Gale Turnbull joined Vernon Kilns in 1935 as art director. A painter and engraver by trade, Turnbull worked at Leigh Potteries and Sebring Ohio prior to coming to California. Under Turnbull’s guidance, Vernon began offering a huge spectrum of designs and patterns. Not only is he credited with the design of the Ultra shape, but produced dozens of hand-painted lines on the rounded Montecito shape. Turnbull pieces are generally well-marked with his signature and the pattern name. There are so many pattern variants that many of Turnbull’s designs are preferenced with a T followed by a number.
Gale Turnbull
Native American Series
Turnbull’s Native American series launched around 1937. An advertisement in House Beautiful states, “From California comes this essentially native product, very aptly called “Native American.” Gale Turnbull, its designer, is inspired by the carefree existence of California in old Mission days.” Native American came in several different patterns, including Going to Town, Cabanas Chico, Mountain Mission, Sentinels, Arizona, Pueblo, and Little Mission.
