COLORS

Brilliant orange-red appeared in pottery and dinnerware in the early 1930s as ceramic engineers experimented with new glaze techniques. Catalina Pottery’s Toyon Red (named after a red berry that grows on the island) shows up by the late 1920s. By the early 1930s, Bauer and Pacific Pottery started using it in dinnerware items with the other California and east coast potteries following closely behind.

Pacific’s orange-red glaze, called “Apache Red,” was extremely popular. In fact, Apache Red represented approximately 30% of all pieces, and was produced for Hostessware’s entire production run.

Many of the bold, beautiful colors were created using highly toxic materials. Cadmium, selenium, uranium and lead (used to make glazes smooth and shiny) were all common components in glazes. Production of orange-red glazes required the use of uranium oxide, a radioactive element, to produce the glaze color and also provide a sealant for the glaze.

Producing the glaze was more expensive for manufacturers due to higher material and production costs. The color required a greater level of control during the firing process and achieving the red-orange color often took additional coats of glaze. Red-glazed items commanded a price premium over other colors. Price lists from the period show red items priced 10-15% higher.

In 1943, the US government suspended commercial use of uranium oxide for use in the war effort for bomb production. The government allowed manufacturers to use it again in 1959, but by that time, the only pottery primarily producing solid color dinnerware was Homer Laughlin.