Vol. XII. No. n 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
March 191 
T is interesting to note the change 
of attitude in regard to 'decora- 
tion of porcelain. When first 
Keramic Studio was launched 
and began its campaign for con- 
ventional treatment of designs 
as applied to china, many and 
loud were the complaints of our 
decorators, and dire threats of con- 
sequences made our progress halt- 
ing and lame, for we had to please a sufficient majority to 
pay for bread and butter. We still make one step backward 
for two in advance ; but the vision of a future when we can 
hitch our wagon to a star grows clearer daily. It is only now 
and then we hear a murmur, and occasionally the murmur 
comes from the other side. We are not conventional enough 
to suit the more advanced workers. The fact of the matter 
is that it is onlv the workers who were in their, heyday when 
Keramic Studio was started twelve years ago, who are 
so loathe to give up their naturalistic work. The newer 
workers have been brought up to the conventional, and 
like Oliver Twist, cry for more. A gratifying example of 
the trend of thought to-day is shown in the following letter 
which the writer has given us permission to use. 
Milwaukee, Wis., January 10, 1911. 
Keramic Studio Publishing Co.: 
Enclosed please find money order, for the following back numbers. 
* * * * i bought some second-hand Keramic Studio magazines, that 
I heard you were out of, and the March 1910 is in a very poor condition; if you 
should happen to have one would you kindly send it along? I have been a 
subscriber for years and enjoy your magazine more and more. The first ten 
volumes I have bound, then came more conventional designs and I gave up 
the magazine for a year, and here I am now, almost begging for the back 
numbers. I do see the beauty of the conventional designs and wish some of 
my naturalistic paintings could be washed off. Hoping you can fill my order, 
I remain, 
Yours respectfully, 
Emma Trimborn. 
We are fast thinning out that big bunch of designs 
that has been hanging over us from the early days of 
Keramic Studio. They were too good to throw away — 
moreover they were paid for and economy forbade the 
holocaust. And yet, they have been waiting so long for 
their turn to be published that they are now a little be- 
hind the times, so we have to mix them in with the newer 
things a little at a time. This serves two purposes besides 
economy. It helps to break the fall from the naturalistic 
to the latter day work and they are more easily digested by 
those who have not gone far in their studies. "Strong 
meat for the grown-ups and milk for babes." 
We announce for the May (12th anniversary) issue 
of Keramic Studio another competition of designs for 
"Little Things to make". The prizes to be as follows: 
First prize $5.00, second prize, $4.00, third prize, $3.00, 
for each of the following subjects: candle stick, salt and 
pepper, round box, rectangular box, dish for salted al- 
monds or bonbons, A. D. coffee cup and saucer, cream and 
sugar, jelly jar. This kind of competition seems to be 
more popular than any other we have undertaken espe- 
cially because the small things are so easily utilized for 
gifts, prizes, etc. The competition will close the 20th of 
March, which does not give you a great deal of time. Send 
all designs flat, marked plainly on the back with name 
and address; enclose in your letter a treatment for mineral 
colors, and for this time only address to the Editor. 
Mrs. vS. E. Robineau, Art Institute, University City, 
St. Louis, Mo., to save time., as she does not return to 
Syracuse before April. Make your designs as dainty as you 
can. The time is passing for the blocked in design. Big 
designs and crude effects are for pottery, not porcelain. 
Miss Maud Mason, President of the Xew York Ker- 
amic Society, promises us a full and interesting account 
of their exhibition which took place in February. We 
expect to illustrate this exhibition very fully in the April 
issue of Keramic Studio. The March issue goes to press 
too early to print the account or have the illustrations 
made. We regret to learn that the Grueby Pottery Co. 
are no longer making their vases for home decorations 
but are confining themselves to tile making. While we 
appreciate the tiles we deplore the fact which this news 
makes evident, which is, that it is difficult even at this 
date to make a living out of really artistic things. One 
must always do something in the way of a compromise 
along with the work which stands for one's ideal. The 
good time is coming — but slowly. The aeroplane will 
get there first. But when all is said and done, public 
taste is improving and quite rapidly, considering the 
depths to which it had descended two decades ago. 
We thought we had as large a circulation among china 
painters as we could ever hope to have, but we have been 
agreeably surprised these past two months in the un- 
precedented increase in our subscription list. We won- 
der what special feature of Keramic Studio has been the 
stimulant and we would be glad if the readers of Keramic 
Studio would write and tell us what they like best in 
the magazine so that we can "do it some more'" to our 
mutual benefit. Our advertising manager has lately sent 
out very stylish little invitations to become subscribers 
to Keramic Studio which have met with acceptances or 
regrets (as the case might be) quite as "comme il faut," 
but we are sure that it cannot be entirely our good man- 
ners that have brought us this increase. The meat in 
the shell must have had something to do with it and we 
would like to perpetuate the flavor which brings such good 
results. 
The many friends of Mrs. Kathryn E. Cherry will be 
interested to hear that at the last exhibit of Arts and Crafts 
at the Art Institute of Chicago she was awarded the Atlan 
Club prize for the best original decoration overglaze. 
* 
The articles on tin enamelled pottery, by M. Franchet, 
will begin in the April issue of Keramic Studio. 
