Snail Scott on wed 1 feb 06
At 11:45 AM 1/31/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>I have only begone the most cursory of research on Taxile Doat, a name
>Lili mentioned in defence of her point, but some may find this
>interesting. Edward G. Lewis, a publisher of women's magazines and an
>amateur potter had begun "The People's University," a correspondence
>university for the women who sold Lewis's magazines. Now THAT is
>interesting in itself, but a division of that university was the art
>school and pottery in University City, Missouri.
That's where I am now. The ceramics/sculpture department
at Washington U. is located in the Lewis Center, named
for the above-mentioned chap. It was once the University
City high school, next door to his old headquarters which
is now the city hall. It's an amazing building, currently
being restored to its former glory. (The Woman's Magazine
Building, not the school.) Lewis was a visionary, perhaps
a bit too much of one. Most of his projects made him rich,
and he tried to spread much of the benefit back to the
community. His invention of Bank-By-Mail was a violation
of federal postal regulations at the time, however, and
since the penalty (in addition to jail time) included the
revocation of his magazines' mailing permits, his empire
came crashing down overnight.
The department here is not really a lineal descendant of
the Doat program, but I like to think there's a spiritual
kinship. When I send students to the St. Louis Art Museum,
I remind them that the Robineau, Doat, and Rhead pieces on
display (among others) are part of their heritage. (Last
year's special exhibition, 'University City Ceramics' has
a rather decent catalog available if you are interested in
the period.) According to local tradition, the People's
University ceramics program used clay dug from the
construction excavation of the Magazine Building/City Hall
building next door. (It is Missouri, after all.) I also
tell them that their classes might be held in a drafty,
poorly lit former gymnasium, but T.S. Eliot once had gym
class right where they are standing, so they oughta feel
privileged! That part doesn't impress them much, either...
-Snail
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