|
|
Ad Code: 4
|
An example of work by Kenneth P. Beattie
Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee
|
|
|
This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| Born in England in April 1866, Kenneth Beattie emigrated to the United
States for the first time with his father, mother and two brothers in
1874. For a number of years, Beattie’s father, William, worked as
a designer in Taunton, Massachusetts. But when Beattie was in his
early twenties, the family returned to England. It wasn’t until
1897—at the age of 32—that he returned to the U.S. By then, he
had acquired extensive artistic training from the English potters of
Ireland and Knowles, Taylor & Knowles of East Liverpool, Ohio had
recruited him to design pottery and bone china for the,.
East Liverpool was “Crockery City,” producing ceramic table and toilet
wares during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. James
Bennett, also born in England, established East Liverpool’s first
pottery in 1839, and brought his two brothers, Edwin and William, into
the business in 1841. Together they produced Rockingham Ware and
Yellow Ware. In 1861 and 1862, White Ware was produced in East
Liverpool and then again—with more success—from 1880 to 1930. By
1900, East Liverpool manufactured more than 50% of all the pottery in
the country, employing over 700 people in the process. The firm
KTK—as it was known—was very highly regarded in its day and made
Belleek Ware, Lotus Ware and China Whiskey Jugs—all prized by
collectors today.
During the last quarter of the 19th century, American potters were
struggling to produce quality ceramics to rival those of England and
France. Knowles, Taylor & Knowles took up the challenge,
determined to produce a bone china that would be the pride of
America. Toward that end, they hired Joshua Poole, an authority
on bone china and the previous manager of Belleek Pottery, Ltd. of
County Fermanagh, Ireland (northeast). In turn, Poole imported
bone china artists from the British plants in Ireland. Kenneth Beattie
was one of these men.
In September 1898—about a year after he came to America for the second
time—Beattie married the former Helen Barrett in a simple ceremony at
her mother’s home in Windham, Ohio (50. miles N. of East
Liverpool). The Beatties rented a home at 395 Walnut Street in
East Liverpool, within walking distance of the KTK plant.
Although Helen did not work outside the home, neither did she produce
any children. Knowles, Taylor & Knowles folded about 1930,
but Beattie had departed much earlier to become a serious artist.
About 1910, the couple went to live in Cleveland, where Beattie was a
member of the Artists Society of Cleveland.
However, Beattie wanted to concentrate on landscape painting, and by
1917, the couple had moved to Hopkins, Michigan, a tiny village in
Allegan County (south of Grand Rapids), where they boarded with a local
man, Byron Calkins. After the stock market crashed in 1929,
artists—including Beattie—couldn’t give their paintings away, so it
comes as no surprise that Beattie told a census taker in 1930 that he
had no occupation.
He was killed in an auto accident on the afternoon of December 4, 1934
in Otsego, Michigan (about 15 miles south of Hopkins). He was 68.
Kenneth P. Beattie is buried in Hopkins, Michigan.
Written and submitted by Kenneth P. Beattie
Sources include: US Census reports, the Book Knowles, Taylor & Knowles
by Timothy J. Kearns (1994), as well as information supplied by Paul
Immel of the Ohio State Library, and the reference librarians of
Ravenna and Cleveland, Ohio.
|
| ** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@AskART.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|