Art Deco, no doubt?  Imagining a bathroom from a single plain white wall tile is out-Cuviering Cuvier.

The original question, if there was one, implicit in my posts was: Can the California AET tiles be distinguished from those made at AET plants in Ohio and New Jersey, not How can you tell a bathroom tile from a kitchen tile or fireplace/"reading nook" tile? Stylistically, many can certainly be distinguished by their Hispano-Moresque, Mediterranean revival, "California" look and some (especially talc-bodied AET tiles produced at Hermosa Beach and "kaospar" tiles produced at Vernon)by their physical characteristics. But many any of their faience tiles could not be distinguished stylistically from those made at Zanesville or for that matter at Flint Faience Tile in Michigan.  And what about the more generic "plain, white" tiles? I am still curious as to whether the California marks were distinctive.

AE Tile produced decorative and plain tiles for more than 50 years, from 1880 to 1935 and by 1930 was the largest tile maker in the world (though still making only about 25% of all tiles made in the U.S.). Stylistically, their products ranged well beyond the limits of the Arts and Crafts movement and Art Deco and also beyond the functional uses in kitchen, bath, and fireplace.  

Jim Murphy

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron May <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 0:33 am
Subject: Re: inadvertent urban archaeology 2

> 
> In a message dated 11/5/2007 9:20:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> 
> And if  it's just a plain white, wall tile?  What does that tell  us?
> 
> 
> 
> Remember what I typed about certain rooms and color functions? 
> White tiles  
> were used to set the mood for hygiene and brightness. The white 
> tile probably  
> came from a bathroom. 
> 
> Ron
> 
> 
> 
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