Ohio Books

This book is full of great photos of Cleveland and tidbits of Cleveland history. Highly recommend for anyone interested in the history of Cleveland. The genealogist will find this a great addition to their collection. Great for putting that family history in context.

As was the case with many "Rust Belt" American cities, Cleveland has suffered a great loss of vitality and purpose over the past fifty years. Phil Porter, Executive Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, examined some of the factors foreshadowing the city's decline in this prescient book. It may be hard to find, but if you're interested in urban history, you should make the effort. It is also available as an e-book at Cleveland State University's Cleveland Memory Project (but I'm not allowed to furnish the direct address for it).

I was delighted to be the feature photographer of "Cleveland Shaping a Third Century" It is a very fine collective body of work that highlights many of the great achievements of the Cleveland community, it's people and work ethic that has truly made Cleveland, Ohio a model for other cities on the rise.

My photographs are a compalition of many years of work and they reflect God's marvelous light on Cleveland and its people & industry and midwest splendor. Large colorful photos capture many great attractions Cleveland has to offer.

This is a wonderful book for an office, den or family room. It certainly will delight anyone who has an affection for Cleveland, Ohio.

This book was the most exciting book I have ever read in my life!!! I think that EVERYONE should read this book, or you are really missing out.

This book was well ahead of its time. A careful reading of recent Coleridge scholarship reveals that Taylor's work identified and illuminated those ideas of STC that would be most discussed at the end of the century.

Joe Devine's Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding Identification And Value Guide packs in a lovely photo gallery of pieces with history and values. Royal Copley is the main focus of the presentation, though some Windsor and Spaulding pieces are presented, and about 85% of everything made at Spaulding was Royal Copley. Collectors will find this a 'must have' reference.

I hate it when history is tied to meaningless dates, but in this instance it is important to consider the date of this book. It is published 1836, fourteen years before the Compromise of 1850 and two decades before the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This is a valuable collection of enlightening documents. Much as I'd like to quote and review the entire book this is not the place for it. I will, however, review those documents that will give the reader a sense of the importance of the little volume to understanding the mind of the abolitionists of the antebellum period.

The book opens with a resolution by a pro-slavery Committee of Vigilance which Birney refutes. This is one of the resolutions agreed to by the Committee:
"[The committee shall ferret out any persons found to be distributing any seditious documents], or tampering with slaves, with a view to excite insurrection; and upon proof of such fact, to inflict upon such person or persons death which is the penalty of our statute..."
We are informed that seven of the twenty members of this Committee of Vigilance are ministers of the Gospel of Christ, supposedly favoring the love of God.


A letter of 1835 brought Birney's response to this committee and this excerpt comes to the heart of this response:

"Has the thing called slavery, ... been found, at any time propitious to your Christian growth, or a closer walk with God? ... When you are casting in your contributions to provide the distribution of the Bible in foreign lands, what are your feelings on recollecting that you withhold it from your `domestic circle,' whose peace and security so much concern you?"

The protest of the American Antislavery Society is as expected:

"There is doubtless, no respectable portion of our countrymen, who can be so far misled as to feel any other sentiment than that of indignant regret at conduct so destructive of the harmony and peace of the country, and so repugnant to the principles of our national compact, and to the dictates of humanity and religion."

The book gives examples of the need to address the attitude of the North as well as the South. Examples are given of ministers being brought before the bar in the Northeast for what they had said about slavery and Christianity. In 1834 mobs in New York attacked churches; this at a time in our national culture when religion played a very important part. A southern compact was delivered warning of a suspension of commerce if the complaints of the North continue.

This is the content of the book which ends with a reprint of the editorial that appeared in a Georgia newspaper. The editorial sounds as if it could be published today to condemn the loading of Supreme Courts with activist justices. This excerpt gives the gist of the condemnation:

"[The editorial brings a decision] which gives an entire new feature to the slave question. It has just been decided by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, that a Slave carried into that State by his owner, becomes eo instanti free! . . . This is the strongest and boldest step ever yet taken against the rights of the South, and leaves the puny efforts of the abolitionists at an immeasurable distance in the rear. . . . And must we now submit to have our property taken from us by courts and juries, and be insultingly told such things are no interferences beyond our rights?"

The informed reader will ask why should I read this book? It restates the arguments given in so many other places as to become hackneyed. True, in a way. The value to the serious student is that it gives us insight into the minds of the antislavery proponents at this point in our history, a period that precedes many of the actions which precipitated the violence that would follow. For the neophyte the book is an excellent introduction of original source. An my book this book deserves five stars.

This excellent reference book is a must-have for any collector of this wonderful at pottery. The authors obviously took some real time and effort to put the book together, and their work really shows. There is a great section on the history of the pottery, with sections on past and recent history (including info about the Rocky River library purchase). There is discussion of the various artists who worked for or did designs for Cowan, including: Bogatay, Martin, Jossett, Gregory, Winter, Hummel, Cowan himself, and Schreckengost of course. A section discusses the bodyware, glaze, and pottery marks, and there is a special section on the famous Jazz Bowl.

The rest of the book consists of an identification and value guide. It's chock-full of mostly color photos of various Cowan pieces, with sizes given, as well as prices (although it's worth noting that the prices are no longer quite accurate, due to the effect that online auctions have had on collectibles of late). The photos are sharp for the most part, with details shown clearly. All in all this is a great book for the Cowan collector.

This book, published in 1996, seems to be the standard for information about Knowles, Taylor, Knowles pottery. It has an extensive section on history of the pottery, includes a section on the various marks or backstamps (with photos), and covers production both in Ohio and in California.

The book has a wealth of photos of the various lines made by KTK, and includes a wonderful group of images of the famous Lotus Ware, as well as info on the well-loved whiskey jugs. An especially nice feature of this book is that the pricing information is included next to the photo of a piece, which is much more convenient than having to look things up in an index in the back. However, be aware that online auctions have changed the values of some KTK pieces somewhat, so the pricing info here may be a little high. Nonetheless, this is an excellent book for the collector's reference library.

Chapters:
1. History of Royal China Company (1933-1986)
2. History of Currier & Ives Dinnerware by Royal
3. Dinnerware Pieces
4. Currier & Ives Identification
5. Accessory Units
6. Available Colors
7. Backstamps
8. Original Cartons
9. Sales and Advertising Items
10. Tumblers
11. Jewelry, Clock, Etc.
12. Royal Connection
13. A & P Connection
14. Milk-white Ovenware
15. Sears, Montgomery Wards, & Other Outlets
16. Other Currier & Ives Items
17. Price Guide
Sebring Historical Society
Index
About The Author