Hi all,
I just want to weigh in on Gibson's book since I've actually seen and used the thing. Mitch asked me to review the draft of this volume. Further, (with Mitch's OK) I had our lab director 'test drive' the book as a for a big project I'm working on in north Idaho. Let's just accept that the term 'comprehensive' was a bit of an overstatement -- nothing is 'comprehensive' and the book is certainly not Godden-esq in size. However, we've found it is a very useful book it is one we definitely will have as part of our library. What is particularly good about it is 1) an index that is far more exhaustive than anything I've seen (you can search by individual words in marks) 2) the emphasis marks from the latter half of the 19th century 3) the emphasis on marks found in the western U.S. Anecdotally, the folks looking on this project have found several instances were Gibson's work has marks that weren't found places like Godden, Kovel or Kowalsky.
I would strongly encourage folks to look past the obvious hyperbole of the preliminary PR blurb, no book is going to solve all our ID challenges but I would say that this is one that is a good addition to what we have available -- and it is a particularly useful addition to folks working in the western U.S.
Mark Warner
U. of Idaho
________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of Robert L. Schuyler
Sent: Tue 7/27/2010 10:20 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
1,150 times as that is the ca. membership on this list. I am glad this
whole tempest in teapot took place since I misunderstood the book
description. Now I will BUY the book since it looks quite important.
Bob Schuyler
On 7/27/2010 10:34 AM, Carl Steen wrote:
> Jeez How many times do I have to apologize?
> =20
>
> =20
>
> Carl Steen
> =20
>
> =20
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terry Majewski<[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tue, Jul 27, 2010 10:31 am
> Subject: Re: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
>
>
> I was really distressed by the harsh and petty comments about Erica's book=
> . We=20
> haven't even SEEN it yet. How about congratulating someone for caring enou=
> gh to=20
> get some of their research published? How about congratulating Mitch Allen=
> from=20
> Left Coast Press for publishing reasonably priced books on topics we're=20
> interested in? If the rest of us don't like it, let's put something out th=
> ere=20
> ourselves. Another thing, what Erica's book offers that is different from=
> Godden=20
> and all the other mark books we have on our shelves is that the marks are=
> those=20
> "found in North American archaeological sites." This is a very useful thin=
> g for=20
> historical archaeologists working on materials from sites in North America=
> to=20
> talk about where goods are coming from, consumer preference, etc. It might=
> even=20
> help us understand the American ceramic market better for the time period=
> Erica=20
> is focusing on. There's lots more to do on this topic, following on from=
> Neil=20
> Ewins' wonderful publication "Supplying the Present Wants of Our Yankee=20
> Cousins...": Staffordshire Ceramics and the American Market 1775-1880, Jou=
> rnal=20
> of Ceramic History Vol. 15, 1997, City Museum& Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Tren=
> t.=20
> Finally, we have a lot to learn about ceramic goods made by the American,=
> =20
> German, and French at that time from an archaeological context.
>
> I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is no need to act in such an=
> =20
> exclusionary way -- it discourages the growth and sustainability of our=20
> discipline, and it certainly doesn't represent professional, courteous beh=
> avior.
>
> Enough said,
>
> Terry Majewski
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carl=
> Steen
> Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 7:09 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
>
> Again, not meant to discourage Erica from doing and publishing good resear=
> ch.=20
> The misleading sales pitch just hit me wrong. I only had a sip or two of=
> coffee=20
> myself, which may explain my grumpiness...
> =20
>
> =20
>
> Carl Steen
> =20
>
> =20
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: erica gibson<[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tue, Jul 27, 2010 9:52 am
> Subject: Re: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
>
>
> Wow! Talk about being ripped to shreds before I've even had my first cup=
> of
> coffee!
>
> Erica S. Gibson
> Lab/Collections Manager
> Anthropological Studies Center
> Sonoma State University
> Rohnert Park, CA
> [log in to unmask]
>
> On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 6:16 AM, Carl Steen<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>> Sorry if I jumped the gun, but I get grumpy about hyperbole first thing=
>>
> in
>
>> the morning.... I know I shouldn't discourage people from making the eff=
>>
> ort
>
>> to put a good resource together.
>>
>>
>> Carl Steen
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Melissa Diamanti<[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Sent: Tue, Jul 27, 2010 9:10 am
>> Subject: Re: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
>>
>>
>> Whoa there fellow HISTARCHers!
>> Shouldn't you check out what the product actually has to offer before yo=
>>
> u
>
>> slam
>> it?
>> I see from the webpage that the book is not available until October, but
>> why
>> assume the worst. Reading the blurb on the website, I found...
>>
>> " this catalog provides full information on both the history of the mark
>> and its
>> variants, as well as details about the manufacturer" (emphasis mine)
>>
>> This suggests that variants of one maker's mark are all counted together=
>>
> in
>
>> the
>> 350, so it probably really covers a lot. It also indicates that there=
>>
> is
>
>> information on the company behind a mark, not just the name and possible
>> dates,
>> as in Kovel& Kovel. So it could prove usefull after all.
>>
>> Meli Diamanti
>>
>> --- On Tue, 7/27/10, Caryn M. Berg<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: Caryn M. Berg<[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: New: Catalogue of Ceramic Maker's Marks.
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 1:17 AM
>>
>>
>> A Comprehensive Catalogue of Ceramic Maker=E2=80=99s Marks=E2=80=A6
>>
>>
>>
>> New From Left Coast Press, Inc. A 15% discount on web orders to the U.S.=
>>
> at
>
>> www.LCoastPress.com<http://www.lcoastpress.com/>
>>
>>
>>
>> Ceramic Makers' Marks
>>
>> Erica Gibson
>>
>> Coming October 2010, 256 pages, $24.95 Paper
>>
>> Available for Pre-order!
>>
>>
>>
>> Erica Gibson=E2=80=99s comprehensive guide provides a much-needed catalo=
>>
> gue of
>
>> ceramic makers' marks of British, French, German, and American origin fo=
>>
> und
>
>> in North American archaeological sites. Consisting of nearly 350 marks=
>>
> from
>
>> 112 different manufacturers from the mid-19th through early 20th century=
>>
> ,
>
>> this catalog provides full information on both the history of the mark=
>>
> and
>
>> its variants, as well as details about the manufacturer. A set of indexe=
>>
> s
>
>> allow for searches by manufacturer, location, mark elements, and common
>> words used. This guide will be of interest not only to historical
>> archaeologists, but material culture specialists, collectors, museum
>> professionals, students, art historians, and others interested in cerami=
>>
> cs.
>
>>
>>
>> To order, visit our website at
>>
>> http://lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=3D315
>>
>> ISBN: 978-1-59874-188-9 (c) / 978-1-59874-189-6 (p)
>>
>>
>>
>> PRICE:
>>
>> $89.00 (U.S.), $89.00 (Canadian), =C2=A358.00 (Cloth)
>>
>> $24.95 (U.S.), $24.95 (Canadian), =C2=A316.25 (Paper)
>>
>>
>>
>> Join Left Coast Press online at:
>>
>> http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Left-Coast-Press-Inc/26366019052?ref=
>>
> =3Dts
>
>> https://twitter.com/LeftCoastPress
>>
>>
>>
>> If you have any questions, please contact Caryn Berg at
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
>>
> =20
>
> =20
>
>
--
Robert L. Schuyler
University of Pennsylvania Museum
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
Tel: (215) 898-6965
Fax: (215) 898-0657
[log in to unmask]
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