And now for something useful and beautiful

July 17, 2016 4:47 PM

Once upon a time, in a public library branch in Boston's North End, 29-year-old Edith Guerrier, librarian, decided to change the world around her by founding the Saturday Evening Girls, a club devoted to improving the intellectual and cultural lives of area immigrant girls through lectures, stories, singing, and dancing. In 1908, nine years after its founding, the SEG branched out into the making of beautiful earthenware--and the creation of jobs for women--with the launch of the Paul Revere Pottery.

In 1908, Edith Brown, an artist and dear friend of Edith Guerrier’s, had the idea of starting a pottery studio to provide the women gainful employment in a healthy and safe environment. Working conditions for many at this time were deplorable, but the Paul Revere Pottery, the studio they founded, was a safe, comfortable and clean place to work. In addition, wages were fair, and the “works of Dickens, Shakespeare, and other great authors were read aloud” during the work day for the women’s ‘intellectual edification.’”

Women at work at the pottery, which was in the shadow of the Old North (home of the "One if by land, two if by sea" signal to Paul Revere) Church.

This collection of useful and beautiful Arts and Crafts pottery, just look at it. From the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Some technical aspects of the pottery.

A more detailed history: Boston's Paul Revere Pottery: An Inspiring Experiment in Social Philanthropy.

Paul Revere Pottery endured until 1942, and surviving pieces are considered highly collectible. And as for the potters?

The Daughters of the North End moved on too. They became wives and mothers, teachers and librarians, secretaries and entrepreneurs. But they never forgot the lessons they learned in their first home in America. They never forgot the teachings of civic duty, compassion, and comradery of the Saturday Evening Girls. They never forgot the pride of work done well that became the motto of the Paul Revere Pottery. And they never forgot the friendships forged in girlhood and carried throughout life.

posted by MonkeyToes (5 comments total)

Oh wow, this is a wonderful thing. Thank you for sharing.
posted by Fizz at 4:56 PM on July 17, 2016

extraordinary post, thanks!
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 5:13 PM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

^what he said^
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 6:37 PM on July 17, 2016

Lovely pieces, lovely story.
posted by DrGirlfriend at 9:05 PM on July 17, 2016

Nice post!
posted by languagehat at 7:58 AM on July 18, 2016