Stephani Stephenson on tue 1 apr 03
This tile talk brings up some thoughts on the development of the modern
'tile' floor.
Glazed floor tile became popular in the 18th and 19th century in Great
Britain and N. Europe
With advances in industrialization, understanding of disease and public
health
The glazed tile, which had always provided coolness and durability to
surfaces in buildings in Southern Europe and the Middle East
was now hailed as the new modern, hygienic ,sanitary surface of choice
for dairies , hospitals, and the like!
(There are some fabulous tiled dairies from this era.) Gleaming ,
washable , durable glazed tile!
even into the 1920's and 1930's , the ideal modern home featured the
allure of hygienic glazed -tile bathroom and kitchen: very
attractive selling points in the 'modern ' household! In these homes
from the 20s and 30s you see wood everywhere, possibly some decorative
tile on the fireplace, but the kitchen and bath are not only tiled, they
are usually done in stark white tile. The color white also reinforced
the 'sanitary' aspects of glazed tile. It wasn't because they couldn't
make other colors! Then materials changed , other hygienic,
synthetic, easily cleaned floor, counter and wall surfaces became
popular and were seen as even more 'modern' and easy to maintain, in
industrialized countries.
Part of what I do is recreate and renovate tile projects from the
early part of the 2oth century
there is a real difference both in feeling and in material in the tile
found in the bath and kitchen and on the floor vs the tile used on
fireplace , hearth, and in a decorative manner in these homes.
fireplace and decorative tile could be anything: dark and moody ,rough,
fanciful, escapist, bright, glossy, rough... anything including scenes
from fairy tales, and exotic cultures to wild art glazes or carved
relief tile. then the kitchen and bathroom tiles are smooth white or
pastel,, glazed or porcelainous tiles.
I have made floor tiles in the tradition of Mercer and the Moravian tile
works, small hexagon shaped thick tiles about 2" across in earthy tones
these are glazed tiles and have been put into patios, halls but mostly
in hearths. And I have made glazed wall tile, which is also used as
floor tile in standard sizes, also in patios, halls, baths, bedrooms,
etc. , and these too are glazed tiles.
Many of the tilemakers of that era made a wall tiles which were color
coordinated but very different from their floor tiles. Basically for
floor tiles many of them made pavers
The pavers are solid color tiles which are often fired to a higher
temperature and which have no glazed surface, the color runs throughout
the tile , so that the tile will not change color with abrasion from
foot traffic .
For those of you who saw the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, the floor
tiles were made in 1915 by a San Diego Tile Company
small unglazed floor tiles, fired to cone 12 . the company patented
the word 'kaospar' , for this particular type of the clay floor tile
This floor has shown little wear, and is the main floor throughout the
train depot.
so this seems to be the other tradition in flooring: the unglazed paver,
derived from the earthen floors and unglazed clay and stone floors .
some even similar to cement tiles of the day.
many of the early tilemakers must have realized limitations in their
glazes for floor applications
Their glazed tiles were appropriate for wall, water fountains, stair
risers, etc., but when it came to high traffic flooring
they went the way of the paver.
Of course there are lots of exceptions, such as the beautiful 'persian
Carpet rug' tile floors made by Malibu pottery in the 20s
I wonder how much boot grinding or traffic those can take
Then again they might take it , as Rufus Keeler was a renowned glaze
master!
I think the techniques many of we studio tilemakers are working with
are very similar to the techniques used by the 19th century and early
to mid 20th century tilemakers
So one can learn some things by studying their work
many in fact were or employed trained engineers and chemists, or they
came from ceramic and tilemaking families and backgrounds,
One thing I see from looking at the different tilemakers is that they
played to their strengths and developed products accordingly.
OK mel, enough about tile for today from me!!!!!
Stephani Stephenson
steph@alchemiestudio.com
http://www.alchemiestudio.com
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on wed 2 apr 03
Yes...
The Film 'Jacob's Ladder' has some good scenes of some
Edwarian era looking Sanitariums or perhaps Asylums...some
great
views of the old-time Tile Work...
Anyway...
Seldom seen stuff...
Wish I'd known about the Sante Fe depot in San
Diego...hmmmmm...maybe next time!
Phil
el vee
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephani Stephenson"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 4:53 PM
Subject: Tile: lure of hygeine, lust for sanitation, v.
plain baked earth
> This tile talk brings up some thoughts on the development
of the modern
> 'tile' floor.
>
> Glazed floor tile became popular in the 18th and 19th
century in Great
> Britain and N. Europe
> With advances in industrialization, understanding of
disease and public
> health
> The glazed tile, which had always provided coolness and
durability to
> surfaces in buildings in Southern Europe and the Middle
East
> was now hailed as the new modern, hygienic ,sanitary
surface of choice
> for dairies , hospitals, and the like!
> (There are some fabulous tiled dairies from this era.)
Gleaming ,
> washable , durable glazed tile!
>
> even into the 1920's and 1930's , the ideal modern home
featured the
> allure of hygienic glazed -tile bathroom and kitchen:
very
> attractive selling points in the 'modern ' household! In
these homes
> from the 20s and 30s you see wood everywhere, possibly
some decorative
> tile on the fireplace, but the kitchen and bath are not
only tiled, they
> are usually done in stark white tile. The color white
also reinforced
> the 'sanitary' aspects of glazed tile. It wasn't because
they couldn't
> make other colors! Then materials changed , other
hygienic,
> synthetic, easily cleaned floor, counter and wall
surfaces became
> popular and were seen as even more 'modern' and easy to
maintain, in
> industrialized countries.
>
> Part of what I do is recreate and renovate tile projects
from the
> early part of the 2oth century
> there is a real difference both in feeling and in
material in the tile
> found in the bath and kitchen and on the floor vs the tile
used on
> fireplace , hearth, and in a decorative manner in these
homes.
> fireplace and decorative tile could be anything: dark and
moody ,rough,
> fanciful, escapist, bright, glossy, rough... anything
including scenes
> from fairy tales, and exotic cultures to wild art glazes
or carved
> relief tile. then the kitchen and bathroom tiles are
smooth white or
> pastel,, glazed or porcelainous tiles.
>
> I have made floor tiles in the tradition of Mercer and the
Moravian tile
> works, small hexagon shaped thick tiles about 2" across in
earthy tones
> these are glazed tiles and have been put into patios,
halls but mostly
> in hearths. And I have made glazed wall tile, which is
also used as
> floor tile in standard sizes, also in patios, halls,
baths, bedrooms,
> etc. , and these too are glazed tiles.
>
> Many of the tilemakers of that era made a wall tiles which
were color
> coordinated but very different from their floor tiles.
Basically for
> floor tiles many of them made pavers
> The pavers are solid color tiles which are often fired
to a higher
> temperature and which have no glazed surface, the color
runs throughout
> the tile , so that the tile will not change color with
abrasion from
> foot traffic .
> For those of you who saw the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego,
the floor
> tiles were made in 1915 by a San Diego Tile Company
> small unglazed floor tiles, fired to cone 12 . the
company patented
> the word 'kaospar' , for this particular type of the
clay floor tile
> This floor has shown little wear, and is the main floor
throughout the
> train depot.
>
> so this seems to be the other tradition in flooring: the
unglazed paver,
> derived from the earthen floors and unglazed clay and
stone floors .
> some even similar to cement tiles of the day.
> many of the early tilemakers must have realized
limitations in their
> glazes for floor applications
> Their glazed tiles were appropriate for wall, water
fountains, stair
> risers, etc., but when it came to high traffic flooring
> they went the way of the paver.
> Of course there are lots of exceptions, such as the
beautiful 'persian
> Carpet rug' tile floors made by Malibu pottery in the 20s
> I wonder how much boot grinding or traffic those can take
> Then again they might take it , as Rufus Keeler was a
renowned glaze
> master!
>
> I think the techniques many of we studio tilemakers are
working with
> are very similar to the techniques used by the 19th
century and early
> to mid 20th century tilemakers
> So one can learn some things by studying their work
> many in fact were or employed trained engineers and
chemists, or they
> came from ceramic and tilemaking families and backgrounds,
>
> One thing I see from looking at the different tilemakers
is that they
> played to their strengths and developed products
accordingly.
>
> OK mel, enough about tile for today from me!!!!!
>
> Stephani Stephenson
> steph@alchemiestudio.com
> http://www.alchemiestudio.com
>
>
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