Code,
Subject,Carol Jacobs
Date,15-Jun-11
Interviewer,Robin Meiksins
Abstract,"Cowan Pottery Museum curator. Artwork of R. Guy Cowan, Cowan Pottery Studio, and artists associated with Cowan Pottery. 1912-1931."
Tags,
Special Notes,
Minutes:,42.1
0,"Introductions. Carol Jacobs. Curator of Cowan Pottery Museum at the Rocky River Library.  How did I get here? Before this was archivist for CLE Orchestra @ Severance Hall. She was called upon by the authors of ""the"" book on Cowan pottery (Mark Bassett and  Victoria Knowman) for consultation and photos. Ties with CLE Orchestra & Cowan pottery (Elsa Vick Shaw is one)."
1,"Also was on Board of Trustees at the Library for 7 years. Museum is part of library, learned about it then. Went off the Board and started working for orchestra. Decided to downsize professional life, retired from Orchestra. Lives in Rocky River. Natural fit. Applied and got the job. Dec 2006."
2,"Started Dec 2006. Pottery background/history: Cowan pottery is a distinctive form of American pottery made first in Lakewood and then in Rocky River ca. 1913 - 1917 (Rocky River from 1920-1931).Closed due to Depression. In Lakewood days known for it's tile works. Used to be in art museum, but disappeared during renovation."
3,"East CLE library has surviving sample of the pottery. Fireplace surround that tells the story of Robin Hood. Charming. Home of Guy Cowan in Lakewood has two fireplaces with the pottery. At the time it wasn't called Cowan Pottery, it was called the Cleveland Pottery and Tile Company. (4 years). "
4,"R Guy Cowan - born in Liverpool in East Central Ohio. Hotbed of pottery, town of Liverpool spawned about 300 pottery companies. Father worked in several pottery companies, and R Guy Cowan helped as a child. Mother wanted him to get a college education. He went to Alfred College in NY, studied ceramics engineering in 1906/1907."
5,"Trouble getting a full time job. East Tech in CLE opened, he got a job teaching ceramics there. Also taking classes at art school. Made contacts there (CLE going through art renaissance). Also worked for West High School, and began teaching at CLE Art Inst."
6,"Cowan getting big in art world, but also had business backers who respected his work ethic and started his own business in Lakewood. WWI came along, and many left to go to war as well as Cowan (chemical research)."
7,"World War I was over, but when they returned to the factory they discovered that the gas well was being depleted (gas needed to fire pottery). Moved to Rocky River (small hamlet of 5k then). Close to Depot & Rail road. On a major road."
8,"Always noted in catalogue that Rocky River was a suburb of CLE. Cowan shifted focus from tile works to production pieces, limited edition pieces, and art works. Worked out well. End of 1920s the Cowan pottery studios were producing 175,000 per year from coast to coast. Sold in major department stores like Marshall Fields and Higbees. "
9,"Pottery sold in Los Angles & San Francisco. Because the store in Los Angles the pottery made it's way in the sets of movies in the 30s. Laurel and Hardy & the Marx Brothers, for example. Depression set in (crash in 1929). Dealers everywhere reduced orders or stopped all together."
10,"Wanted to establish an art colony, but not good timing due to Depression. Went into receivership & closed in 1931. Still remained popular through the 40s, but by the 50s it was not popular. Something thought of as in grandmother's attic. "
11,"First library director (library opened in 1928 @ height of Cowan Pottery) displayed a few pieces. Second library director when interviewing for job saw piece of pottery on then director's desk. Wanted to find out more but couldn't find any information about it. Went on a mission to bring history of Cowan pottery to life. Wanted people in CLE to know what a treasure they had. Other areas of OH had great pottery (Zanesville/Rookwood, etc.), but for CLE this was it"
12,"The library director did research and met collectors. One collector had 800 pieces, was in bad health, and wanted it to go to a good home. Library purchased the collection. Since it was a part of Rocky River History, what better place to have the collection where everyone could see it. "
13," Got it for a real barging because Cowan wasn't popular. Got some true collection pieces (Jazz piece, mirror piece) Museum opened in Feb 1978. Now is popular. There 33 years (in 2011). Cowan pottery is often on eBay now - some expensive, some not so much. Reflective of R Guy Cowan's original idea/desire was for people of all incomes to have his pottery, so this fits."
14,"Popular because it was affordable for many, but also beautiful and distinctive. Cowan pottery was unique because it broke out of the arts and crafts movement of the time. "
15,"Cowan and artists experimented with glazes and shapes. Art Expo in Paris in 1925 excited Cowan and his artists. Started making pieces of the Art Deco style (at the time it was called Modern, not Art Deco - that term came to be used in the 1960s). "
16,"Shapes and glazes were distinctive. Set it apart from the usual ""china factory"". Plus he incorporated high artistic standard in expensive and not-so-expensive pieces. Made it attractive. Others who were already established like Paul Manship, prominent sculptor (worked in bronze) in 1920 (now Smithsonian has over 400 examples of his work in catalogue)."
17,"Manship was a speaker at ""Art in Trade"" Expo at Macy's in NYC. Cowan met Manship there. Cowan convinced Manship to try to portray his themes in the ceramics medium. See piece ""Europa""."
18,"Woman named Margaret Postgate was an artist and worked for Proctor and Gamble as artist and publicist, managed a national soap carving contest. Ivory Soap) Cowan convinced her to come to pottery and make it last a little longer (in ceramics). Known for rounded elephant designs. Modernistic Madonna's. Bookends.  Very high end pieces. "
19,F Lewis Morrow - American Hispanic painter. Not sure how met. Maybe Art Museum in Philadelphia. Liked painting with Southwest themes. Cowan suggested he try it in ceramics. He did. It was successful. Museum has letter from Morrow to Cowan re: hopes for museum reopening. (1932)
20,Victor Schreckengost most famous of Cowan potters. Was a student of Cowan's at CLE Inst of Art. Spent a year in Vienna. Cowan went to Europe and convinced him to work for Cowan Pottery when he returned. Most famous was Jazz Bowl.
21,"Jazz Bowl. Commissioned by anonymous NYC housewife, insisted on NY theme. Victor incorporated Jazz scenes into the NY theme, too. Became the Jazz Bowl. "
22,"Jazz Bowl. Later there was a letter from this client wanting two more Jazz bowls  - one for her  home in Hyde Park and one to the White House. Client was Eleanor Roosevelt. There were more made. Perhaps 50. Some in museums, some in private hands. "
23,"Rocky River has one of the original runs of the Jazz Bowl. All had slight variations. All similar - mostly blue and black. Smaller one was sold for $30, larger one sold for $50. Today they sell for a ""little more than that""."
24,Sculpture. Cowan pottery was unique in this respect (deviated from usual bowls and plates). In the last year there was more creativity. Bank was managing things.
25,Under bank ownership the artists got more creative (released from burden of mass production). Treated more as an artistic enterprise vs. a business. Glazes. Required chemistry. Have some notebooks with formulas.
26,"Over 120 glazes developed by Cowan, some never seen before. Luster's were very popular and signature item. Matt finished came in two versions. Each different."
27,All artists associated with Cowan pottery - when closed did not mean the end of their careers. Victor is best example (died at 100 years). Many stayed in CLE area. Did not move to Chicago or NYC - if he had he would have been better known.
28,Was the fact that Cowan stayed in OH a factor in his popularity? (Would he have been more popular elsewhere?) No. Because he was able to distribute goods in major depart stores all over the country. Also very affordable. 
29,Was that distribution model unique to Cowan? No. Others like Rookwood Pottery and Salem China did same thing. Not unusual.
30,"What happened to Cowan? He was in his 40s during the Depression. (Born in 1884) Made the best of things. After Cowan Pottery, R Guy Cowan split time working at the Farrow Corp (industrial ceramics), and spent 3 days (a week) at Syracuse (NY) China (head of decorating dept). Played a role in developing the National Ceramics Expo at Everson Museum at Syracuse Univ. "
31,"Cowan wanted to write ""magnum opus"" (big book) on ceramics. Applied for large grant, but was denied. Disappointed. 1950s (he would have been in his 60s) . Died in 1957 at age 72. Died same year as Elliott Ness, who was married to one of the Cowan potters. "
32,"Cowan pottery more popular now, has come back into favor. Two books published. Work of museum. Internet. EBay. Group of dedicated collectors."
33,"Some collectors more moderated. Rocky River citizens like it because it's part of their history. Recent auction of collector's pieces (high end pieces went on auction at auction house in Cincinnati), low end stuff was auctioned at the Museum/Library. People lined up around the block to purchase the pieces ( over 400 pieces from $5 to $50) line out to street. Sold out in 20 min. "
34,People bought pieces for a variety of reasons. Back to Guy Cowan. Lived in Syracuse for 20 years but decided to be buried in Rocky River (Lakewood Park Cemetery). 
35,"Cowan, his wife, daughter and other family members buried in Rocky River. Speaks to what Rocky River area meant to Guy Cowan. Carol Jacobs has no favorite piece, but occasionally buys & donates pieces for the museum that aren't already in the collection. "
36,"Any other places in CLE where people could see Cowan collection? A few antique stores and auction houses have Cowan pieces from time to time. Lakewood antique store (Rose & Sons), Davis Auction House, and one in Larchmere"
37,"Museum has examples. CLE Museum of Art has a Jazz Bowl. (recently acquired, but the Cowan museum has had one since 1976) Other museums, but not all on view. Western Reserve Historical Society has good collection. Private collectors."
38,"Restaurant nearby (now closed) Treats Tea Room. Large collection, over 1,000. "
39,Can see work of Elsa Vick Shaw at Severance Hall. Victor Schreckengost  at Mammoth and mastodon sculptureÉ now at ICA Conservation Lab. Need more funds. Large and complicated piece. St. Mary's Church in CLE has outdoor enamel panels done by Thelma Frazier and her husband Ed Winter (both worked at Cowan in 20s and 30s). 12 panels. 
40,Community feels museum is important. Community approved goals inc. improvement of museum facilities. Library cultural center of the community. Made sense for library to be the repository. Unique to Rocky River Library.
41,Closure. Other things inc. photos (for app). 
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