It’s going on 4 months since wildfires devastated parts of Southern California and we wanted to call attention to an organization that has been working tirelessly to salvage as many historic tiles as they can from the ashes of lost homes. Save the Tiles — a grassroots collective of volunteers — came together after a few local Altadena residents noticed tile-clad fireplaces still standing in the Eaton fire burn zone. It turns out handcrafted, kiln-fired ceramics can not only last a century, they can also withstand a raging inferno.
Many of the historic tiles were designed by Ernest A. Batchelder, a name synonymous with the American Arts & Crafts movement in California. In 1910, Batchelder opened the School of Design and Handicraft in Pasadena, for which he recruited teachers in pottery, metalwork, embroidery, and more. The school was short-lived, but the artisans remained in the area and contributed to the region’s heritage as an artistic and cultural hub. That same year, Batchelder began handcrafting earthenware clay and terra cotta tiles on a small kiln at his home. As their popularity grew (thanks partly to his use of a printed catalog), his tiles found their way into countless homes and businesses in the area, including those by celebrated local architects Greene & Greene.
Save the Tiles co-founder, Eric Garland, describes walking through Altadena with his daughter, after the fires destroyed nearly everything in sight: “We looked around us and saw chimneys everywhere. And not just brick chimneys, but beautiful original tile fireplaces.” His daughter pointed out that the tiles still clinging to those fireplaces were all that people had left. Nearby, mason Cliff Douglas had also noticed the tiles and was already hard at work salvaging them for homeowners, from fireplaces as well as from the remains of stairs, backsplashes and fountains.
The residents, along with fellow neighbor Stanley Zucker, formed Save the Tiles to organize volunteers and help displaced homeowners rescue these historic tiles from the ruins. “They are not ‘just stuff’, they are personal and town history. The hearth is the center of the home,” notes Garland. In addition to carefully removing each tile, volunteers clean, catalog and store them, and connect with artisans who can repair and restore any broken pieces. “We have been well-educated by our preservation partners like Silverlake Conservation in the proper storage of the tiles,” says Save the Tiles COO Maura Hudson. “Individual tiles are each wrapped in packing paper and lined up vertically like stacks of books, one level deep in special tile boxes. Boxes are stacked only so high given weight, are labeled with the address, and stored in preparation for the next phase of restoration.” It is a labor of love but people who are passionate about tiles will go to great lengths to preserve them.
Batchelder tiles tend to feature cross-cultural influences, including Mayan and Asian motifs, along with natural elements, muted glazes, and matte finishes. And because they’re handmade, you’ll find his name on the back of each one. In addition to these tiles, volunteers are also finding tiles from Claycraft Potteries—a studio that was co-founded by Albert L. H. C. Meier in Los Angeles in 1921 and which have similar aesthetic stylings to Batchelder's; as well as tiles from Gladding-McBean and those from California Faience. “We ultimately want to return these works of art to their homeowners for hopefully their future rebuild efforts,” says Hudson, noting that some homeowners have donated a portion of the tiles to be used for a future monument and exhibition.
Save the Tiles’ volunteers have rescued thousands of tiles from over 100 homes so far, and are actively working on another 100 homes. They are in a race against time to salvage as many tiles as they can before the Army Corps of Engineers clears the land of debris. Their biggest challenge now is tracking down displaced homeowners to alert them of their nonprofit service and secure permission to rescue and preserve these historic tiles—and in doing so, a unique part of California’s Arts & Crafts heritage. If you are interested in supporting their cause, please visit SaveTheTiles.org for ways that you can help.
On a side note, if you are interested in the look of Batchelder tiles and can’t find original designs on the secondhand market, Steve Moon at Tile Restoration Center specialises in reproducing them (including the Mayan styles shown salvaged above). And at Pasadena Craftsman Tile, Cha-Rie Tang and her daughter Mei-Ling handcraft custom tiles including a Batchelder Revivals collection.
Photos: Nick Argo, Meg Pinsonneault; Courtesy of Save the Tiles