California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.ht


FREDERICK H. RHEAD.  Success in any line of endeavor, be it industrial, professional or financial, is 
gained through the utilizing of the means at hand, the improvement of every opportunity for 
advancement, and the exercise of good judgment and wise discrimination.  That Frederick H. Rhead, 
well known throughout Southern California as an expert manufacturer of art pottery, has met with 
recognized success as an artist in clay is positive proof of his patient courage, intelligence and ability, 
and mark him as a faithful follower of those world-famed potters of Old Straffordshire, Wedgwood, 
Whieldon and Woods.
 
A native of England, he was born August 29, 1880, at Staffordshire Potteries, where his parents, 
Frederick Alfred and Adolphine (Hurten) Rhead, still reside.  His father, an artist in pottery, was born in 
England, but his mother claims France as the country of her birth.
 
Mr. Rhead was educated in England, attending first a parochial school at Stoke-on-Trent, and later the 
English Government Art School, the Wedgwood Institute.  At the early age of nineteen years he 
became a teacher in the Longton Government Art School, being one of the youngest teachers ever 
appointed to such a position, and retained it for three years, after which he was for three years a 
director of the Wardle Art Pottery Company at Hanley, Staffordshire, England.
 
Coming to America well equipped for his chosen line of work, Mr. Rhead was for six years a director of 
the Rozane Potteries at Zanesville, Ohio, and for two years occupied a similar position in the pottery 
department of the People’s University at St. Louis, Missouri.
 
With a view of broadening his field of endeavor, Mr. Rhead came to California, and as an associate of 
Dr. Philip King Brown organized the Arequipa Pottery Company at Fairfax, Marin County.  Coming from 
there to Santa Barbara in 1913, Mr. Rhead organized the Rhead Pottery Company, Inc., of which he has 
since been the manager.  In his factory, which is advantageously located at the north edge of the 
town, on the Mission Road, may be seen some of the most perfect specimens of art pottery ever 
manufactured, the touch of the individual craftsman being everywhere in evidence, moreover, it is 
the one and only spot on earth where the actual reproduction of the Chinese mirror, black glaze, can 
be seen.  After fifteen years of experimenting Mr. Rhead successfully reproduced this glaze, which 
was originally made by the Chinese in the seventeenth century.  In his efforts to master the secret of 
its manufacture, Mr. Rhead made over 11,000 formulas before developing the correct one, and as a 
result these wares are very expensive.  He makes a specialty of manufacturing beautiful architectural 
and artistic pottery, often of unique and highly artistic designs and decoration, much of which is 
purchased by the wealthy eastern tourists, although some of his most exclusive productions are to be 
found in the homes of the cultured people of Montecito and vicinity.
 
The wonderful productions of Mr. Rhead’s factory are entirely hand made, as are those of the cunning 
Italian craftsmen, including not only expensive cabinet and museum pieces, but garden ornaments, 
the larger part of which are of cement construction.  In carrying on his work he uses almost exclusively 
California clays, obtaining about twenty kinds in Santa Barbara, and the others from National City and 
Elsinore.  Eventually he expects to use local clays only.  A visit to his workshop is both instructive and 
interesting, and well worth the time to the near-by resident or the visitor, being far more satisfactory 
than a view of the fine exhibit of his creations and reproductions which attracted so much attention at 
the San Diego Exposition, where Rhead Pottery was awarded a Gold Metal.
 
Politically Mr. Rhead is independent, voting with the courage of his convictions, and has never sought 
office.  He is a member of the National Society of Craftsmen; of the New York Ceramic Society; and of 
the American Ceramic Society.