The Final Kiln Opening
- An Account of The Estate Auction of Burlon Craig, N.C. Folk Potter -
Philip E. Burrow Sr.
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"The Final Kiln Opening" is a pictorial account of the estate auction of renowned North Carolina potter Burlon "B.B." Craig (1914-2002). Long considered to be one of North Carolina's finest folk potters, Craig's work is featured in the Smithsonian Institution and other fine museums across the United States.
Author Philip E. Burrow Sr. traveled to the June 2003 auction in the Catawba Valley and spent two full days photographing and recording sales prices and information for the hundreds of pottery items auctioned. The results of that work are presented in this book, which includes ninety-seven color photos and two early black and white photos of Craig at work in his pottery shop. Pictures of specific pottery items sold and candid auction scenes are both presented.
Additionally, four appendices are included. The first three are reprints of feature articles about Burlon Craig as published in an antiques and art trade publication; these articles are titled "Remembering Burlon Craig, 'The Michelangelo of Clay'"; "Burlon Craig and His Legacy"; and "Burlon B. Craig, Folk Potter - Vale, N.C." The final two appendices feature images of Craig's pottery stamps and in-depth reviews and assessments of five books that should be in the library of any collector of Burlon Craig pottery. The books reviewed include "Raised in Clay, The Southern Folk Pottery Tradition" by Nancy Sweezy; "Turners and Burners, The Folk Potters of North Carolina by Dr. Charles G. Zug III; "Catawba Clay: Contemporary Southern Face Jug Makers" by Barry G. Huffman; "Two Centuries of Pottery. A Catawba Valley Tradition" by Bill Harpe, Scott Smith, and David Springs; and "North Carolina Art Pottery, 1900-1960 Identification & Value Guide" by Dr. A. Everette James.
"After looking at all those pictures and reading the text, I felt as if I had attended the auction," one advance reader has stated.
ISBN: 978-1943007011 (paperback) / Published by: American Legacies Press / Published Date: 2016
GREAT! I picked this book up for a report I'm doing on Burlon Craig and loved it. It was almost as if I was at that last kiln opening!
I ENJOYED THE BOOK.
I enjoyed the book, as it brought back memories of my pottery days. As a child, I grew up near the Seagrove, NC area potteries down the 705 HWY a few miles from Robbins, but only learned how to "turn and burn" for myself when I took ceramics courses during college. The book is loaded with pictures that illustrate the narrative, and many are in color.
An unexpected benefit of reading this book was learning the reason for the "ugly" or "scary" faces on the jugs. I had always wondered, but don't recall ever hearing the reason until it was explained in "The Final Kiln Opening"
FIVE STARS.
Great!
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I'm a former newspaper reporter, advertising salesman, and specialty newspaper publisher (antiques) turned book writer. Words and I have a history, and we've been on and off, hot and cold. We've had break-ups and make-ups. During all this, I've lived in Seagrove, Wilmington, Robbins, Raleigh, and Greensboro, all North Carolina towns, in that order. Then, being still young and dumb, and feeling practically invincible, I tried Richmond, VA, Phoenix, AZ, and Hot Lanta, Georgia, called Atlanta by some folks. Now, I've landed in Florida, close to a mouse with big ears.
I will read most any book EXCEPT fiction, including encyclopedias and dictionaries (well, a page or two every few years). That's a pity because multitudes love fiction and it's where the big money is, and I should be reading it to learn how to write it. That's okay, though, because enough money is enough when you really think about it.
Biographies, adventure stories, how-tos, histories, and art books stay the longest in my forever evolving bookcases scattered through most every room in my home. I have a dozen bookcases of all varieties and size; a couple came from big box office supply stores but most came from local thrift shops, which I haunt weekly in search of old and rare books.
I have lost and regained the same ten to fifteen pounds at least a dozen times during my life. I made a resolution to stop drinking coffee on April 15, 2009, and have not had one cup since. Of course, I took up with green tea soon thereafter and now drink five or six cups of the stuff every day. I have a cat named Fraidycat who I believe was a human in an earlier existence.
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