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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



includes six bisque and twelve muffle kilns, which are taxed to 

 their utmost capacity. The clays used for white bodies come 

 from South Carolina and Kentucky, and those for dark bodies are 

 obtained from Indiana, the burning being done by means of 

 natural gas. Miss Ruth Winterbotham, who is at present the 

 principal modeler of this factory, has produced many beautiful 



designs, of which some three and six 

 section panels are probably the most 

 artistic. A series of three mantel pan- 

 els, representing Dawn, Midday, and 

 Twilight, are particularly deserving of 

 mention, the latter one being shown in 

 the annexed engraving. The method 

 employed in making embossed or relief 

 tiles is that used by all tile works in 

 this country, which was patented by 

 Richard Prosser, in England, in 1840, 

 for making buttons, and shortly after 

 applied by J. M. Blashfield to the manu- 

 facture of tiles, called the dust i:)rocess, 

 which consists in slightly moistening 

 the dry powdered white clay and sub- 

 jecting it to great pressure in dies con- 

 taining the designs to be impressed 

 upon them. They are then burned and 

 afterward glazed or enameled in deli- 

 cate colors. Mr. Robert Minton Taylor, 

 of England, was connected with these 

 works from 1881 to 1883. 



The Beaver Falls Art Tile Company, 

 limited, of Beaver Falls, Pa., was organ- 

 ized in 1886 by Mr. Frank W. Walker, 

 the present secretary and treasurer. 

 These works make a specialty of rect- 

 angular and circular stove tiles and 

 manufacture largely fine art relief tiles 

 for wainscoting, hearths, and mantel 

 facings. The present designer is Prof. 

 Isaac Broome, a gentleman of rare artis- 

 tic ability, a thorough potter, and a sculptor of eminence, who be- 

 came connected with the works in 1890. In 1878 he was appointed 

 a special commissioner on ceramics at the Paris Exposition and, 

 in conjunction with General McClellan, made a thorough study of 

 the ceramic art as it exists abroad. The varied and extensive 

 knowledge which he has acquired through a life of study has 

 especially fitted him for the work upon which he is now engaged. 



Fig. S7. — " Twii-ifwiT " Tile. 

 Uniled States Encaustic Tile 

 Works. Designed by Miss 

 Winterbotham. 



