Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

STEIN

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1975

Materials

POTTERY

No. Pieces

8

Description

ALL MUGS HAVE SUNBURST LOGO UNDER BASE. THIS IS ENGRAVED INTO THE POTTERY AND READS "SUNBURST", HAS A CIRCLE WITH NUMEROUS RADIATING LINES AROUND CIRCLE TO REPRESENT A SUN BELOW. THEN READS BELOW "CANADA LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA". ARE ALL ALSO SHAPED THE SAME; HAVE WIDE ROUNDED RECTANGULAR HANDLES, MOUTH IS SLIGHTLY NARROWER THAN BASE WITH A PROTRUDING RING AROUND THE TOP AND THE BASE. ARE ALL MADE OF A HEAVY POTTERY. 1. 13.8CM (L) X 8.8CM (D) BROWNISH-YELLOW MUG HAS ETCHED ON ONE SIDE IN A CIRCLE "1962---10TH---1972---ANNIVERSARY" WITH A SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE "SHAW GMC TRUCKS". SMALL SCRATCH ON LIP. 2. 13.9CM (L) X 8.9CM (D) BROWNISH-GREEN MUG IS IDENTICAL TO #1. APPEARS TO HAVE NUMEROUS CRACKS UNDER FINISH. NO SCRATCHED LIP. 3. 13.6CM (L) X 8.7CM (D) BROWNISH-YELLOW MUG IS IDENTICAL TO #1. HAS NUMEROUS SMALL SCRATCHES IN FINISH. 4. 14.1CM (L) X 9.1CM (D) BROWN MUG HAS GREEN MOUTH. HAS "NEIL'S" ETCHED ON ONE SIDE ON TOP OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE AN ETCHED BANNER. APPEARS TO BE CRACKING UNDER FINISH. WHITE RING ON BASE HAS SOME MINOR SOILING. 5. 14CM (L) X 9.1CM (D) APRICOT MUG IS PLAIN. HAS TWO RAISED FLAWS ALONG ONE SIDE. HAS NUMEROUS SMALL SOILED SPOTS ALONG SIDE AND BASE. 6. 14.2CM (L) X 9.3CM (D) DARK GREEN MUG HAS FOUR ROUGHLY ETCHED HEARTS AROUND MUG. TWO ARE RIGHT SIDE UP AND ALTERNATE TWO ARE UPSIDE DOWN. HAS ZIG-ZAG ETCHED ALONG BOTTOM. APPEARS TO BE CRACKING UNDER BASE. 7. 14CM (L) X 9.2CM (D) ROYAL BLUE MUG HAS INTERLOCKING RINGS AROUND MIDDLE AND SCALLOPED PATTERN ETCHED ALONG BOTTOM. HAS SOILING ALONG WHITE RING ON BOTTOM. 8. 13.4CM (L) X 8.8CM (D) BROWNISH-YELLOW MUG IS IDENTICAL TO #1. HAS SMALL DIAGONAL CRACK FROM TOP OF HANDLE OUT. HAS SMALL LINES ON MOUTH.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

INDUSTRY

History

SUNBURST POTTERY HAS BEEN COLLECTED BY DONOR FROM A VARIETY OF PLACES OVER THE LAST THIRTY YEARS. SUNBURST POTTERY WAS A PRIVATE BUSINESS STARTED IN 1960'S BY RALPH THRALL. DONOR'S DAUGHTER CAROLYN RAINEY FROM PONOKA WORKED THERE AFTER GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WAS ACTIVE IN STARTING THE SHOP UNION. GENERAL PLANT HISTORY: SUNBURST CERAMICS LIMITED WAS BORN IN 1960 AFTER A FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE MEDALTA KILNS OF MEDICINE HAT. OWNER MALCOM MCARTHUR SOUGHT A WEALTHY PARTNER TO REBUILD, AND FOUND THE THRALL FAMILY OF LETHBRIDGE (OWNERS OF MACINTYRE RANCHING COMPANY AND MOUNTAIN MINERALS LIMITED). WITHIN A YEAR THE PLANT REOPENED TO PRODUCE SUNBURST POTTERY IN THE MEDICINE HAT KILNS. IN 1961 RALPH THRALL SR. AND JR. BOUGHT OUT MALCOM. THE FACTORY REMAINED IN MEDICINE HAT UNTIL 1965 WHEN NECESSARY UPGRADES INFLUENCED THE THRALLS TO OPEN A NEW PLANT IN LETHBRIDGE. WITH CONSIDERABLE PROVINCIAL SUPPORT THE LETHBRIDGE FACTORY OPENED IN 1966 WITH FULLY MODERN EQUIPMENT. HOWEVER, LESS THAN A DECADE LATER THE PROVINCIAL GOVT. CUT FUNDING AND THE PLANT CLOSED IN 1975. DURING ITS EXISTENCE THE PLANT PRODUCED AROUND 200 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. IN ITS MEDICINE HAT PHASE IT CONTINUED TO PRODUCE PIECES IN THE MEDALTA STYLE, INCLUDING BEAN POTS, CROCKS, AND BOWLS WITH DESIGNS SUCH AS 'HOMESTEADER', 'FLECKSTONE' AND 'SNOWTONE'. IN THE EARLY 70S, SUNBURST EXPANDED ITS CERAMICS LINE TO INCLUDE GIFTWARE. IT PURCHASED THE VANCOUVER-BASED B.C. CERAMICS, ACQUIRING ITS MOLDS AND THE RIGHTS TO SELL OFF REMAINING STOCK. PIECES IDENTIFIED BY GOLD SUNBURST LABEL; ESPECIALLY POPULAR WAS THE COMPANY'S ASHTRAY LINE. INTO THE 1970S SUNBURST DESIGNED A DISTINCTIVE LINE OF CERAMICS WITH A STYLE ALL ITS OWN, INCLUDING SERVING PLATES AND DISHES STYLED AFTER THE FOODS THEY SERVED. PRIOR TO ITS CLOSURE IN 1975 THE PLANT ENTERED A HIGHER-VOLUME CERAMIC LINE -- DINNERWARE. IN 1972 CERAMIC ARTIST NEILS GRAVSON WAS HIRED AND DESIGNED THE DINNER SET KNOWN BY THE 'HARVESTER' DESIGN, IDENTIFIED BY ITS STICK-LIKE PATTERN AND BROWN GLAZE. FOR ITS FIRST SEVEN YEARS, SUNBURST WAS A CASTING PLANT, LATER ACQUIRING MACHINERY FROM WEST GERMANY WHEN IT BEGAN PRODUCING ITS OWN LINE. PLANT WAS LOCATED ALONG 3RD AVE. NORTH (CURRENTLY HOMESTEAD VILLAGE MALL). IT HAD TWO INDOOR KILNS AND AT ITS PEAK EMPLOYED ABOUT 35 PEOPLE. FOR MORE HISTORY OF PRODUCTS SEE "THE KILNS OF ALBERTA". IN 1960, A LETHBRIDGE BUSINESSMAN RALPH THRALL FOUNDED SUNBURST CERAMICS. A NUMBER OF PROMINENT ALBERTA STUDIO POTTERS WORKED AT SUNBURST, WHERE THEY DEVELOPED VARIOUS LINES OF ARTWARE. HOWEVER, THEY WERE FRUSTRATED BY THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE WHICH LEFT LITTLE ROOM FOR NEW DESIGN WORK. THRALL RELIED ON THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF CROCKS AND MIXING BOWLS, AND SEEMED RELUCTANT TO TRY MORE CREATIVE DESIGNS. HE INVESTED HEAVILY IN UPGRADING THE PLANT’S MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT, BUT FINALLY REALIZED THAT THE OLD FACTORY WAS NOT SUITED TO MODERN PRODUCTION. IN 1966 HE RELOCATED THE COMPANY TO NEW PREMISES IN LETHBRIDGE, WHERE SUNBURST OPERATED UNTIL 1975. MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL MACHINERY AND THE OLD MEDALTA MOULDS WERE ACQUIRED BY ANOTHER POTTERY. MEDALTA (1966) LTD. WHICH SET UP IN REDCLIFF. THERE, SEVERAL FORMER MEDALTA EMPLOYEES REVIVED THE PRODUCTION OF CROCKS, MIXING BOWLS AND TEAPOTS. THE COMPANY FINALLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS IN 1986. THRALL SOLD THE MEDALTA PLANT TO EARTHEX RESOURCES IN 1976, A REAL ESTATE AND INVESTMENT FIRM WHICH PROMOTED THE SITE AS INDUSTRIAL AND WAREHOUSE SPACE. IN 1990, THE CITY OF MEDICINE HAT ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY AND LEASED IT TO THE FRIENDS OF MEDALTA SOCIETY. SEE HARDCOPY FOR ADDITIONAL EXHIBIT INFO. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS INTERN KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS. ON 26 NOVEMBER 2018, SCHAMUHN INTERVIEWED RUTH DAW REGARDING HER PRREVIOUS DONATIONS. THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: ON THE DONATION OF MEDALTA POTTERY, DAW RECOUNTED HER MEMORIES OF MEDALTA: “I WORKED AT MEDALTA POTTERY THE SUMMER BETWEEN GRADE 11 AND GRADE 12.” “I ACTUALLY WORKED [FOR] TEN DOLLARS A WEEK! AND WE WORKED [WITH] PRISONERS OF WAR. THEY WORE BLUE SHIRTS AND THEY DID THE HEAVY WORK—BLUE SHIRTS WITH A BIG RED CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR BACKS.” “IT WAS REALLY GOOD. IT WAS VERY HOT. WE HAD TO RIDE OUR BICYCLE ALL OVER THE FLATS.” “THEY PUT THE GLOSSY COAT ON AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SPONGE THE BOTTOM OFF, SO THAT THE GLOSSY COAT DIDN’T STICK. SO THAT’S WHAT I WAS DOING. WORKING WITH THAT AND DIPPING AND WORKING…AND STACKING AND IF THERE WAS SOME STUFF THAT HAD TO BE CLEANED UP, THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT I WAS DOING AS WELL. AT THAT TIME IT WAS QUITE A PRIMITIVE SET-UP AND THEY DIDN’T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES VERY MUCH AT ALL. THE WAGES WERE VERY POOR BUT IT WAS A JOB.” “WE WERE DOING THE HEAVY RESTAURANT WARE, THE WHITE WITH THE GREEN LITTLE CIRCLE AROUND IT, WHICH THEY DON’T MAKE ANYMORE, [BECAUSE] THEY DON’T REALLY NEED TO HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT ANYMORE. THEN WHEN THESE THINGS CAME FOR SALE, OF COURSE I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE [FROM] AND WHAT THEY CAME FOR.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER MOTIVATION TO COLLECT MEDALTA POTTERY, DAW ELABORATED, “I HAD A SPECIAL COLLECTION. I WAS COLLECTING…BECAUSE I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE [FROM], I KNEW HOW THEY WERE MADE. AND I’D ACTUALLY HELPED THEM MAKING SOME OF THEM AND SO I WAS JUST DOING IT FOR A COLLECTION AND THEN I DECIDED I’M GOING TO MAKE THE MOVE. MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY…ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO AND I HAD TO MOVE TO A SMALLER PLACE SO I HAD TO PRETTY WELL GET RID OF EVERYTHING AND THAT’S WHEN I TRIED TO FIND [THE COLLECTION] A GOOD HOME. BUT YOU DON’T REALLY SEE THEM ON THE SHELVES ANYMORE.” “I HAD WORKED IN MEDALTA AND I WAS INTERESTED IN THE TYPES OF [POTTERY], I THOUGHT THEY WERE DECORATIVE AND I USED THEM FOR THAT. I WOULD HAVE THEM FOR A DISPLAY OR FOR EVEN ON THE WALL. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF LOCAL POTTERY.” “I WOULD JUST PICK THEM UP – THEY WERE KEPT ON THE SALE RACKS IN THE ‘70S AND THE ‘80S BECAUSE THEY REALLY WEREN’T BEING USED ANYMORE.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE POTTERY IN HER HOME, DAW RECALLED, “I HAD LITTLE KIDS SO YOU COULDN’T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING AROUND THEM THAT WAS REALLY BREAKABLE. I DON’T KNOW [IF I] REALLY MADE MUCH USE OF THEM, BUT THEY WERE DECORATIVE. THE HOUSES WERE TOO SMALL TO HAVE VERY MUCH AROUND IF YOU HAD SMALL CHILDREN AROUND.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19960004001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19960004001

Acquisition Date

1996-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail