Spencer Pottery collection, circa 1952-1989
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Spencer, Lorene
- Title
- Spencer Pottery collection
- Dates
- circa 1952-1989 (inclusive)19521989
- Quantity
- 4 linear feet, (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 1000-060
- Summary
- The collection includes clippings, correspondence and flyers as well as photographs and slides showing the Spencer Pottery Studio, family scenes and travels. It also includes ceramic tiles, linoleum blocks and glaze samples used by the studio.
- Repository
-
Seattle Public Library, Special Collections
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104-1109
Telephone: 206-386-4636
specialcollections@spl.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open and available for use.
- Languages
- English
Historical Note
Lorene and Ralph Spencer owned and operated the Spencer Potter Studio in South Seattle in the mid-twentieth century producing a variety of stoneware bowls, vases, plates, mugs, etc. Lorene also produced "painted" ceramic tiles that often used impressions from a modified printing block. The Pottery was known for its high quality local sourced clays and the glazes mixed from Washington State minerals gathered by Ralph Spencer.
Content Description
The collection includes clippings, correspondence and flyers as well as photographs and slides showing the Spencer Pottery Studio, family scenes and travels. It also includes ceramic tiles, linoleum blocks and glaze samples used by the studio.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[ITEM DESCRIPTION], Spencer Pottery collection. Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA.
Administrative Information
Arrangement
Items are arranged in their original order.
Related Materials
The University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections in Seattle, WA holds the Ralph Spencer papers, 1935-1973:
https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv11233
Processing Note
Acknowledgement of Harmful Content
The Seattle Public Library Special Collections Department is committed to creating an inclusive archive that documents the history of our diverse communities in a respectful manner. Our collections include historic materials that may contain images and outdated language which can be harmful due to issues such as racism, colonialism, sexism and homophobia. This content can provide important insight into the creator and context of the historic materials but can also reveal hurtful biases and prejudices.
We may decide to use or retain harmful language in our description when the terms have been used by the creator(s) of the materials to describe themselves or their community; when we have reused description created by the donor; when we have transcribed information directly from the materials; and when using national standards such as Library of Congress Subject Headings, which allow for standardized searching and retrieval of records. When including language from the original material in our finding aids or descriptions, we will indicate that this material comes directly from the original item by putting the language in quotes or prefacing it with a note that says the description is transcribed from the item or provided by the creator.
We will continually review our finding aids to identify harmful language and encourage you to contact us at specialcollections@spl.org if you find language that causes concern.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Art, American--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Potters--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Pottery--Washington (State)--Seattle
Personal Names
- Spencer, Lorene--Archives
- Spencer, Ralph, -1973
Corporate Names
- Spencer Pottery Studio (Seattle, Wash.)
