The American Art Tile November 10, 2012

The decades surrounding 1900 were the golden age of the American art tile. Whether glazed or unglazed, molded in relief or smooth-surfaced, decorative tiles were a popular medium among many affluent consumers wishing to furnish their homes and businesses in the latest fashions. The tiles were used as fireplace surrounds, wall hangings, and for a wide variety of other ornamental purposes, both interior and exterior. Manufacturers across the country produced tiles to satisfy their local clientele and others. This installation features approximately forty tiles from The Mint Museum's permanent collection, including the permanently installed fireplace surround, Arkansas Traveller, modeled and designed circa 1916 by Henry Chapman Mercer of Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.