The Newcomb Guild: Facing the Future, 1940-1952

THE NEWCOMB GUILD: FACING THE FUTURE 1940–1952

By Dr Susan House Wade

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left to right: Gulf Stream vase, 1941–1952, 7.75 x 4.25 x 4.25 inches; Gulf Stream vase, 1941–1952, 5.75 x 4.375 x 4.375 inches; Gulf Stream bowl, 1941–1952, 6 x 12.875 x 12.875 inches; Gulf Stream ashtray, 1941–1948, 1.5 x 6.25 inches, transfer from the Caroline Richardson Center for Research on Women; Gulf Stream vase, 1941–1952, 5.5 x 4.875 x 4.875 inches, Newcomb Art Museum cover: Gulf Stream vase, 1941–1952, 7.75 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches, Newcomb Art Museum

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THE NEWCOMB GUILD: FACING THE FUTURE—1940–1952

By Dr Susan House Wade

Had the intrinsically Southern themes

proclaimed, in fact, that there was just as

featured on Newcomb ceramics begun

much beauty occurring in the backyards of

to lose some of their lustre, after many

New Orleans as on the canals of Venice.

successful decades of visibility, by the mid to late 1930s? These long celebrated and highly innovative motifs had, by this time, somehow become less satisfying to a market which was becoming increasingly aware of the call to modernize.

In 1928, the American Designers’ Gallery was formed in order to promote contemporary art and design concepts to the North American market. Along these same lines, 1929 saw the Museum of Modern Art in New York begin to showcase “modernist”

Aesthetics which dominated the Arts and

exhibitions. Chicago hosted its Century of

Crafts Movement in the late 19th and

Progress exhibition in 1933–34, and the New

early 20th centuries no longer com-

York World’s Fair of 1939 emphasized the

manded a position at the forefront of mid

concepts of modernity and the future with

20th century design, although Newcomb

its “Design for Tomorrow” theme.

ceramic wares had historically enjoyed a role at the very center of the Southern arts and crafts panoply. By the mid 1930s, however, the world was evolving such that an alternative assessment of the arts was deemed requisite.

Contemporary furnishings developed

by Scandinavian designers, as well as by the likes of American designer Edward Wormley (1907–1995), revolutionized the look and feel of residential life. Indeed, the mid- century American home was under-

Early Newcomb pottery was not occupying

going a period of profound transformation,

the place that it once had, but it had not

and this required novel and forward-looking

yet established the legacy which would cate-

objects for the interior.

gorize it as its own historical entity, either.

The ceramic production of the first few decades of the 20th century sold extremely well, primarily because of the connection to place, and this took the form of familiar, local motifs such as live oak, magnolia, dogwood and lily. Early director of the Newcomb Art School and Southern art influencer Ellsworth Woodward (1861– 1939) once

The English potter Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880–1942) designed and was subsequently producing the popular and widely available Fiesta tableware (as art director for the Homer Laughlin Company), from 1936. Russel Wright (1904–1976), one of the earliest American industrial designers, was behind American Modern tableware, 3

which created a huge sensation all over the country. The claim that this was the biggest selling popular dinnerware in US history is rarely disputed.

Wright’s creations made huge strides in situating contemporary ceramic tableware within the American household, and Southern California potteries were making and selling simple, unadorned earthenware for everyday use from around the same time. As a result of the widespread mar-

left to right: Mocha ware vase, 1941–1952, 8 x 4 x 4 inches; Mocha ware vase, 1941–1952, 6.5 x 3.25 x 3.25 inches; Mocha ware vase, 1941–1952, 6.35 x 5.625 x 5.625 inches; Newcomb Art Museum

keting of these stylish, as well as utilitarian pieces, the general public began to appreci-

bore little similarity to the designs which

ate and enjoy creative, modern design, and

became popularized in the 1930s, claimed

this significantly impacted in a very real way

one academic and color theorist in 1935.1

the new American lifestyle.

Consumers of the day were becoming

Museums, too, played a large part in educating the public, in terms of promoting an understanding of what constituted good

increasingly educated and selective, and the innovative styles entering the marketplace captured their collective imaginations.

taste in line, color and design, while also

Americans embraced the concept of

aiding viewers in the development of taste

modernism from the 1930s through to

and appreciation for beautiful objects. It was

the 1950s. At the Newcomb Art School, a

also at this time that ceramic ware took on a

simplification and elimination was occurring

higher and more substantial profile.

of the themes which had formed such an in-

The Museum of Modern Art mounted the Useful Objects in Wartime show, which

herent component of the earlier Newcomb aesthetic.

included pottery, in 1942. This in itself

The Times-Picayune, in fact, reported in

elevated the role of pottery in everyday life,

1936, with reference to a Newcomb exhibi-

from functioning as exclusively decorative

tion of that year, that:

to incorporating a utilitarian component.

Works by Wright and also by Otto (1908– 2007) and Gertrude (1908–1971) Natzler, Austrian emigres who arrived in Los Angeles in 1938, also featured in this MoMA show.

Tastes were changing profoundly, and objects once thought of as compelling 4

The trend in design has been away from the naturalistic and realistic patterns towards conventionalization and modernism.2 This was primarily down to the activities of Kenneth Eugene Smith (1907–1976), whose undergraduate work at New York

ex-officio; Miss Juanita Mauras (craftsperson, 1880–1952), representing the group previously known as Newcomb Craftsmen; Mrs Henrietta (Colley) Joseph (painter and potter, 1921–2009), representing the graduates; Miss Elizabeth B. Raymond (painter, 1904–1986), Chairman of the Jury; and Miss Eugenie Chavanne (1917–2001), secretary (ex-curriculum) of the committee.

During that meeting, it was resolved that: ...membership in the Newcomb Guild... be granted to anyone exhibiting in the Sarah Agnes Estelle (Sadie) Irvine, decorator, and Kenneth Eugene Smith, potter, Newcomb Guild jardinière, 1944–1948, 13 x 14.5 inches. Louisiana State Museum purchase (Dr and Mrs R Wynn Irvine). Photo by the author

basement corridor objects which will be for sale, and that such persons be charged a fee of $1.00 for the privilege; and further that graduates of Newcomb College be au-

State College of Ceramics, Alfred University,

tomatically eligible for membership in the

was in ceramic engineering. Smith was

Guild, though all work exhibited will have

professor of ceramics at Newcomb from

to pass a jury of standards; that seniors be

1929 to 1945. He was central to making

permitted to exhibit only on invitation of

the innovative Guild concept widely known

the Committee, but that the work of lower

to ceramic art circles nationwide, proclaiming that the new ceramics produced at Newcomb would possess “such rare quality” that the work would prove beneficial in boosting recognition for the university outside the southern United States.3 By the early 1940s, this progressive concept, as outlined by Smith, was firmly in place.

The Newcomb Guild and its committee were officially approved at the Regular Monthly Meeting of the Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund in December 1941, with Mr Kenneth Eugene Smith shown as chair of the Guild; and the newly appointed art department head, Britishborn Mr Robert D Feild (1893–1979)

Sarah Agnes Estelle (Sadie) Irvine, artist, Plum ware vessel, 1941–1952, 3 x 5 x 5 inches. Transfer from the Caroline Richardson Center for Research on Women, Newcomb Art Museum

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classmen be exhibited at the discretion of

of these more simplistic, utility-oriented

the Committee, but that such work be not

ceramic objects.5

placed on sale.4 A new paper identification label was introduced, which read “Newcomb Guild”; it was intended to be used for application to each object which was marketed to the public.

In a communication from Smith, dated July 30, 1975, he wrote: The traditional Newcomb style was concluded about 1940 and a new line was developed, which was not decorated

Some, but not all, of the new glazes devel-

except with rather unusual glazes. All

oped by and with Smith in the late 1930s,

this was mainly at the insistence of the

continued: Cumulus, Gulf Stream, Lichen,

new chairman of the art dept, Mr. Robert

Monks ware, Plum, Rain, Spindrift and

Feild. ...He had new ideas about what an

Warbler; however, several of these were

art school should be, and he implement-

eliminated along the way. Additionally, a

ed them.6

glaze known as Grand Isle was incorporated, so called because it was said to evoke the

Smith was to later note of the Guild:

sandy beaches of the barrier island of the

The department is a ceramic design labo-

same name in the Gulf of Mexico. From the

ratory and bases its approach on a close

mid 1940s, Spindrift and Warbler were

correlation between engineering and those

phased out. The connection with hues pres-

principles of design which together can

ent in the Gulf South landscape of Louisiana

establish a high standard of production.7

had now become even more apparent because of the lack of external decoration

It was claimed by Virginia Taylor of The Times Picayune that, “The story of the pottery’s change is a simple one. A new man with new ideas.”8 Feild had, of course, only recently concluded an extended period of research at the Walt Disney Studios in Southern California, a region where the production of contemporary ceramic design was clearly in evidence, as has been previously noted.

His forward looking perspective on ceramics, partly informed by that experience, challenged the domain of early, decorative Newcomb pottery. Speaking of the Guild

Francis A Ford, potter, Newcomb Guild Art Pottery vase, 1940–1948, The Historic New Orleans Collection

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production, Feild proclaimed, “The vases are made to hold bouquets, the water carafes

left and above: Gulf Stream vase, 1941–1952, 7.75 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches, Newcomb Art Museum

and tumblers to be of benefit to thirsty

creating vessels for decoration by the

people, the ashtrays to hold the tobacco ash

female students was eliminated. Throwing

and cigarette stubs deposited by smokers.”9

on a wheel was originally deemed a pursuit

This shift was described as “shaking the pottery out of its slumber.” Taylor wrote in 1948 that “The old gray beards of Newcomb Pottery have been trimmed!” She continued, “The shaggy moonlit moss and the blue clays have become things of the past, and

which did not suit the genteel character of Newcomb women. This change constituted a significant shift in mores, and placed ownership of vessels firmly within the domain of the individual potter. As reported in The Times Picayune:

Newcomb pottery has stepped into the

Newcomb students now make

ranks of leading mid 20th century art.”

Newcomb pottery. Putting their hands

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Initially, an exhibition was staged in the autumn of 1940, which focused on “everyday objects which embody the principles of sound artistic design,” according to Feild.11

into the clay is no longer considered unladylike, so the students make the whole piece. The result—no more standard Newcomb pottery.12

Throughout his tenure at Newcomb, one of

The earlier, more highly decorated and read-

his missions was to promote the utility of

ily identifiable Newcomb ceramic pieces had

the ceramic objects produced there.

been marketed, not only in New Orleans,

The year 1940 was noteworthy for another reason. It was at this time when the longstanding tradition of employing male potters exclusively for the task of

but also through arts and crafts societies, craft shops, museums and department stores, and these objects commanded a following from coast to coast.

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Sarah Agnes Estelle (Sadie) Irvine, artist, Newcomb Guild Ceramic button, 1941–1952, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Gift of the Foundation for the Crafts of the Newcomb Style

By 1930, in fact, there was an extensive network of agents located across the country which were handling the distri-

Jonathan Browne Hunt, potter, and Sarah Agnes Estelle (Sadie) Irvine, artist, Vase with Oak, Moss and Moon Design, 1930, 6.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches, Newcomb Art Museum

bution of Newcomb production. Vendors

Field in Chicago were becoming more wide-

could be found in markets as diverse as San

spread and readily accessible to consumers.

Francisco and Boston, with a proliferation of

One beneficial aspect of this method of

patrons which even stretched abroad. Retail

reaching the public was that it did not pres-

establishments where Newcomb products

ent any of the intimidation factor that may

were sold required careful scrutinization

have been experienced by visitors within

for their suitability prior to being accepted.

a museum context. Newcomb Guild wares

Moreover, before the ceramic objects were

produced by Smith and by Sarah (Sadie) A

offered up for sale, they were required to

E Irvine (1887–1970) (who was active at

pass an assessment by a four person faculty

Newcomb as both student and faculty mem-

jury at Newcomb.

ber for an astonishing 49 years, latterly as

All this changed with the emergence of the

head of the ceramics department), as well as

Guild, however, after which the number of

by Newcomb graduate and Guild committee

locations showing and selling Newcomb

member, Henrietta (Colley) Joseph, were

pieces were fewer and more precisely tar-

marketed through this type of exhibition in

geted. America House in New York, for ex-

department stores and galleries.

ample, was one such wholesale distributor

In one case, The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma

of Newcomb Guild wares via the American

City, reported in July 1944 on an exhibition

Craftsman’s Co-operative Council.

of ceramics from the Newcomb School of

It was at this time, too, when exhibitions

Art in the housewares division of a local

held in department stores like Marshall

(unidentified) department store.

8

These Newcomb artists were characterized

Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina

as “working in modern terms, with emphasis

and the Louisiana State Exhibit Building

on the usefulness of their creative designs,

in Shreveport, Louisiana. Feild student

with the result that with an increase in

Katherine Ricks (1927–2013), who com-

usefulness, there is also an increase in

pleted a BFA at Newcomb and who became

beauty.” Three works by Henrietta Colley

a part-time instructor there from 1949 to

Joseph were photographed and accompa-

1951, was also a frequent contributor.

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nied the article. Newcomb Guild ceramic production, now being created for practical use, succeeded in providing objects with the restrained good taste deemed essential by critics of the period for the successful mid century residential decor.

Although expensive to purchase, the quality and the longevity of each piece was widely known and respected. The Guild maintained a relatively high profile exhibition record, thanks in large part to the activities of Feild and Smith, to the support of local arts re-

Newcomb ceramic exhibitions, now smaller

porters, as well as to art and craft magazines

in scope, began to concentrate more on

around the country.

college campuses, too, as in a 15-piece show at Drake University in Iowa in 1947. Not only Guild members’ artistic production was typically on show, but Irvine and Newcomb Ceramic Technician Francis Alfred Ford (1916–1984) regularly had their own work on display. Other venues for the exhibition of Newcomb Guild pieces included the Mint

The Newcomb Guild was frequently lauded in the media for its devotion to the production of honest plates and pots, a characteristic deemed infinitely suitable for the new American home. This concept conforms precisely to the notions set forth

by Bernard Leach (1887–1979) in his seminal 1940 work, A Potter’s Book, a piece which, it has been claimed, had been read by almost every West Coast potter of note at the time and which was used as a standard reference for teachers of ceramics. Two copies of the book are currently available in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University.

Elimination of external decorative motifs was key to the Newcomb pots produced post 1940. Former art students of Newcomb labeled it “the most

...Lichen water bottle and tumbler set...new lines and tones accompany modern usefulness, The Times Picayune/New Orleans States Magazine, March 21, 1948

revolutionary change” since their time.14 “New Orleanians can be proud that the center of cultural development of modern 9

...representation of three pieces by Henrietta Colley, a member of the ceramic guild of the Newcomb School of Art. They are part of a display now on view in the housewares division of a local department store. The two pieces of ceramic sculpture are in unglazed terra cotta. They are unusually compact, with fine plastic quality and tactile appeal, having true sculptural soundness. The large plate shows beauty growing out of usefulness. (Illustration by Holly Maslen, after a MitchellByfield photo.) The Daily Oklahoman, July 2, 1944

School was operating under the direction of Lota Lee Troy (1874–1963), who also believed that a new direction for the Henrietta Colley in her studio, 1944. Courtesy of the descendants of Henrietta Colley Joseph

ceramics area of the art department was in order. A practicing artist in her own right

ceramics in this section of the world is the

(specializing in bookbinding), Troy joined

Newcomb Art School,” reported The Times

the faculty in 1909, and went on to become

Picayune in 1947.15

acting director and then director of the art school throughout the 1930s. Her progres-

Ceramic production at Newcomb which

sive concepts of art study meant that, by

showed employment of contemporary

the time of her retirement in 1940, she had

design concepts predated the Guild’s

expanded the art school faculty, hired the

official formation in 1941, however. Smith

first art history PhD as an instructor, and

had begun experimenting with new, more

made significant additions to the art history

lustrous glazes and clay bodies in the late

and art appreciation programs.

1930s, and this was a clear forerunner to the Guild style. These glazes became

Significantly, John Edwin Canaday (1907–

a trademark, with less reliance on the

1985), art critic and historian and director

formulaic Louisiana flora themes of prior

of Newcomb Art School from 1950 to 1952,

years. It should be noted, however, that this

commented on the Newcomb Guild produc-

approach was not universally popular with

tion. The new Newcomb style, he claimed,

collectors of Newcomb pottery.

was “not a simple rejection of the old, but the result of a necessary period of looking

Other such examples could be found from the mid 1930s, when the Newcomb Art 10

around, of analyzing sources…”16

During the Guild period (1940–1952),

an initial opportunity to observe, firsthand,

ceramic production made a dramatic shift,

East Asian pottery and porcelain, which

and potters at Newcomb began to consider

was also represented pictorially in the local

form and line to a greater extent; glazes

and national media. Working artisans from

and textures they used took precedence

Japan and China were included in these

over surface decoration. In fact, there were

grand displays, accessible to anyone who

scarcely any identifiable motifs appearing on

cared to observe.

vessels during the Guild period.

Consider, too, Joseph Fortune Meyer

I would argue that this change occurred,

(1848–1931), born in Alsace-Lorraine, who

not due to any conscious gaze towards

was a talented and accomplished potter

other contemporary ceramic styles, but

recruited to join the Newcomb Pottery

rather owing to the fact that many of the

in its earliest stages. He was responsible

works that were produced during this

for providing inspiration to students over

period shared a common East Asian ances-

the decades via the numerous East Asian

tor, the same as the ceramics of a whole

shapes which he so skillfully produced.

school of California makers, including the aforementioned Natzlers, or even more significantly, to the works and theoretical

Indispensable reference works introduced East Asian forms to generations

concepts of Leach.

In the case of Newcomb, and New Orleans, in general, there were several components which contributed to an awareness and appreciation of East Asian design. As a major port city, New Orleans had long experienced incoming material from numerous parts of the globe, and that included China and, later, Japan. These decorative objects adorned the fashionable drawing rooms of many of New Orleans’ fine houses.

As with other great exhibitions and world’s fairs of the period, the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition of 1884–85, held in New Orleans, brought together objects of artistic production from makers worldwide. Furthermore, the fair was readily available to a popular audience, some of whom would have enjoyed this as

Newcomb student Katherine Ricks, surveying her Senior Comprehensive Project at Newcomb Institute of Tulane University, May 1949. Archives and Special Collections

11

of art students, and were incorporated into the Howard-Tilton Library collection during the formative years of the Pottery.

These included: Sylvester Baxter. The Morse Collection of Japanese Pottery. Boston: Ticknor and Co., 1887.

Christopher Dresser. Japan: Its Architecture, Art and Art Manufactures.

London: Longmans, 1882.

Ernest F Fenollosa. Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art, An Outline History of East Asiatic Design. London: W. Heinemann, 1912.

Edward S Morse. Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings. New York: Harper

Miss Mary Lou Cabral, senior art student, examines finished bowls, as Francis Ford, ceramic technician at Newcomb, takes them from kiln... The Times Picayune/New Orleans States Magazine, March 21, 1948

and Brothers, 1885.

The Guild’s activities began to diminish around 1950, however, and operations eventually ceased in a somewhat understated manner near the time of the retirement of Irvine in 1952. Feild was relocating back to Massachusetts; Smith had taken an assignment with the US State Department in Honduras, where he set up a national school for the arts in Tegucigalpa; and Ford had departed in 1948, when he took up a role at the School of Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Art and antique dealers of the 21st century claim that purchases of Newcomb Guild ware by private collectors are now often made in order to complete a collection, Joseph Fortune Meyer, Vase with Gourd Design in Copper Reduction Glaze, c. 1906, 6.375 x 4.875 x 4.875 inches, Newcomb Art Museum

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or because a buyer may have friends or relatives who were involved with the art department during the 1940s. Accordingly,

the prices achieved at auction as of this

objects were costly, and during the years

writing are not as desirable as they justly

of the Second World War, income was

deserve to be.

frequently focused on material which was

All in all, the Guild ceramics never gained a popularity equivalent to that of the earlier, coveted, more recognizably Southern designs. It was not available in the same quantity as other contemporary, mass produced wares, which made it difficult to

essential for everyday living. However, both Newcomb Guild ceramic forms and innovative glazes representing the visual character of the Gulf South show the highly progressive outlook at the art school as the country approached mid century.

compete from a marketing perspective.

Furthermore, these Newcomb ceramic

Notes

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Elizabeth Burris-Meyer. Color and Design in the Decorative Arts. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1935.

The Times Picayune. May 3, 1936.

The Daily Oklahoman. July 2, 1944. (In fact, women from out of state had already identified Newcomb as a highly desirable location for furthering their educations.)

The Regular Monthly Meeting of the Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund, Minutes, December 9, 1941.

Jessie Poesch. Newcomb Pottery. Atglen, PA: Schiff Publishing Ltd, 1984.

Suzanne Ormond and Mary E. Irvine. Louisiana Art Nouveau: The Crafts of the Newcomb Style. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co, 1976.

Kenneth E. Smith. “Ceramics at Newcomb College.” Design. December 1, 1944.

The Times Picayune. March 21, 1948.

The New Orleans Item. February 4, 1947. ibid. 8.

The Times Picayune. November 10, 1940.

The Times Picayune. April 21, 1940. ibid. 3.

The Shreveport Journal. April 30, 1948.

The Times Picayune. February 16, 1947. ibid. 6.

Jean Bragg and Susan Saward. The Newcomb Style, Newcomb College Arts and Crafts and Art Pottery. New Orleans: Jean Bragg Gallery, 2002.

David Conradsen, et al. The Arts & Crafts of Newcomb Pottery. New York: Skira Rizzoli, published in association with the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans, 2013.

Paul Evans. Art Pottery of the United States. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1974.

Lucile Henzke. Art Pottery of America. Exton, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1982.

Bernard Leach. A Potter’s Book. London: Faber and Faber, 1940.

Richard B Megraw. Confronting Modernity: Art and Society in Louisiana. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi, 2008.

Jessie Poesch, et al. Newcomb Pottery, An Enterprise for Southern Women 1895–1940. Exton, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1984.

Jessie Poesch. Newcomb Pottery 1895–1940. Talk given to Ima Hogg Ceramic Circle, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. November 22, 2010.

Kenneth E Smith. “The Origin, Development and Present Status of Newcomb Pottery.” American Ceramic Society Bulletin, 1938.

Jonathan M Woodham. Twentieth Century Design.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.

S etsu Yanagi. The Beauty of Everyday Things. London: Random House/Penguin Classics, 2018.

Bernard Bumpus. Rhead Pottery. London: Francis Joseph Publications, 1999.

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left to right: Leopold Stokowski, Walt Disney and Robert Durant Feild, c. 1939–1940. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art

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ROBERT DURANT FEILD 1893–1979

By Dr Susan House Wade

Although Robert (Robin) Durant Feild is

when he briefly attended the University

probably best remembered for his work on

of Chicago. He became associated with

Walt Disney and the Disney Studios (The

Harvard University in 1927, working as a

Art of Walt Disney 1942), he also played a

teaching assistant in fine arts, and even-

highly significant role as director of the art

tually graduating with a BA Magna Cum

school at Newcomb College from autumn

Laude in 1930, specializing in the works of

1940 until 1949. Born in London to Anglo-

JMW Turner. Immediately after taking his

American parents, Feild and his family lived

degree, Feild taught courses at Harvard in

in Kensington, and he attended the well-

the history and principles of drawing and

known Harrow School. Before the outbreak

painting, the history of British painting,

of World War I, he studied painting at the

and theory and practice of design. From

Académie Julian in Paris, but then went on

1936, he was assistant professor, and later

to serve during wartime in the Royal West

director, of the art school until 1940, when

Kent Regiment of the British Army from

he departed Cambridge, Massachusetts for

1914 to 1919.

New Orleans.

After being commissioned a lieutenant in

While at Harvard, he developed what

1915, he served on the northwest frontier

was to become a lifelong friendship with

of India from 1916 to 1919, an experience

Langdon Warner (1881–1955), who lec-

which was to profoundly impact him for

tured on Oriental art at Harvard, as well as

the rest of his life, informing his dedication

with colleagues associated with East Asian

to democratic socialism and nonviolence,

art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.1

as per the Gandhian philosophy, which he

It was via Warner and various scholars and

wholeheartedly embraced. It was also at

philosophers, such as the Ceylonese meta-

this time that Feild became involved with

physician, Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877–

Indian art and philosophy. Indeed, India

1947), that Feild formed his core views on

became one of his primary passions, with its

the concept of the “unknown craftsman”

art forming an integral part of his life.

and mingei theory, as promoted by the writ-

In 1920–21, Feild arrived in the United States, where he initially assisted at a

ings of S etsu Yanagi (1889–1961). Feild sometimes used the expression “unknown

stained glassmaking workshop in Boston, after which he returned to England to paint, prior to returning to the US in 1926,

1.

The celebrated film character of Indiana Jones is reportedly based on the life of Warner.

15

craftsman” in his writings, with reference to

but similarly influential, view was held by

those involved in anonymous craft produc-

University of Southern California professor

tion. This concept was vigorously supported

and ceramicist, Glen Lukens (1887–1967),

by Yanagi with connection to the mingei, or

who stated that “the new in art is incredibly

popular art movement.

old and the old is still vastly new” (1937).

Between June 1939 and May 1940, Feild was enthusiastically studying trends and methodology at the Walt Disney Studios in

Feild’s unpublished manuscript, Culture is not Yesterday, which addresses this topic, is now held in the Tulane University archives.

California, where he was allowed to roam

Interviews with former students and friends

freely and observe animating procedures

of Feild reveal much about his character. His

in progress. He sought to create a learning

“gentle spirit,” “wonderful sense of humor”

environment at Newcomb similar to the

and adherence to Eastern philosophies is

one at Disney, based on goal-oriented

frequently cited. He played an important

industry, coupled with interrelated fields of

role in the lives of students at the art school,

study. While preparing his book on Disney

as written correspondence with those

and the animation process, Feild conceived

individuals indicates.

novel and often controversial views on this emerging art form. He argued, for instance, that animation is “the total aesthetic experience” and “the most difficult art form yet developed.” Feild believed that its potential was “nearly unlimited.” His The Art of Walt Disney was the original critical study on the art of animation. It was reviewed widely in the international press at the time, and today remains a significant and sought after reference.

In September 1940, Feild arrived in New Orleans to take up a new position at Tulane University as professor of art and director of the School of Art at Newcomb College.

The curriculum he created there focused on newly emerging areas of academic study, such as photography and film making. He was opposed to the notion of art possessing Eurocentric origins, or what he termed “the culture of the past.” An opposing, 16

His interests were diverse, and he wrote and lectured widely, both in Louisiana and around the country, according to the numerous accounts appearing in contemporary newspapers, and on a vast area of academic subjects, ranging from interpretations of Russian, Chinese, English, French and Indian folk songs to the works of JMW Turner.

Feild was unusually progressive for the period in his attitudes towards human equality, and he was heavily involved with 1940s efforts of African American integration in New Orleans. He proclaimed at a Southern Conference on Human Welfare meeting, held in New Orleans in November 1946, that “Negro spirituals” be set aside as sentimental relics, and replaced with “songs for free men, songs for victory…” He was also chairman (1944) of the New Orleans Council of American- Soviet Friendship, an

Pat Trivigno, Portrait of Robert Durant Feild, mid-20th century, 40.5 x 26.5 inches, Newcomb Art Museum

17

organization endorsed by a number of local

27, 1949) as ready to go to press, but that

religious leaders, formed for the purpose of

eventuality never materialized.

fostering understanding and friendship between these two Second World War allies.

It was this sort of association which was to ultimately bring about Feild’s eventual departure from New Orleans, as he, like many others in the creative spheres of late 1940s and early 1950s America, was caught up in the McCarthy era politics of that period.

Upon his departure from New Orleans in the early 1950s, Feild returned to Massachusetts, where he was able to reunite with friends and colleagues from his years at Harvard, where he continued to be revered by former students, and where he was surrounded by his extensive library and important works of art, most

By 1949, Feild was reassigned by Tulane

of which represented his profound and

Dean Logan Wilson (who was also critical of

long-standing interest in and respect for

then student activist, now widely respected

the countries of Asia.

historian, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall), as professor of art in the Newcomb Art Department.

Feild’s responsibilities from then were the teaching of specialized courses for advanced students in the art department, including “The History of English Painting” and “The History of 19th and 20th century

Feild was cremated and his ashes interred in a simple grave, which features only his and his wife, Helen’s, names, in the Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a well-known 19th-century burial ground and local tourist attraction.

Painting”; as well as devoting time to writ-

Nearby are also the final resting places of

ing. Volume Two of his Walt Disney work

noted American artist Winslow Homer and

was described by The Times Picayune (July

author Julia Ward Howe.

Notes

Nancy (Lockwood) Dolce, Newcomb Art School student 1945–1951. (May–June 2021). Telephone interview/ Email communications.

Kristin O’Connell, Robert D. Feild's student/friend, 1960s–1970s. (February 2020 to present). Telephone interviews/Email communications.

Robert D Feild. The Art of Walt Disney. New York: Macmillan Company, 1942.

S etsu Yanagi. The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty. New York: Kodansha America, Inc, 2013.

Robert D Feild. “Art and Socialism." Monthly Review—An Independent Socialist Magazine. Vol l, No 9, January 1950.

Robin Feild. “The Consumer as Producer in Art.” College Art Journal. Vol XIII No. 1, Fall 1953.

Clarence L Mohr and Joseph E Gordon. Tulane: The Emergence of a Modern University 1945–1980. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2001.

18

Dr Susan House Wade is a London-based

Daruma, East Asia Journal, Focus, Historic

design historian who specializes in the

Gardens Review, Journal of Design History,

study of visual culture exchange between

Landscape and Architecture, Transactions

East and West during the first half of the

of the Japan Society-London, and the

20th century. She represented the Japan

Wallpaper History journal.

Society, London in the restoration of the Bernard Leach Pottery in St Ives, Cornwall, England and has written on Bernard Leach, S etsu Yanagi, Sh ji Hamada and Kanjir Kawai, as well as on Japanese and Korean ceramic production, distribution and usage in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States in the early 20th century.

She received her MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and went on to earn a PhD in design history from the University of Brighton in 2010.

Susan’s contributions have appeared in

She has been a recipient of the Thomas Carlyle Fellowship at The London Library, as well as a guest lecturer on the Victoria and Albert Museum Arts of Asia course and London Craft Week; chair of the Japan Society-London Arts Committee and co-chair of the exhibition A Garden Bequest—Plants from Japan: Portrayed in Books, Paintings and Decorative Art of 300 Years. She has presented at conferences and seminars internationally, including in England, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, the United States and Wales.

the Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design,

ABOUT THE MUSEUM The Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University builds on the Newcomb College legacy of education, social enterprise, and artistic experience. Presenting inspiring exhibitions and programs that engage communities both on and off campus, the Museum fosters the creative exchange of ideas and cross-disciplinary collaborations around innovative art and design. The Museum preserves and advances scholarship on the Newcomb and Tulane art collections.

The museum presents original exhibitions and programs that explore socially engaged art, civic dialogue, and community transformation. The Museum also pays tribute to its heritage through shows that recognize the contributions of women to the fields of art and design. As an entity of an academic institution, the Newcomb Art Museum presents exhibitions that utilize the critical frameworks of diverse disciplines in conceptualizing and interpreting art and design. By presenting issues relevant to Tulane and the greater New Orleans region, the Museum also serves as a gateway between on and off campus constituencies.

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