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'* NOV 
Vol. XVIII, No. 8. 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
December 1916 
ERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ! 
And how do you like our Christmas 
number? We have never had a 
prouder moment in our editorial life 
than when we saw the material that 
was to go into this issue. It seems 
like the promise of a new lease of life, 
the kindly enthusiasm with which so 
many of our prominent decorators 
have taken hold with the editor of 
Keramic Studio to help keep the fire alive. And more yet is 
promised than what is already arranged for regularly, but we 
will not speak of that until it materializes. In the meantime 
we are going to make a great effort to keep up to the standard 
we have set in this issue and never look back, but always for- 
ward to still better things. We want to hear from you, how 
you like the new departments and which you find most helpful. 
First there is the page of general art notes by Anita Gray 
Chandler. This is by way of keeping in touch with other arts 
and crafts so that ceramic workers will grow to realize that they 
are a part of the whole art movement, and to take a living inter- 
est in keeping abreast of the times. Miss Chandler will be glad 
to have you write her on any point. Then there are the spe- 
cially edited pages. Tell us which you find the most helpful, 
so we can tell the editors your needs. They are the best sources 
of instruction to be found in the United States. Some of our 
page editors had not time to get everything prepared as they 
would wish. Few ceramic workers have had either the experi- 
ence or the time to attempt editorial work, and it will be 
necessary for them to accustom themselves to the harness, but 
we are sure you will see a steady improvement in this respect. 
There are two or three more page editors to join the ranks who 
had not time to prepare anything for this issue. 
The following letter from Miss Jeanne Stewart, who is to 
be one of the editors of the semi-naturalistic pages, will explain 
itself as well as the reason for other new features not appearing 
in this issue: 
"I "am unable to get up anything new into new Studio, just now on 
account of moving, so it would be best to leave my work out of December 
issue entirely, as I have nothing in the way of articles, notes, etc., to send on 
such short notice. Next month I can send something worth while. It is 
impossible to send material as I should like for this issue — but it will arrive 
for future numbers." Yours very truly, 
Jeanne M. Stewart. 
Then our Beginners' Corner which Miss Bard is so thought- 
fully editing, isn't it full of information? Can you make any 
helpful suggestions? 
And how do you like our new table linen department? So 
much thought is being given now to the harmonizing of table 
furnishings that we know this will appeal to you all. Is there 
something special you wish to know along this line? If so, 
write to the editor, Miss Ehlers. 
Do you not think we deserve your support and help in 
increasing the circulation of Keramic Studio so that we can do 
more and still better things for you? If each one of you would 
give a subscription to some artist friend for Christmas, we could 
immediately resume the second color supplement, which we have 
discontinued because the unfavorable war conditions precluded 
our using as good a color process for the second supplement as 
we have always used for our regular supplement, thus making 
it unsatisfactory from an artistic standpoint. Or if each of you 
would get a new subscriber for us from among your acquaint- 
ances, we could afford this best color press for two supplements, 
instead of one. We would like to use much more color work in 
Keramic Studio, but it is veiy expensive and only your enthu- 
siastic support would make it possible. 
We would like to hear from you, too, whether you would 
like us to resume the department of pottery which we discon- 
tinued some time ago because we did not find enough interest 
to support it. More work is being done now in this line and 
possibly you would like it again. And how about the other 
crafts? We once ran a crafts department in Keramic Studio, 
but felt you were not quite ready for it. Perhaps now you are 
more interested. We wish every one who is interested in other 
arts or crafts than ceramics would write and tell us whether 
they would like us to add a crafts department. If there are 
enough to make it worth while we will start this department 
again. Of course, any added department would occupy extra 
pages. They would not take any of our regular space. Would 
you like a department of instruction in oils and water colors? 
Tell us what you would like. And if you all come enthusiasti- 
cally to our financial support by sending new subscriptions you 
wall find us quick to respond with added values in Keramic 
Studio. We want to avoid raising the subscription price of 
Keramic Studio if possible, and only your hearty support in 
getting new subscriptions will avert that necessity, since many 
even of the general magazines which appeal to a much larger 
circulation have found this necessary with the increase in cost 
of production. The field of Keramic Studio, being confined 
solely to workers in ceramics, is veiy limited, and we must have 
many more subscribers than we have to make it profitable to 
carry on the magazine at the present price. 
We had hoped to issue a separate magazine for the use 
and education of the workers in the naturalistic, but in study- 
ing the situation we found not enough response from this sec- 
tion of the work to justify the added expense at this time. At 
the same time, understanding the necessity that many of our 
decorators are under, to cater to that part of the public which 
has not yet learned to appreciate the purely conventional, we 
have secured the help of several decorators who are willing to 
give you semi-naturalistic material for this purpose, although 
quite capable themselves of designing the purely conventional. 
We appreciate very much their support in this matter, because 
we realize from long experience that one can not expect the 
average student to make the abrupt change from purely., nat- 
uralistic to the purely conventional. 
H » 
We hope to make a permanent feature of The Glass Deco- 
ration Department which we begin this month with Mrs. 
O'Neill's article. Will be glad to purchase designs for glass 
work with treatments in glass colors. 
x » 
The editor wishes to make her regular yearly offer of Ke- 
ramic Studio publications or Robineau Porcelains in exchange 
for old collections of stamps for her son. If you have any such, 
please send for examination without waiting to write. They 
will be returned with cost of sending if unavailable. 
