FROM THE DESK OF OUR EDITOR
Why wait for Santa? Here’s an extra-special gift you can
enjoy right now: our holiday edition of CAS Collectors Quarterly!
From start to finish, it’s filled with fascinating fun: a
recap of our 2011 Convention, “Around The World With CAS”. . .a preview
of our 2012 gathering, “A CAS Summer Vacation”. . .Tim Holthaus’ in-depth
look at Betty Harrington’s post-CAS life and career. . .memories of Gertrude
Harris. . .a CAS recipe from Marlys Wilkinson. . .St. Nick, as interpreted by Betty.
. .and plenty more. Why, if this was a Christmas stocking, it would be full to
overflowing! So pour yourself a cup of
cocoa, settle back, and see what Santa brought!
AND THE WINNER IS. . .
The CAS Trivia Contest in our Summer
issue posed a question with an international flair, in keeping with the
around-the-world theme of our Convention:
“Our elbows stick out,
And so do our knees.
That’s why we tip over
Whene’er there’s a breeze!”
“Our bodies are tan,
Our headpieces gold.
We aren’t wearing much—
But we never catch cold!”
The exotic pair described, dating from 1954? The Temple
Dancers, of course! The first correct response came from Pat Johnson, whose
prize was a 2011 Convention Commemorative – our CAS Coaster & Stand.
Congratulations!
AND THE NEXT CONTEST IS. . .
This time around, our CAS Trivia question centers around the “spirits” of the season:
“We’re good as gold,
We number three.
We’re simply heavenly –
Who can we be?”
Recognize this trio, also dating from 1954? As always, the
answer will be found somewhere within the pages of Ceramic Arts Studio: The
Legacy of Betty Harrington. Once you’ve located it, email your Editor right
away: donaldbrian@msn.com. The
first person submitting the correct answer will receive a rare holiday treat:
one of our 2007 Convention Commemoratives, the CAS Holiday Ornament!
THAT ITSY-BITSY SPIDER
Last issue’s article on Jon-San Creations noted that Miss
Muffet’s Corner Cobweb, as shown in the Legacy of Betty Harrington book,
is missing something kind of important: its Spider!
Spidey has a tendency to fall off his web, so finding an intact Corner
Cobweb can prove daunting. Fortunately, CAS Collectors Diane and Tom Clifford
happen to have the complete piece, which they acquired at the 2000 Convention,
and sent along a photo for all to enjoy. Guess that makes them the
“webmasters”!
GIVING THANKS FOR THE WPA
Once again, the Wisconsin Pottery Association (WPA)
graciously allowed CAS Collectors to set up a club table at their Alliant
Center Show & Sale on Convention Day. We do appreciate it! What a great way
to let folks attending this popular event know a bit more about the heritage of
As always, there were vendors galore, each booth laden with
must-have treasures. The icing on the cake was this year’s outstanding exhibit,
“Pictures on Pottery: Art On American Pottery &
China”. Among the rarities on display: Zona Liberace’s Morning Glory
Vase. It was, as always, a Show & Sale to remember. Thanks, WPA!
“LATCHY: LONG TIME, NO SEE!”
That’s what your Editor was exclaiming at this year’s
Convention, when long-lost “Latchy the Latchhook Clown” finally made a
reappearance. Awarded to Commemorative Queen Lisa Louis at our 2010 Convention,
“Latchy” had mysteriously disappeared. It was feared that he’d met with a fate
worse than death (i.e., a dumpster). But somehow, “Latchy’s” cheery, carpety
face survived. He’s now relocated to
But Lisa won’t be lonely: at this year’s Convention, she was
presented with her very own do-it-yourself kit for “Smiley, The Latchhook
Clown”. Barb Patzer has promised to have “Smiley” all put together in time for
our 2012 gathering. Lucky Lisa can hardly wait!
THREE BLUE DOTS, AT LAST!
For the longest time, former Studio decorator Marlys
Wilkinson has been hoping to run across a CAS figurine with her special marking
on the base: “three blue dots”. Marlys, Tom, and their daughters, Jane and
Lynn, had a great time at the Convention, taking part in all the activities,
including our always-exciting Club Auction. Imagine their surprise when the
decorator marking on one of their auction purchases turned out to be. . .you guessed it. . .three blue dots! Looks like Santa
arrived early this year!
OVERHEARD AT (AND AFTER) THE CONVENTION
There was such a terrific response to this year’s CAS
Collectors Convention that we couldn’t resist sharing some of the comments with
you. Here’s what the always-listening ears of your newsletter staff overheard
at, and after the event:
From Jan Jaworski, a visitor to our CAS
Collectors table at the WPA show:
“I stopped by your table to ask
about Lawrence Rabbitt pots. I have seen you guys at the CAS table for years
but never took the opportunity to chat before. My loss! After picking up a
few of the newsletters I now see what a nice group of enthusiasts you have
going. The history and interviews/photos with former CAS employees are
particularly interesting to me. I love the local history aspect and have purchased
my first Rabbitt pot. I was born in
“Though I am more of an arts-and-crafts
era pottery collector and not a figurine guy per se, I now will check out your
book as a reference. I may want to purchase a few figurines for my
collection as examples of CAS. I like cats so perhaps I will look for some cat
figures. It has been a peek into a whole new tangent of local pottery history
and collecting fun – thank you!”
--
Although CAS Collector Cheryl
Kamm was unable to attend this year’s event, we made sure she received a “care
package” of “touristy” Convention souvenirs, in keeping with our theme. Here’s
what Cheryl had to say:
“A wonderful care package arrived
on Saturday .......... what fun!!! Loved the hats, leis,
pictures etc. The CAS coaster is great and sitting proudly on my desk.
Thanks sooooo much for helping me to feel a part of the Convention!”
--
Betty Carson, who also could
not attend, generously contributed some World’s Fair memorabilia which we set
up as a display, then added to our Club Auction, with all proceeds benefiting
the club. We thanked Betty for her kindness, and also sent her a “Convention
care package”, which included a stuffed monkey! Here’s Betty’s response:
“How terrific! I am so tickled all got to enjoy the auction items, and the
club treasury got a gift. When we can do so little as we get older it pleases
me to no end that things went well!
“We certainly got a kick out of the
things you sent. I had to put that little monkey
up high, though, as
“Rascal”, (aptly named), the rat terrier thinks all toys are his! How very kind
of all of you -- it must have been a fun time -- I can see all the “tourist
hats” around the room! Thanks!
--
And, another of our favorite
correspondents, former Studio decorator Alice Noltemeyer (“two gold dots”) was
happy as could be to receive in the mail her very own 2011 Convention
Commemorative:
“What a pleasant surprise to receive the CAS Commemorative coaster yesterday. A
novel idea, and much appreciated. Having ups and
downs, this brought sunshine into my life. I am sorry to have missed the
gathering of all the Ceramic Arts folks. I thought of you all that Saturday
with wishful thinking. I will be looking forward to all the joyous news on the
day’s events.”
--
Well Alice, this issue of CAS
Collectors Quarterly is jam-packed with all sorts of joyous news on this
year’s event, next year’s event, and lots more, so ho-ho-ho -- off we go!
May all your holidays be bright!
Donald-Brian Johnson
Editor
*********************************************************************************
REMEMBERING REUBEN
By Donald-Brian Johnson
Reuben Sand, founder of Ceramic Arts Studio, died on October 21, 2005 of double pneumonia. As per his wishes, Mr. Sand’s ashes were distributed in Half Moon Bay, near his San Mateo, California home. On November 4th, Reuben Sand would have celebrated his 90th birthday.
The story of Mr. Sand and the Studio has, over the years, been told so many times that it has assumed the status of familiar legend. How, in 1940, Reuben and potter Lawrence Rabbitt teamed up to turn a deserted lean-to on Madison’s Blount Street into the loftily-named “Ceramic Arts Studio”. How the Studio’s early hand-thrown pots met with little success (and how many of them leaked!) How a chance meeting in 1941 with the amazing designer Betty Harrington led Reuben and the Studio in an entirely new direction—the creation of figural ceramics. And how, thanks to Betty’s talent for design, and Reuben’s talent for production and marketing, the little lean-to in Madison soon became the nation’s top supplier of decorative ceramics.
What’s often forgotten is just how young Reuben Sand
was when he embarked on his
That may be why, for many years, Mr. Sand resisted the urge to reminisce about Studio days—he had, after all, done so much more! Collectors were overjoyed when, in 1993, Reuben agreed to travel to Madison for the first-ever comprehensive Ceramic Arts Studio exhibit, sponsored by the Wisconsin Pottery Association. A touching, final reunion between entrepreneur Reuben and designer Betty was a highlight of the occasion. Then it was back to California, and on with life.
When it came time to begin work on our book Ceramic Arts
Studio: The Legacy of Betty Harrington, my co-authors and I felt it was
extremely important to include current commentary by the man who started it
all—Reuben Sand. We already had, thanks
to Betty Harrington’s diligence, and the generosity of her family, extensive
materials documenting her part of the story. Thanks to
Every several weeks, I called and left a message at the contact number I’d been given. For months there was no response. Then one morning, the phone rang. I picked it up, and a deep, somewhat gravelly voice said, “This is Reuben Sand. Why do you keep calling me?”
I explained who I was, and the project I was working on. There was a pause, then Reuben began to express his doubts. He’d “been interviewed before”; they “always got it wrong”; they “never asked the right questions” and “never let him read it first”.
This went on for awhile. When there was a lull, I assured him that we had something different in mind. We planned on using his comments in the first person, just as he conveyed them, editing only for length or repetition. He would see the material before it went to print, and would have the right to correct (or delete) anything inaccurate.
Another pause. I could tell he was considering the idea. Then he continued: “What if my comments don’t agree with what other people say?”
“Well,” I replied, “folks will have the opportunity to read both, and can make up their own minds.”
Whether that did the trick (or whether he was just tired of talking to me), Mr. Sand agreed. I was to send him a list of the questions I would be asking. He would call me at a set date and time, and answer those (and only those) questions. “And I want a transcript.”
“No problem,”, I said, (instantly hoping to avail myself of Roseann Lindner’s transcription talents).
And so it began. On
the set day, at the set time, the phone rang.
I switched on the recorder. “Hello. This is Reuben Sand. Question number one---
Oh boy, I thought. Is this going to be tedious. But I’d put together what I felt were some pretty good questions, and at least we’d have those first-person responses, even if they were being read from a carefully prepared script.
I tuned back in, just as Reuben was intoning a very lengthy
explanation of how he met Larry Rabbitt, and determined to start a business.
“We found an empty lean-to at
“What are rebars?” I interrupted, in spite of myself.
“That’s not on the question list,” said Reuben, and continued:
“
“Why?”
“I answer that in question number 5.”
“Oh”.
There was a pause. “But I suppose I might as well talk about it now. Larry had been making a few items such as ashtrays and bowls and little pots, and fashioned himself to be working in a ‘studio’—had sort of a nice ring to it—an ‘arts studio’. I simply said, ‘if you think that is a good name, OK’. Later on, people wondered how this ‘arts studio’ was kicking out thousands of pieces—there must have been a lot of artists hard at work!”
He chuckled, off script, and enjoying the recollection. From that moment on, the question-and answer list was forgotten, and the memories poured forth fast and furious.
This was just the first of many wonderful phone conversations I had with Reuben Sand. Over the next several years, we’d talk on a regular basis. Sometimes I’d call, to make sure I was explaining a particular facet of Studio life correctly. Sometimes he’d call, to clarify or expand on a previous response, or to tell me to look for “a package on its way” (thanks to Reuben, original Studio catalogs, copyrights, photos, and the like soon added to our treasure trove of research material.)
Sometimes, one or the other of us would call “just to talk”. And, true to my word, I always kept a transcript.
When our book was ready for print, I sent Reuben’s sections
to him, as promised, for his approval. He was effusive in his praise, offering
few corrections, and asking only for the elimination of one brief anecdote. (An
early
Basking in Mr. Sand’s praise, I couldn’t resist adding, “and your words are just as you said them—I’m sure you checked the transcripts.”
“Oh”, replied Reuben, “I never read those. I just wanted to see if you would keep your promise.”
Reuben Sand was easily one of the most fascinating,
entertaining people I’ve met in my life—and I never even had the opportunity to
meet him in person! Imagine the response
he must have evoked in those who knew him and worked with him first-hand. Over and over in my research for our book, I
would encounter former Studio workers who would describe Reuben as “the best
boss”, and
I once asked Reuben if he ever gave much thought to the Studio “legacy”. A moment or two went by, and then he said, “You know, one of my biggest worries used to be that two thousand years from now some geologist would be digging, and nothing could be found but Ceramic Arts Studio figurines. And the pundits of the time would say, ‘in the years 1940-1960 or so, this was the state of the civilization that existed.’ A pretty good state though. Better than a lot of things they could be digging up. You know, I have so many fond memories of Ceramic Arts Studio and those I worked with. They were all solid, wonderful people. I guess I am just one of the luckiest guys in the world.”
We were the lucky ones, Reuben. Our thanks, for a life well-lived.
