Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 15: ARTS AND CRAFTS
Ceramics
Pottery Philosophy and Planning
c. 1965-1967
Folder I

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TAGS: arts and crafts, ceramics, pottery philosophy and planning, Paul Lynn, local clays, pottery program at PMSS, pottery supplies, pottery expenses, regional pottery enterprises

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ARTS AND CRAFTS CERAMICS Pottery Philosophy and Planning c. 1965-1967 [I]

In 1965 Paul Lynn, a worker at Pine Mountain Settlement School, began the complex process of starting a pottery program at the school. It was a “pottery” plan, as it was not conceived as a fine art approach for creating ceramics, but as an effort to stay close to the earth and to use local clays and materials to produce wares to be sold for Pine Mountain Settlement School. He imagined that somewhere in the local clays was one or more that might be found viable enough to establish a self-sustaining supply of the core material for the craft.

He drafted a rationale for the pottery program and proceeded to engage the instructional staff and the PMSS Director, Burton Rogers, and his wife, Mary Rogers, in the creation of the new program. The mid-1960s were very supportive of his pottery philosophy and enthusiasm as the period historically enjoyed a revitalization of native arts and a “back to the land” approach to arts and craft. His well-drafted rationale and plan for a self-sustaining model of ceramics is gathered in the notes found here. The products of Paul Lynn’s efforts may be found in a small sampling of pottery now located in the Archive at the School.

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  [transcription pending]

 Pottery Supplies, c. 1965-1967 [Folder I]

EQUIPMENT 2 electric fans 1 electric grinder & steel brush buff 1 centigram balance scale 16 5 qt. plastic buckets and lids 1 electric blower 1 5″ strainer	SUPPLIES Pyrometric cones   # 03 1doz 04 1doz 02 6  ? 1doz 07 6? 01 1doz	1. 6? 2. part box 3. part box 4.part box 5. 6 ? 1doz 6. 1 doz 7. 1 doz 8. 1 doz 9. 1 doz + 6 10. 6?
POWDERS Kiln Wash High Temp – 3 lbs Talc 1/2 lb + 3/4 lb Cornwall stone 1/2 lb + 1 lb ? (magenta color)  1/2 lb zinc oxide 1/2 lb + 1 lb Borax 2 lb Feldspar Keystone Soda 1/2 lb Feldspar Potash 1 lb Albany Slip Clay 1 lb Frit # 3110 Leadless Nepheline Syenite pwd Cryolite pwd 366 3/4 lb Fint Silica 325 Mesh 1 lb Rutile pwd 366 1/2 lb Frit # 3481 Lax 1/2 lb Frit # 18 Frit # 3134 Soda Ash 1/2 lb Calcium Carbonate Whiting 1/2 lb Barium Carbonate 1/2 lb

Pottery Expense Sheet, c. 1965-1967 [Folder I]

EXPENSE REPORT KILN PROJECT May 1965 through October 31, 1966		EXPENSE REPORT KILN PROJECT May 1965 through September 14, 1965
Bricks	142.50	Bricks	142.50
Roofing	14.20	Roofing	14.20
Cement	23.00	Cement	23.00
Electric Wiring & materials	30.53	Electric Wiring & Materials	30.53
Miscellaneous small items	12.57	Miscellaneous small items	12.57
Maintenance and labor	352.00	Maintenance and labor	352.00
Unemployed Fathers Labor	352.00	Unemployed Fathers Labor	352.00
NYC Boys Labor	100.00	NYC Boys Labor	100.00
Wood	45.00	Wood
Coal	21.00	Coal
Pottery Making Supplies	103.80	Pottery Making Supplies
TOTAL	$1,196.60	TOTAL	$1,026.80
Pottery Sold	$   102.05	Pottery Sold	———-
NOTES [handwritten] 2-8-69 Brit [Wilder]- wood prep time ? , cost ?, availability? Another fuel ? Mary [Rogers]  Clay supply processing Paul [Lynn] – records of experiments firing ? glazing ?		NOTES [typed] The figures above for the electric wiring and materials is approximate because some of the items on the invoice were used for other purposes. This figure is with 2.00 of the actual amount spent for the project. The above figures for labor for the various groups are approximate, however, they are figured at a low estimate rather than a high one, according to Brit [Wilder] they should be quite accurate.

GALLERY I: Pottery Expense Sheet

 

GALLERY II: Regional Pottery Enterprises

GALLERY III: PMSS Electric Power House

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Resources:

See the following for information about the “Back-to-the-Land” movement of the 1970s:

Agnew, Eleanor. Back from the Land: How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back. 2005.

Faires, Nicole 2006. Deliberate Life: The Ultimate Homesteading Guide. ISBN 0-9782042-0-4

Fairfield, Richard. The Modern Utopian: Alternative Communities of the ’60’s and ’70’s. Process Media, 2010.

Grant, Brian L. “Surveying the Back to the Land Movement in the Seventies.” Published online at Back To The Land. Wayback Machine (web.archive.org).

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See Also:
ARTS AND CRAFTS PMSS Overview

Return To:
ARTS AND CRAFTS Guide
ARTS AND CRAFTS CERAMICS Guide

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