2 - - Antiques & Auction News — December 16, 2022
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Roy Blind
Continued from page 1
Blind,” as well as sometimes
the year of manufacture. The
known dates include a cat
inscribed with the year “1955,”
as well as other forms dated
from the 1970s through 1980.
Interestingly, though, the
most unusual form that really
adapts to 20th-century folk
art is a figure of Smokey Bear,
which was an advertising
campaign first introduced by
the United States Forest
Service in 1944 that was used
to educate the public about
the dangers of unplanned,
human-caused wildfires.
There is also an Ohio connec-
tion. In 1959, a 14-foot-tall
animatronic version of
Smokey Bear was unveiled at
the Ohio State Fairgrounds in
Columbus. It was installed to
help teach fire prevention to
children and their families.
This particular figure was
owned for many years by an
antiques collector/dealer in
Louisiana.
Among the techniques
applied on many of Blind’s
figures is the use of slip-
decoration on eyes and
other simple eye-catching
features. The remainder of
the exterior surface is typi-
cally then covered in a salt
glaze. Some of the forms
may be sculpted, while oth-
ers are molded.
The tradition of whimsi-
cal figures made by simple
working men, inexperi-
enced, yet budding artists,
became a thing in the late
19th and 20th century, and
Blind’s wares were very
much a part of this move-
ment. And because the
sewer pipe factory worker
lacked artistic training,
these figures regularly
turned out naïve, leaving
the artist unknown today.
But Blind’s figures were
much more realistic and
accomplished when com-
pared to many of the other
sewer pipe figures made in
the 1900s, which may have
been a result of higher
quality molds or just the
attention he gave to these
objects. Either way, Blind’s
story from childhood to an
adult, which saw him serve
during WWII and later find
employment as a sewer pipe
factory worker, enabled him
to leave a legacy with the
sewer pipe folk figures he
created. These are objects
that should be prized today;
the fact that he signed some
of these pieces, is perhaps
an indication that he viewed
his “end of the day”
This 20th century sewer pipe
figure of Smokey Bear is
signed on the base, “Roy
Blind.” Blind worked in the
sewer pipes factories in
Uhrichsville/Dennison, Ohio,
after he served in WWII. The
ca. 1945-80 figure is made
from a high-fired reddish
colored clay and salt-glazed,
This 20th-century sewer pipe figure of a rabbit is signed on
whereas a few simple fea-
the base “Roy Blind. Photo courtesy Crocker Farm.
tures have been highlighted
with slip-decoration.
Here is the hand-inscribed
signature on the base of the
Smokey Bear figure.
The 20th-century sewer pipe
figure of a monkey is signed
on the base “Roy Blind.
Photo courtesy Pook & Pook.
creations as a form of folk
art all along.
Photos courtesy of
author unless otherwise
noted.
Sources
Adamson, Jack E.
“Illustrated Handbook Of
Ohio Sewer Pipe Folk Art.”
Self-Published, 1973.
Dewhurst, Kurt and
antiquesandauctionnews.
Here are two different 20th-century sewer pipe figures of a
spaniel signed on the base “Roy Blind. Photo courtesy
Garth’s Auctions.
Marsha MacDowell. “The
Sewer Clay Pottery of Grand
Ledge, Michigan.” Northeast
Historical Archaeology:
Volume 9 Article 6, 1980.
Thomas, Justin W.
“Special Folk Art Ceramic
Vase Made At The Maurice
Knight Chemical Stoneware
Plant In Akron, Ohio: Carl
Funk’s Sewer Tile Vase Is
Dated 1935.” Antiques &
Auction News, Feb. 5, 2021.
The 20th-century sewer pipe
figure of a poodle is signed Antique
Antique
on the base “Roy Blind” and
dated “1977.” Photo courtesy Mall
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This 20th-century sewer pipe Open Daily 10-6
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The 20th-century sewer pipe figure of a cat is signed on the on the base “Roy Blind” and 10-6
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base “Roy Blind” and dated “1955.” Photo courtesy Cowan’s dated “1977.” Photo courtesy
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