ran 
Vol. XVIII, No. 6. 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
October 1916 
HE Publishers and Editor of Keramic 
Studio are still struggling with the 
problem of "making the punishment 
fit the crime" i.e.: making the income 
fit the outgo since the raise in all 
printing materials. We have several 
plans under consideration and hope 
to make a definite announcement 
in November. We are seriously 
considering publishing a separate 
Magazine for the painters of the naturalistic, not because of 
any increasing demand, as it is quite evident that naturalistic 
treatment of porcelain is on the wane, but because there is a 
large contingent of china painters who never have been or can 
be brought into the fold any other way. If the mountain will 
not come to Mahomet, the prophet must go to the mountain. 
If we should publish a china painter's Magazine for the natural- 
istic lovers' very own, we could give them the best obtainable 
semi-naturalistic designs and little by little the insidious spirit 
of design would creep in and one by one they would desert 
to Keramic Studio — which in the meantime we shall be using 
every effort to improve. We would be glad to hear from our 
readers on this suggestion. We are also planning several new 
departments for Keramic Studio — a page on table linens and 
furnishings — a page of club and studio notes are among the 
near probabilities. 
We find it more difficult than we expected to secure good 
articles on glass decoration. Several china decorators have 
successfully tried glass work, but consider that their work is 
too experimental and their experience too limited to enable 
them to write articles. Others who have studied in Europe 
do not think that they are familiar enough with Ameri- 
can materials. However we have been promised articles on 
work done with materials which are found on the American 
market and hope to be able to publish them before long. 
Good colors for glass decoration are advertised in Keramic 
Studio. The following firms turn out very good undecorated 
glass shapes: 
Red, pink, blue and green glass, fancy shapes: 
Westmoreland Specialty Co., Grapeville, Pa. 
Cambridge Glass Co., Cambridge, Ohio. 
Geo. Borgfeldt & Co., Irving Place and 16th St., New York. 
Table Glassware for gold decoration: 
Bryce Bros. Glass Co., Mt. Pleasant, Pa. 
United States Glass Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Fostoria Glass Co., Moundsville, W. Va. 
Central Glass Works, Wheeling, W. Va. 
Lamp Globes and Shades: 
Scandinavian Glass Manufacturing Co., Avant, Okla. 
In addition to these the firm of A. H. Heisey & Co., New- 
ark, Ohio, are, we think, selling at retail some excellent undec- 
orated shapes. Most of them however will probably not sell 
at retail but decorators who are interested should urge their 
dealers to make arrangements for lines of undecorated glass 
with the wholesalers or manufacturers. Dealers will take in- 
terest in this as soon as they see a demand for it. As we have 
ftsonian I 
explained before, the demand for decorated glass has increa 
very much in late years but so far all the work is done > 
mercially. There is room for good artistic work /^* , 
fa SEP 2 9 
Meanwhile we do not see why beginners' notes even hfoW/'o/jo/ MuS®^ 
people who are not experts and are experimenting would no 
be as interesting and valuable as articles by experts. There 
are no great mysteries about glass decoration, it is a question 
of practice. American materials and American methods will 
do. We just have in mind a letter from a subscriber received 
some time ago. This china decorator made experiments in 
her regular china kiln both in glass work and in pottery, 
with very successful results. It seems to us that the results 
of such experiments would make just as interesting reading 
as more expert articles, although articles by more experienced 
people will also be welcome in our columns and we hope to 
have them before long. 
Anyway this china decorator who was not afraid to try 
glass work and pottery in her china kiln shows the right spirit. 
That is the right way to get somewhere, and such an example 
is particularly encouraging at a time when there is a very un- 
fortunate tendency among china decorators to commercialize 
their work. The leaders are of course showing originality in 
design and fine workmanship and their work is more and more 
recognized in exhibitions. But what of the large number of 
copyists, who do not try to do some work of their own, do not 
learn to do original work because they do not try. To this 
unfortunate habit of copying has now been added decalcomania, 
a process which is exclusively commercial. It is true that these 
ready made designs may be used intelligently by transferring 
a motif here and there and leaving room for original treatment 
of the rest of the decoration. But it is a temptation to many 
to use transfers indiscriminately. These commercial processes 
save time and labor, but they throw your work into compe- 
tition with the product of factories where the production in 
large quantities reduces the price to a point which for the 
amateur china decorator would be the starving point. 
Amateur china decoration is an occupation and a liveli- 
hood for thousands of women in this country. Its foundation 
rests on the still widespread idea that "hand painted" china is 
something much better than the factory china. As long as 
this idea prevails the public will be willing to pay more for 
handwork than for commercial work, and the idea is justified 
as long as amateur china decoration remains individual, original 
art work, different from the commercial. With their unfor- 
tunate tendency to copy somebody else's work, are not amateur 
china decorators risking to kill the goose that lays the golden egg? 
Why then, you ask, does Keramic Studio publish designs 
for copying if they are not to be copied? You will note that 
we said copyists, who do not try to do some work of their own. 
We publish designs of varying degrees of merit, as inspiration, 
suggestion. We expect that beginners will at first simply 
copy, then adapt, by degrees learn to take parts or motifs from 
the design and make new arrangements and finally make their 
own motifs and designs, in this way they may arrive at develop- 
ing latent talent for design and do original work, and, if it is 
in them, rise to the front rank of ceramic decoration. 
