- Metlox Pottery
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Metlox Pottery, strictly speaking Metlox Manufacturing Company, was a manufacturer of ceramic housewares, located at 1200 Morningside Drive, Manhattan Beach, California. It was founded in 1927 by T. C. Prouty and his son Willis Prouty, originally as a producer of outdoor ceramic signs. After the death of T.C. in 1931, Willis renamed the company Metlox Pottery ("Metlox" is a combination of "metal" and "oxide," a reference to the glaze pigments), and began producing dinnerware. The Metlox Manufacturing Company was incorporated October 5, 1933.[1] Evan K. Shaw, of American Pottery in Los Angeles, purchased Metlox from Willis Prouty in 1946.[2] After Shaw's death in 1980, Kenneth Avery became the president of Metlox.[2]
The first line of pottery produced, "Poppytrail," became well known for its brightly colored glazes derived from locally mined metallic oxides. Subsequent lines included "Nostalgia," "Red Rooster," "California Provincial," "Colonial Homestead," "Homestead Provincial," and "Colorstax." Besides kitchenware, Metlox also produced a very popular line of large ceramic horses and carriages in the 1950s that is still very collectible. Carl Romanelli designed vases, figurines and miniatures for Metlox. A line of collectible ceramic people planters called "Poppets," designed by studio potter Helen Slater, were produced starting in 1970.
Metlox's incorporation was terminated on January 4, 1988. Metlox's 97,000-square-foot (9,000 m2) former site is now occupied by Shade Hotel and other businesses.[3]
References
- ^ California Secretary of State, retrieved 2010-06-11 via query for entity number C0155727
- ^ a b History of Metlox Pottery, retrieved 2010-06-11
- ^ Peninsula People, December 2005, retrieved 2010-06-11
Books
- Gibbs, Carl. Collector's Encyclopedia of Metlox Potteries: Identification and Values, Second Edition. Collector Books (2001) ISBN 1574322249
- Chipman, Jack. Collectors Encyclopedia of California Pottery, Second Edition. Collector Books (1998) ISBN 1574320378
External links
Categories:- Kitchenware brands
- Companies based in California
- Ceramics manufacturers of the United States
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