Vintage Pat Young Hand Crafted Green Ceramic Geranium Leaf Pottery Bowl 8. 5 " Dia
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:1178455 | Main Color: Green |
| Color: Green | Original/Reproduction: Original |
No scratches/chips!!!! 8.5" diameter. Own a true piece of Florida craft history with this pristine vintage (1960's) Pat Young Ceramics Geranium Leaf Bowl. This studio has passed through 3 generations of family members and continues to produce these same style leaf bowls. A true gem!
The Story of Pat Young Ceramic Arts.The story of Pat Young Ceramic Arts began in 1950 when for health reasons, Pat Young, then age 46, and her husband Bud moved from St. Petersburg to Inverness, Florida.... Because of a heart condition, Pat's doctor had told her to slow down from the hectic social life she had been leading and find something more restful to do with her time.Pat got interested in hobby ceramics, attended some classes and eventually split the cost of a small hobby kiln with a girl friend who was making china doll busts. She developed the idea of making imprints of real Florida leaves she collected from her property into the soft clay and forming various plates and bowls following the outline of the leaf. She was resting and enjoying herself when fate changed her life.One day in 1953, an insurance salesman came to the house to talk to Bud. While there, he saw some of the ceramic pieces that Pat had modeled. After some heavy complimenting, he convinced Pat to let him have a few pieces to check their sales potential. Instead of selling the dishes as expected, he sent back orders, LOTS of orders. Suddenly bigger kilns, employees and suppliers had to be found. In May of 1954, Pat Young Ceramic Arts was established. Salesmen were employed in the early years but it soon became obvious the unique beauty of the china-like ceramics was its own best salesman and word of mouth has sold it since.Pat Young built her business to the point where she was supplying 310 of the finest gift shops in the USA and many locations overseas. Almost every day public customers would drop by and load themselves up with gifts for their friends. Pat made the ceramics and Bud ran the office, packed and shipped the china, and maintained the equipment. By then the "factory" had spread from the back porch to the entire house, with additional buildings being added.The bottom of each piece of ceramics was "signed" with a simple PY and carried a bright gold label letting people know they were holding a Pat Young Hand Made Original made in Inverness, Florida.Pat eventually "retired" in 1968 and her eldest daughter, Barbara Young Brokaw took over the day-to-day operations. Pat still loved to spend time with customers and give them the "grand tour." By that time the product line totaled nearly 100 different items.In July of 1980, at the age of 76, Pat Young passed away. She had spent the previous 26 years providing the world with very unique and incredibly beautiful pieces of art, while she was "resting under doctor's orders."Barbara Brokaw then became the second-generation owner of Pat Young Ceramic Arts. Employees were not replaced as they left or retired. Eventually she became, as her mother had started, a one-woman studio, modeling, glazing, firing, packing and corresponding with the shops and private customers in her warm down-to-earth, friendly manner. She made many, many friends of the people she sold her ceramics to. Barbara eventually increased the product line to 185 items.In April of 1989, 34 years after that insurance salesman took out the samples, Barbara sold the Inverness property and moved Pat Young Ceramics Arts to Oveido, Florida. She took just enough equipment and supplies to keep the business going from her new home. Eventually she scaled back her customer list, politely dropping most of the commercial accounts and filling only her private customer's orders. At that time Barbara started trimming the bottom of the well known gold label to eliminate the Inverness, Florida identification. The PY still remained.
The Story of Pat Young Ceramic Arts.The story of Pat Young Ceramic Arts began in 1950 when for health reasons, Pat Young, then age 46, and her husband Bud moved from St. Petersburg to Inverness, Florida.... Because of a heart condition, Pat's doctor had told her to slow down from the hectic social life she had been leading and find something more restful to do with her time.Pat got interested in hobby ceramics, attended some classes and eventually split the cost of a small hobby kiln with a girl friend who was making china doll busts. She developed the idea of making imprints of real Florida leaves she collected from her property into the soft clay and forming various plates and bowls following the outline of the leaf. She was resting and enjoying herself when fate changed her life.One day in 1953, an insurance salesman came to the house to talk to Bud. While there, he saw some of the ceramic pieces that Pat had modeled. After some heavy complimenting, he convinced Pat to let him have a few pieces to check their sales potential. Instead of selling the dishes as expected, he sent back orders, LOTS of orders. Suddenly bigger kilns, employees and suppliers had to be found. In May of 1954, Pat Young Ceramic Arts was established. Salesmen were employed in the early years but it soon became obvious the unique beauty of the china-like ceramics was its own best salesman and word of mouth has sold it since.Pat Young built her business to the point where she was supplying 310 of the finest gift shops in the USA and many locations overseas. Almost every day public customers would drop by and load themselves up with gifts for their friends. Pat made the ceramics and Bud ran the office, packed and shipped the china, and maintained the equipment. By then the "factory" had spread from the back porch to the entire house, with additional buildings being added.The bottom of each piece of ceramics was "signed" with a simple PY and carried a bright gold label letting people know they were holding a Pat Young Hand Made Original made in Inverness, Florida.Pat eventually "retired" in 1968 and her eldest daughter, Barbara Young Brokaw took over the day-to-day operations. Pat still loved to spend time with customers and give them the "grand tour." By that time the product line totaled nearly 100 different items.In July of 1980, at the age of 76, Pat Young passed away. She had spent the previous 26 years providing the world with very unique and incredibly beautiful pieces of art, while she was "resting under doctor's orders."Barbara Brokaw then became the second-generation owner of Pat Young Ceramic Arts. Employees were not replaced as they left or retired. Eventually she became, as her mother had started, a one-woman studio, modeling, glazing, firing, packing and corresponding with the shops and private customers in her warm down-to-earth, friendly manner. She made many, many friends of the people she sold her ceramics to. Barbara eventually increased the product line to 185 items.In April of 1989, 34 years after that insurance salesman took out the samples, Barbara sold the Inverness property and moved Pat Young Ceramics Arts to Oveido, Florida. She took just enough equipment and supplies to keep the business going from her new home. Eventually she scaled back her customer list, politely dropping most of the commercial accounts and filling only her private customer's orders. At that time Barbara started trimming the bottom of the well known gold label to eliminate the Inverness, Florida identification. The PY still remained.
