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The California Cleminsons Distlefink Quail 40-Ounce Pottery Pitcher
Hand painted, circa 1950s
“Betty Cleminson's ceramics story began in a Los Angeles studio where, as an apprentice, she learned the basics of ceramic formulas, glazes, and the firing process. In 1940, Betty received a kiln as a Christmas gift, immediately putting it to good use in her Monterey Park garage.
The Cleminsons' at-home business quickly expanded. George Cleminson, a math teacher, made the logical move to a new position as the budding firm's business manager, allowing Betty to focus on the creative end. The twosome moved their base of operations to El Monte, where 150-plus full-time workers soon busied themselves turning out Betty's useful ceramic charmers.
The California Cleminsons: These whimsical, well-crafted artifacts of the 1940s and 1950s brimming with wholesome sentiment, offer a hearty helping of the good old days, mid-twentieth-century style.
Cleminsons' 1950s Distlefink line: Ceramic Distlefinks (Pennsylvania Dutch for a hedge bird), of decorated white or brown, were fashioned into everything from bread trays to gravy bowls.
In 1963, unwilling to further compromise their unique stylings, Betty and George let the Cleminson kilns run cold. California Cleminsons was no more - but its friendly output remains popular to this day, still ready to delight the eye, and warm the heart.”
The Distlefink Quail pitcher measures approximately 9” tall, 9” wide, 5” deep, and weighs 1 lb 13 oz
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