Jar c. 1938

Editor: This is a watercolor drawing of a ceramic jar by George Loughridge, around 1938. The cool blues of the floral design against the neutral tones of the jar create such a grounded feel. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to how this seemingly simple depiction intersects with the history of craft and labor. Jars like these were utilitarian objects, central to food preservation in a time before mass refrigeration. The hand-painted decoration elevates it, but also hints at the labor involved, the specific skills valued within communities. It’s fascinating to think about who made the physical jar, versus who made this image and why, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely, it is interesting to consider the act of documentation versus the actual crafting of a useful vessel. Did gender roles play into the work here? Curator: That’s precisely where we need to dig deeper! Women were often the ones involved in the domestic sphere of food preservation and canning, yet the artistic representations might be by men, thus creating another lens through which to analyze the work. It complicates our reading. Does that tension change your first read of it? Editor: It does, yeah. I am struck by the artistic lens depicting everyday lives. Curator: Precisely. And how even in representing something “ordinary,” there’s an opportunity to understand broader social and cultural values being expressed and codified. It also provides insights to the impact of mass-produced glassware. Editor: It's really opened my eyes to looking beyond just the surface. Thank you.