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Pewabic Pottery: Clay, Fire and Color in Detroit History
Season 7
Episode 24
Published 3 weeks, 3 days ago
Description
A kiln designed for dental porcelain helped launch one of Detroit’s most distinctive artistic businesses. Behind Pewabic Pottery’s shimmering glazes stood Mary Chase Perry Stratton, kiln maker Horace Caulkins, and years of experiments with uncertain results.
In this episode of The End of the Road in Michigan, follow Pewabic’s beginnings in a Detroit carriage house and its rise to national recognition. Learn how its iridescent ceramics became part of buildings ranging from Detroit’s Guardian Building to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The story also follows the financial pressure of the Great Depression, when Mary and her husband sold their home to help keep the pottery operating. It’s a chapter of Michigan history shaped by skilled craftsmanship, scientific experimentation, and difficult personal choices.
Listen to “Clay, Fire and Color: The Making of Pewabic” and follow the podcast for more Michigan history.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications
In this episode of The End of the Road in Michigan, follow Pewabic’s beginnings in a Detroit carriage house and its rise to national recognition. Learn how its iridescent ceramics became part of buildings ranging from Detroit’s Guardian Building to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The story also follows the financial pressure of the Great Depression, when Mary and her husband sold their home to help keep the pottery operating. It’s a chapter of Michigan history shaped by skilled craftsmanship, scientific experimentation, and difficult personal choices.
Listen to “Clay, Fire and Color: The Making of Pewabic” and follow the podcast for more Michigan history.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications