Pottery Worship. The Fallen Idols. A series of detached papers dealing with subjects usually neglected in the general histories of the Ceramic Art; read before the members of the North Staffordshire Literary and Philosophical Society by M.L. Solon. Reprinted by permission of the Executors of the Author. With a holograph letter by the author conveying to "M. Barber" in [18]96 two "unique proofs" (also laid in) of photos of him taken by his sons.

M.L. [Marc-Louis-Emmanuel] Solon

Published by Willaim Clowes and Sons, Limited, London and Beccles, 1928

About this Item

Very Good; spine a little cocked; minor rubbing/bumping to extremities; some scattered soil/stains to cloth; else Fine. Hinges sound, pages clean and bright. No dust jacket. First Edition. M.L. Solon (1835 - 1913) was a French porcelain artist. After beginning his career at the Sèvres Pottery, he moved to Stoke-on-Trent in 1870 to work at Mintons Ltd, where he became the leading exponent of the technique of ceramic decoration called pate-sur-pate. His work commanded high prices in the late Victorian period. The letter is folded once, with "The Villas, Stoke-on-Trent" embossed at the head of page one, written on four "pages, then folded again. It reads in part "April 20th, [18?]96. Dear M. Barber, I much regret to say that I have no good photos to send you. I am one of the rare ones who have never applied to a professional photographer to obtain their presentment. At the time when my boys amused themselves by taking a few bad negatives--under the flattering illusion that they were practicing photography--they took my portrait several times. Of these only the worst are now remaining. However, rather than appear unwilling to comply with your request I send you the two unique proofs in my possession." His correspondent was Edwin Atlee Barber (1851 - 1916), an American archaeologist and author, and a scholar of ceramics. One of the two photos is mounted on a card, with cropping marks around the subject, and a note indicating that it would be used in a paper of Barber's that appeared in the Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Museum.

Seller Inventory # 1148

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pottery Worship. The Fallen Idols. A series of detached papers dealing with subjects usually neglected in the general histories of the Ceramic Art; read before the members of the North Staffordshire Literary and Philosophical Society by M.L. Solon. Reprinted by permission of the Executors of the Author. With a holograph letter by the author conveying to "M. Barber" in [18]96 two "unique proofs" (also laid in) of photos of him taken by his sons.
• Publisher: Willaim Clowes and Sons, Limited, London and Beccles
• Publication Date: 1928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Book Type: Book
• Seller catalogs:
  • For sale in Aug 2025