Set in the breathtaking landscapes of Western North Carolina, this book explores the region's rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. It delves into local traditions, folklore, and the unique communities that shape the area. Readers will discover the intricacies of the Appalachian lifestyle, including its music, crafts, and culinary delights. The narrative captures the essence of the mountains and the stories of the people who call them home, making it a vibrant tribute to this enchanting part of the country.
The book explores how the establishment of new churches can revitalize aging congregations and mainline denominations. Stephen Compton argues that the decline in new church starts contributed significantly to the downturn of these groups, rather than factors like liberalism or diminished faith. He emphasizes that new congregations encourage older institutions to reassess their identity and mission, leading to meaningful transformation and enhanced effectiveness in their ministries. This work is particularly relevant for pastors and leaders of older churches seeking renewal.
Potter, teacher, and writer Jack Troy once said, "If North America has a 'pottery state, ' it must be North Carolina." North Carolina Potteries Through Time proves to readers that his assessment is correct. Prehistoric Native American potters first made pottery in the region, followed by eighteenth-century English and German settlers. Many generations of potters followed in their footsteps, and today hundreds of potters and ceramics artists turn out ware in every part of the state. In the town of Seagrove, there's a whole museum and educational center dedicated to North Carolina pottery production. Many private and public collections exist. Buyers seek it out at auctions, antique shops, kiln openings, festivals, and studio sales. This book is chock-full of images representing all periods and styles of pottery made in the state, including many published for the first time. Readers new to the topic, as well as expert collectors, historians, and potters will find satisfaction in this richly illustrated and descriptively written volume.
North Carolina's eighteenth and nineteenth-century Moravian potters were remarkable artisans whose products included coarse earthenware, slip-trailed decorated ware, Leeds-type fine pottery, press-molded stove tiles, figural bottles, toys, and salt-glazed stoneware. Silesian-born and German-trained potter Gottfried Aust was the first to arrive in Bethabara in 1755. After that, numerous apprentices of his carried on the trade in the state and beyond. Some apprentices rose to the rank of master potter. Aust's most successful protégé, Rudolph Christ, excelled in the creation of Queensware, faience, and tortoiseshell-glazed pottery. Swiss-born Heinrich Schaffner, one of several more Moravian master potters, is famously known for his "Salem smoking pipes." Today, museums and private collectors vigorously compete for scarce examples of North Carolina-made Moravian pottery. Every piece found and preserved is like a new paragraph added to the story of the art and mystery of pottery-making in one of the South's earliest settlements.
H. Leslie Moody and Frances Johnson Moody never owned the company outright, but their dreams shaped North Carolina's Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc. and drove it forward to the satisfaction of an emerging, increasingly modern post-World War II America. Hyalyn's reputation for high quality led to its association with top designers like Michael and Rosemary Lax, Eva Zeisel, Georges Briard, Charles Leslie Fordyce, Herbert Cohen, Erwin Kalla, and Esta Brodey. Before moving to North Carolina in 1945, ceramic engineer and designer Less Moody prepared to organize and operate Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc. From Zanesville's Mosaic Tile Company, Ohio State University's ceramics department, Love Field Pottery, Abingdon Pottery, San José Potteries, and Rookwood Pottery, he gained expertise in clay formulation, glaze chemistry, product design, plant operation, project planning, advertising, and employee management. With the aid of investors, his dream came true when, in 1946, Hyalyn's first lamp bases and flower containers emerged from the shop's tunnel kiln. Thoroughly documented and illustrated with 425 images, hyalyn: America's Finest Porcelain is a complete history of Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc., and its successors, Hyalyn Cosco, Hyalyn, Ltd., and Vanguard Studios.
