184 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
MARBLEHEAD POTTERY— ARTHUR E. BAGGS 
in the whole exhibition. Her pieces are of bold, simple design 
and clear strong color, showing artistic discernment and techni- 
cal^skill of a high order," 
NEWSPAPER COMMENTS 
New York American: "The National Society of Craftsmen 
is holding its seventh annual exhibition in the galleries of the 
National Arts Club. It may be commended to the notice of 
those who are looking for Christmas gifts which are a little out of 
the ordinary. The exhibition will also interest those who are 
watching the development in this country of beauty of design 
and workmanship in the objects, necessary and otherwise, of 
every day use. In this development the society is playing its 
part, the importance of which, however, it is possible to overrate. 
What is particularly noticeable in this exhibition is that the qual- 
ity of the craftsmanship is, generally speaking, superior to that 
of the design. One after the other, these exhibitors display 
adaptability in place of creative imagination. They make roving 
expeditions into the decorative arts of the Renaissance, the Mid- 
dle Ages, Celtic and Icelandic. Have these craftsmen no ideas 
of their own? Are they as dead to the spirit of our own times as 
the forms they steal? Are we to conclude that the American 
craftsman has no creative imagination, but only a little ingenious 
invention in the way of cribbing and adapting? I am aware 
that much of this soulless imitation is due to the demands of ar- 
chitects, who, being themselves without imagination, mere jug- 
glers with measured drawings of antique buildings, require the 
same slavishness to antiquity in the exterior and interior decora- 
tions. But it is sad to see a society that calls itself National, and 
advocates high artistic aims lending itseh as an accessory to this 
imitative business and virtually compounding a felony. 
New York Evening Post: "Frankly the crafts movement 
has disappointed many of its most ardent well-wishers, but if the 
visitor is not too exacting he may find at the galleries of the Na- 
tional Arts Club where the National Society of Craftsmen is now 
holding its seventh annual exhibition, a gi-eat variety of articles 
of minor artistic importance. * * * The tables and show 
cases are filled with a vast number of objects of every descrip- 
tion, pottery, and porcelain, among which some enameled tiles 
and other pieces by Dorothea O'Hara strike a refreshingly vivid 
note." 
Boston Transcript: "It is really astonishing how closely the 
thrill of good craftsmanship approaches the thrill of great art, so 
closely indeed that it is difficult to tell where the one begins and 
the other ends. That is the lesson taught by an exhibition such 
as this, and our ailists who dwell on Mount Olympus would do 
GERMAN CHINA PLACQUE - DOROTHEA WARREN O'HARA 
Enamels — Blue Green, Mancta Blue 
CERAMIC BELLEEK TEA POT— DOROTHEA WARREN O'HARA 
Enamels— Dark Blue, Dtill Yellow, Old Chinese Pink, New Green 
well to come down from their perch and take a look in at the work 
of their humble brothers, the craftsmen, to whom a useful thing 
is not an offence forever. Here are some tiles, dishes, vases and 
bowls, by Mrs. Warren O'Hara, of bold, simple design and clear, 
strong color, showing artistic discernment and technical skill of 
a high order. Many of these pieces are worthy competitors with 
the best produced in Germany, where the branch of keramics has 
been brought to such a high state of perfection. Miss Maud 
Mason is another whose work has advanced notably since last 
year. The design and color of the decorations of her jugs, bowls 
and tiles is thoroughly modern and has more character than ever. 
Now and then, as in the delicate green and buff glazes on a pitcher 
she makes a close approach to perfection, showing she is aware 
of the effects ultimately ^^to be attained in this dbection." 
New York Evening Sun: "Any one who has a warm heart 
spot for keramics will find gi-eat delight in the enameled tiles of 
Mrs. Dorothea O'Hara. There's a feast for the eyes in Miss M. 
M. Mason's tulip bowl." 
