Saturday, March 15, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Metlox cookie jars
THE HISTORY OF METLOX
In spite of the Great Depression, there are still many success stories that have their beginnings in
Ceramic tiles were one of the company’s first successes prior to the dinnerware lines that would come soon afterward. During the economic depression of the early 1930s, Metlox manufactured and sold ceramic tiles for use on neon movie theatre and advertising signs.
Prior to World War II, the five patterns that Metlox produced were solid color patterns, which came in various shapes that Metlox called a series or line. All shape lines came in various colors that could be mixed and matched much like Homer Laughlin’s Fiesta ware or some of the Bauer and Franciscan patterns.
In 1946, just after WW II, the Camellia pattern was released by Metlox. This pattern was almost an exact copy of Desert Rose, a highly successful pattern by Franciscan, another
In about 1950, under the art direction of Bob Allen and Mel Shaw, Metlox began to introduce some wonderfully creative shapes and patterns. Allen and Shaw were formerly in the animation business. This type of artistic background may well be the major influence that would lead to the development of the uninhibited and imaginative Metlox patterns of the 50s and 60s.
Metlox achieved one success after another in their Poppytrail pottery line. When the Vernon Kiln pottery closed its doors in 1957, Metlox was able to purchase the right to use the
The Metlox company enjoyed much economic success with the Poppytrail and Vernonware lines until the late 1970s. Then, like so many other American potteries (and glassworks), Metlox was slowly edged out by foreign competition. Increases in natural gas prices and labor costs combined with a market demand for lower retail prices eventually led to such a small margin that the company could no longer operate in the black. Although there were some successes in the late seventies and in the eighties, like the Lotus and Colorstax patterns and the introduction of some of their finest giftware items, the Metlox factory finally closed in 1989.
Many of the colorful all American Metlox patterns were produced in such large quantities that they can be easily collected, while other more obscure patterns and piece types may be more difficult. Either way the hunt for these patterns is not an impossible one. Collectors can enjoy knowing that every piece of Metlox represents a significant era in American pottery history.
Reference
Metlox