~
photo by Styrous®
Well, in just a little more than a week it's going to be Thanksgiving. Sometime in the mid-sixties I bought this huge 16" Vernon Kilns platter which I used for serving my turkey when celebrating Thanksgivings; I thought it the perfect color for the fall season.
Vernon Kilns was an American ceramic company in Vernon, California. located at 2300 East 52nd Street. It was originally Poxon China, founded by George J.W. Poxon in 1912.
In 1931, Faye G. Bennison purchased the Poxon China pottery and renamed it as Vernon Kilns. Vernon produced ceramic tableware, art ware, giftware, and figurines. Vernon Kilns was one of the "Big Five" California potteries.
In 1933, an earthquake destroyed all of the existing Poxon stock. The damage to the plant’s beehive kilns and loss of stock prompted a complete redesign of the company’s dinnerware molds. The company reinvented itself under the direction of its art department, lead by designers Jane Bennison, May and Vieve Hamilton, and Harry Bird. In 1936, Gale Turnbull joined as their art director and revitalized their dinnerware lines.
Early California was introduced in 1936. The line was originally characterized by two concentric rings and a zigzag moderne angular design. By 1937, Early California glazes included yellow, turquoise, green, brown, dark blue, light blue, ivory, orange (red) and pink.
In 1937, Early California was redesigned with the rounded shape and some of the ware was available through gas stations.
In 1931, Faye G. Bennison purchased the Poxon China pottery and renamed it as Vernon Kilns. Vernon produced ceramic tableware, art ware, giftware, and figurines. Vernon Kilns was one of the "Big Five" California potteries.
In 1933, an earthquake destroyed all of the existing Poxon stock. The damage to the plant’s beehive kilns and loss of stock prompted a complete redesign of the company’s dinnerware molds. The company reinvented itself under the direction of its art department, lead by designers Jane Bennison, May and Vieve Hamilton, and Harry Bird. In 1936, Gale Turnbull joined as their art director and revitalized their dinnerware lines.
Early California was introduced in 1936. The line was originally characterized by two concentric rings and a zigzag moderne angular design. By 1937, Early California glazes included yellow, turquoise, green, brown, dark blue, light blue, ivory, orange (red) and pink.
In 1937, Early California was redesigned with the rounded shape and some of the ware was available through gas stations.
Vernon Kilns signed a contract in 1940 with Walt Disney Productions to make figurines based on the Walt Disney films: Fantasia, Dumbo, and The Reluctant Dragon. Vernon also manufactured art ware based on the film Fantasia.
In addition to the unique art sculpture Janice Pettee created for Vernon Kilns . . .
Janice Pettee ~ mask ashtray
. . . she sculpted and designed a series of celebrity figurines including Burlesque Queen Sally Rand, Paulette Goddard, Madeleine Carroll, Anne Shirley, Wallace Beery, Robert Preston, Lynne Overman, Victor McLaglen, Evelyn Venable, Gary Cooper, Preston Foster, Walter Hampden, Bette Davis and Dorothy Lamour.
Janice Pettee ~ Dorothy Lamour figurine
In April 1946, a fire in a drying room destroyed most of the pottery plant including much of their manufacturing equipment.
Vernon quickly rebuilt, but the company suffered another devastating
fire in 1947. They rebuilt their manufacturing facility again, taking
the opportunity to modernize. The old beehive kilns were replaced with
modern tunnel kilns that dramatically increased production capacity.
In 1958, Vernon Kilns closed their pottery due to mounting labor costs and competition from foreign imports.
Metlox Manufacturing Company, Manhattan Beach, California, bought the molds and continued to manufacture some of Vernon's patterns in their Vernonware division.
photos by Styrous®
a
