A new exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California makes the case for why Sausalito dinnerware maker Edith Heath was one of the towering figures of mid-century American design.
Edith Heath’s name might not immediately come to mind when we think about people or events that shook up American society in the second half of the 20th century. After all, the late Bay Area ceramicist’s claim to fame was making dinnerware.
Inspired by the casual California indoor-outdoor lifestyle and operating out of a Sausalito factory, Heath Ceramics began mass producing dinnerware after the end of World War II. The pieces didn’t look anything like the delicate European china long sought by American households. Heath experimented with clay from the Sierra Nevada foothills to produce sturdy dinnerware that featured clean lines and muted, natural colors that were expressive of the region.
“I made large plates for barbecued steak, baked potato, huge salads; cereal bowls the same as soup bowls, casseroles and oven-to-table ware, for California lifestyle living – or everyday use as well as Sunday Best,” Heath said. A new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California showcases the work of groundbreaking ceramicist Edith Heath.