Vol. XII. No. 12 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
April 1911 
HE question of disposal of dec- 
orated china is a serious one to 
all ceramic workers. At one time 
the various societies held annual 
sales, but since the movement for 
a higher standard of work, the 
sales element has been almost 
eliminated, the exhibition pieces 
being made so elaborate that the 
prices have become almost pro- 
hibitive. It seems to us that the societies, while com- 
mendable in their endeavor for better taste and technique, 
have remained one-sided. There is no reason why 
good business management should not be embodied with 
studv in the various clubs and sales arranged to follow 
exhibits, sales in which less important work can be dis- 
posed of for small but still profitable prices ; and a jury 
passing upon articles simply to eliminate articles in bad 
taste or technique. In many towns members of ceramic 
clubs have friends with show windows in stores on the im- 
portant streets. It would not be difficult to arrange for 
the occupying of the show windows for a week, several 
times a year, for these small sales exhibits. Shop keepers 
are always glad of some drawing card in their windows and 
a little gift from each member in turn, of some dainty piece, 
would show appreciation of the favor and dispose the 
owner of the windows to welcome the club whenever it 
prepares an exhibit. In this way an appreciative public 
can be formed. Let me call your attention also to the 
fact that it does not pay for any member of a club to try 
to push her own wares to the disadvantage of the other 
members. She may make sales for a time but the hall 
mark of good club work will be lacking to make a perma- 
nent demand. It is better advertisement to have it known 
that if work comes from "such and such" a club, it must 
be good, than it is to have it said that "Mrs. Jones sells a 
lot of things, you know, she caters to the popular taste." 
People will seek the work of certain clubs when individuals 
are often forgotten. The simple dainty pieces convention- 
ally or semi-convent ionally treated will be found to make 
not only a more attractive sale, but will give more variety 
and arouse curiosity, bringing people to examine them, when 
"the same old roses" would be glanced at from the other 
side of the street and passed by except by the vulgar bar- 
gain hunting few. 
Some questions have been asked, as to why the treat- 
ments sent with designs are not always used, some design- 
ers even feeling hurt because their designs are published 
with treatments by Miss Bard instead of by the artist. 
The simple explanation is this — with all the care we can 
use there is often confusion in the matter of treatments — 
we have such a large stock. Many treatments are lost, 
many unmarked, some impracticable, so that it was thought 
best to have some person go over all treatments monthly 
and put them in shape; this saves the editor much trouble, 
but means no reflection on the artist whatever. We would 
ask, however, in order that we may have as much variety 
as possible, that each designer write the name of design and 
designer plainly on the back of every design with address. 
Then write a practical treatment signed in the same way 
so no mistake can be made, and mail to us at the same time 
as the designs; we always follow the treatments sent when 
possible if we can find them, but it is difficult many time- 
to fit treatments to designs which have no title or designer's 
name. 
By an inadvertance we omitted to call attention last 
month to the studies and designs from the Eucalyptus or 
Red Gum of California. We have been for some time gath- 
ering material for a California number, but not having 
yet acquired just what we desired we thought we would 
have a Eucalyptus number which would be in a way 
typical of California. The flower is quaint and full of 
suggestions to the decorator. We have not, however, 
given up our plan to devote an entire number to that 
state. That will come later when we have heard from 
some promised contributors. 
* a 
The account of the New York Society of Keramic Arts 
exhibition will be delayed until the May issue as the Photos 
and articles were late in arriving, but we will have some 
twenty illustrations. We give in this issue an attractive 
chop plate design by Mrs. Anna B. Leonard. The process 
of reproduction has lost some of the soft blending of the 
shading, but with Mrs. Leonard's clear directions, the dec- 
orator will have no difficulty in securing the proper effect. 
We are fortunate in having obtained a design by this emi- 
nent decorator and feel sure our workers will appreciate it. 
Next month we give a child's head by Mr. Charles Curran, 
which we are sure will prove very popular. It is seldom 
that we have the opportunity of obtaining original figure 
work that can be rendered upon porcelain. This one is 
exceptionally attractive and quite different from anything 
with which our people are familiar. We have a number of 
new flower studies in preparation for the summer issues. 
At this date we cannot tell the outcome of our competition 
for "little things to make" but will try to get some of the 
prize winners into the May issue. This seems to be a pop- 
ular contest and we would recommend to our designers this 
summer the making of studies and designs particularlv 
with this in view for the fall. We have an unusuallv good 
lot of material on hand for the summer months and we are 
expecting some very new features in the autumn. 
* 
The Editor of Keramic Studio, Mrs. Adelaide Alsop- 
Robineau, is for the first time sending an exhibit of her por- 
celains to Europe. The American Woman's League, of 
University City, will exhibit at the International Exposition 
of Turin some of the recent pieces made by Mrs. Robineau, 
as well as some old ones. One of the most interesting new 
pieces is a vase with scarab design, the best piece which 
Mrs. Robineau has produced so far. It will be illustrated 
with other vases in one of the coming issues of Keramic 
Studio. 
