Catalina Pottery (or Catalina Island Pottery) is the commonly used name for Catalina Clay Products, a division of the Santa Catalina Island Company, which produced brick, tile,

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, List of glassware, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variet ...

and decorative pottery on

Santa Catalina Island, California Santa Catalina Island ( xgf, Pimuu'nga or ; es, Isla Santa Catalina) is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island name is often shortened to Catalina Island or just Catalina. The island is l ...

. Catalina Clay Products was founded in 1927. Gladding, McBean & Co. acquired all of the assets of the company in 1937 and moved all production to its Franciscan dinnerware division in Los Angeles. Catalina pottery oil jar

History

In 1927,

William Wrigley, Jr William Mills Wrigley Jr. (September 30, 1861 – January 26, 1932) was an American chewing gum industrialist. He was founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. Biography William Mills Wrigley Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Penns ...

. built a tile and brick pottery on a beach located near Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. The new pottery became Catalina Clay Products, a division of Wrigley's Santa Catalina Island Company. See:

David Malcolm Renton David Malcolm Renton (February 8, 1878 – May 27, 1947), known as "DM", was a builder and business executive in southern California. He is best known for his Craftsman style homes in Pasadena and for the construction of the Casino Ballroom and ot ...

. The pottery used local clays from the Island.“Bogged Auto Starts New Industry. Fine Clays, Found by Accident, Used in Pottery.” Los Angeles Times. October 9, 1932. This business venture had two purposes: to produce clay building products and to provide the much needed year-round employment for Island residents. In 1930, Wrigley brought artisans to the Island to design decorative and functional pottery products including souvenirs, vases, bookends and figurines. Red clays found on the Island were used for pottery until 1931. After 1931 white clay from the United States mainland was combined with the red clay until finally only white clay was used. Glazes were made with local minerals mined on the Island. The company sold its ware as ''Catalina Pottery'' and ''Catalina Tile''. The pottery opened free standing stores to sell their wares in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island,

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Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and in the

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. Dinnerware and art ware was sold through department and jewelry stores. The pottery's tile was used for the interiors and exteriors of buildings on the Island. Tile products were used throughout the United States. The Arizona Biltmore Hotel's swimming pool was built using Catalina tile. In 1937, Catalina Clay Products, including all equipment, stock, molds, and trademarks, were sold to Gladding, McBean & Co. The pottery on the Island was closed. "The Santa Catalina Island Company initially suggested that Gladding McBean lease the production facilities at Pebbly Beach and continue to produce the Catalina Pottery on the island. This proposal did not interest the mainland firm because the high cost of importing clay had caused the problem in the first place." All molds and equipment were moved to Gladding, McBean & Co.'s Glendale plant in

. Gladding, McBean continued to produce Catalina art ware and dinnerware shapes for their Catalina Pottery art ware lines until 1942. Gladding, McBean & Co.'s Catalina Pottery art ware was marked Catalina Pottery, made in USA, with an ink stamp. All tile products were discontinued. Max Weil of California, formerly The California Figurine Co. purchased the Catalina art ware molds and patterns from Gladding McBean and Co., however Gladding, McBean & Co. retained the trade name Catalina. In 1947, Gladding, McBean & Co. returned the use of the trademark to the Santa Catalina Island Company.

References

External links

Catalina Museum
American art pottery Ceramics manufacturers of the United States Santa Catalina Island (California) Tiling Companies based in Los Angeles County, California Design companies established in 1927 Manufacturing companies established in 1927 Design companies disestablished in 1937 1927 establishments in California 1937 disestablishments in California American companies established in 1927 20th century in Los Angeles Defunct manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles

History

References

Further reading

External links