Fired by Ideals

Arequipa Pottery & The Arts & Crafts movement, by Suzanne Bairerman, Lynn Downey & John Toki. Pb., 130 pages, ills., 2000 Text: English

The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco triggered not only a devastating three-day fire, but also a tuberculosis epidemic, a result of the ash- and dust-filled air. Working women were disproportionately afflicted with the disease. Fortunately, many of them regained their health - and cultivated new artistic skills - at a unique treatment center across the Golden Gate. The Arequipa Sanatorium, located in rural Marin County, was founded in 1911 by Dr. Philip King Brown. Influenced by the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement, he sought to provide his working-class female patients not only with the medical care and rest that they needed, but also with the opportunity to engage in a creative pursuit that was both therapeutic and marketable. Brown settled upon pottery. This book tells the story of this progressive institution and analyzes the distinctive pottery created there.