end result is amazing, don’t miss it. These pictures are from the set up yesterday, it  all comes together tonight at Heath LA from 5-8.  The show will be up until the end of Dec. if you can’t make it tonight.

-cathy

photos by Livia Foldes

Celebrating the centennial of the birth of Edith Heath – 1911

In 2011 the Brian & Edith Heath Archives were donated to the Environmental Design Archives at the University of California at Berkeley to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Edith Heath (May 25th 1911).  The Heath Collection is an extraordinary record of the lives of Brian and Edith and the history of Heath Ceramics.

The collection contains Edith’s artworks and other personal papers, sample boards of early tile types, architectural records, business records, advertising materials and photographs.  The monthly brochure from the Palace of the Legion of Honor, dated September 1944,  features the one-woman show that was pivotal in Edith’s career.

“Ceramics by Edith Kiertzner Heath   Opening September 1”
Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, exhibition announcement September 1944

At this exhibition Edith’s hand-built and hand-thrown dinnerware came to the attention of Gump’s, an exclusive San Francisco Department Store.  Shortly thereafter Gump’s invited Edith to move her production to their pottery studio on Clay Street in San Francisco.   Correspondence and photographs relating to this time period are in the Heath archives.

Hand built pitcher and mugs; ca. 1944.
Edith rolled slabs of clay on textured fabrics to achieve the texture; a pitcher similar to this is in the Heath Collection.

Between 1944 and 1947 Heath production evolved from hand thrown dinnerware to slip cast and jiggered ware.

N.S. Gustin brochure, ca. mid 1940s

Edith continued to design on her potter’s wheel and to throw prototypes, a few of which are in the Heath Collection of historic ware.  Details of the early history of Heath Ceramics are “buried” in the archival collection and we look forward to developing a detailed chronology of the company.  Among hundreds of photographs and 35mm slides are many familiar iconic images; many more remain to be uncovered.

In 1947 Heathware was featured in the exhibition “Useful Objects for the Home” mounted by the Akron Art Institute.

“Useful objects for the Home” exhibition at the Akron Art Institute, 1947
Heath Ceramics display first from left

Waverly Lowell, Curator of the Environmental Design Archives comments:

“This is a wonderful collection of both artistic and historic value. The Heaths and Heath Ceramics played a significant role in the aesthetic and cultural life of mid-twentieth century California.  Their deep connection with architects and architectural design is why this collection is a welcome addition that enhances the mission and research potentials of the Environmental Design Archives.”

Catherine Bailey, creative director of Heath Ceramics, adds:

“We are so thankful to have these archives as part of our story moving forward. And we’re grateful that these historic images are being preserved so that they may be highlighted and shared in the future.”

The collection is being preserved, archivally processed and catalogued, which is estimated to take two years.  When the work is completed the collection will be open for research and a Finding Aid will be available on the Online Archive of California. The first phase, supported by a grant from the Brian & Edith Heath Foundation, will consist of a detailed survey of this large collection.

Donations to support this project are welcome; for information please contact Jay Stewart at HeathFdn@telus.net.

All photographs courtesy of the Brian & Edith Heath Collection/Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley

Nov. 6th – Heath Ceramics & David Mellor Design – in conversation

Join me at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito on Sunday, November 6th
for an evening of discussion and design inspiration.

Here’s what’s happening: Remodelista Editor Sarah Lonsdale in conversation with Corin Mellor, David Mellor Design;Catherine Bailey, Heath Ceramics; and Joseph Becker, Assistant Curator, Architecture and Design, SFMOMA.

Learn about the design histories of Heath Ceramics and David Mellor Design and the mutual admiration each holds for one another’s simple but beautiful designs for the table. With insight from SFMOMA’s Joseph Becker, see how both are moving design forward into a new era and context, while continuing to be true “designer makers.”

Discussion starts at 6:30pm

RSVP to rsvp@heathceramics.com

hope to see you Sunday!

-cathy