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“A Bull in Our China Shop:” Japanese Imports and the American Pottery Industry
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 March 2018
Abstract
From its beginning, the American pottery industry had to contend with the presence of imports. At first, manufacturers coped by promoting their own products and striving to improve design and quality. However, when Japan began importing china in greater quantities, American potters faced a challenge unlike any before. Initial attempts to attack imports outright through boycotts met with limited success through World War II. Following the peace, Cold War economic policy designed to reintroduce Japan to the global market led to another round of increasing importation. U.S. potters decried the poor quality and low wages connected to Japanese china, yet could not agree on a strategy to overcome the growing number of imports. Some filed lawsuits over copied designs while others hoped to contract with the Japanese to import on their own terms. The failure of these manufacturers to unify in response to Japan proved one of the most damaging blows to this small industry.
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References
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East Liverpool ReviewGoogle Scholar
Home Furnishings DailyGoogle Scholar
New Castle NewsGoogle Scholar
New York SunGoogle Scholar
New York TimesGoogle Scholar
The Pittsburgh PressGoogle Scholar
Pittsburgh Sun-TelegramGoogle Scholar
Potters HeraldGoogle Scholar
Pottery Glass and Brass SalesmenGoogle Scholar
Steubenville Herald-StarGoogle Scholar
Syracuse China NewsGoogle Scholar
Syracuse Post-StandardGoogle Scholar
Wall Street JournalGoogle Scholar
Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Census of Manufactures: 1947. Volume II, Statistics by Industry. Prepared by Conklin, Maxwell R.. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1949.Google Scholar
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Syracuse China Archives, Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse, New York.Google Scholar
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Interview with William Craig McBurney. Interview #3, by Beverly Zona, c. October 1991. Shenango China Heritage Project, Lawrence County Historical Society, New Castle, Pennsylvania.Google Scholar