Tiles production info

Paydirt: A good soul sent a comment that includes a link to an article about a William Ittner school in Springfield, IL that has tiles.

Here is the link: http://www.shs.springfield.k12.il.us/features/History/pottery/index.html

The article leads to the Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, PA, historic from the Craftsman era and still operating.

Tiles: education

This series of four designs, two each on either street end of the front of the (-shaped Henry Shaw School on Columbia Avenue, illustrates four areas of education: history, science, the arts and math (I think).

Built in 1907, this may be a William B. Ittner school although my reading indicates the architect is uncertain. It looks a lot like other schools he designed.

Tiles: The Zodiac

These tiles depicting the elements of the zodiac are on the east and west facing walls, respectively, of the couryard of the Bryan Mullanphy school on Shaw Boulevard. The zodiac tiles appear identical; the borders are similar in design but the individual tile patterns vary. The architect was William B. Ittner of St. Louis, who had 50 schools to his credit plus several homes and notable public buildings.

Click on the photos to enlarge them on a new page.

Magnolia Place

One block long, Magnolia Place, east of Shaw's Garden, runs one way. There are two stone pillars at the entrance and two more at the exit. They're trimmed with brick and Craftsman tiles.

Stone faces

Why would an architect put these faces across the front of a school?

These are on Cleveland School in south city. They remind me of fairy tale characters. They seem somewhat menacing, or are they themselves fearful, or doubtful? I wonder what kids think about them.

Tiles: trades and tasks

Over the front doors of Cleveland School in south city is a series of nine trades or tasks being performed by seven men and two women. They are in high relief and very colorful.

Over in the How We Use Our Language Dept., it is interesting to me that the seven men are titled with their jobs, ie, Chemist, or Blacksmith. The two women are labeled with their tasks, ie, Churning and Spinning.

Why aren't the men Glassblowing and Blacksmithing? Or, the more interesting question, why isn't the one woman a Churner and the other a Spinner?