Weller, Roseville, and Related Zanesville Art Pottery and Tiles (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Rating:
Summary: Not A Good Choice, Buy The Bomm Roseville, or Huxford Weller
Review: The book was well conceived, but poorly executed. The idea of covering all of the Zanesville art pottery makers within one text is definitely a good one, but the success stops with the concept. There are much better choices for each of the individual liines, with the Bomm & Huxford Roseville books much better, and the Huxford Weller more complete in spite of it's perceived 'datedness'. The photography from some dated price guides is used and the color reproduction on these is poor. The few original photographs are well done, but there are very few of these. The Roseville lines are not separated, so using the volume as a reference is impossible. In fact, the Roseville section is nothing more than a reproduction of the old Purviance price guide, and the mis-information in that guide is sometimes reproduced here. The Weller section is done the same way, but at least there are a few new photographs in that section. If this is an example of how future Schiffer books are to be published, then they just lost a long time good customer. Surely they could have done better with a subject matter so wide and complete. Your money is better spent elsewhere. JK

Rating:
Summary: Not A Good Choice, Buy The Bomm Roseville, or Huxford Weller
Review: The book was well conceived, but poorly executed. The idea of covering all of the Zanesville art pottery makers within one text is definitely a good one, but the success stops with the concept. There are much better choices for each of the individual liines, with the Bomm & Huxford Roseville books much better, and the Huxford Weller more complete in spite of it's perceived 'datedness'. The photography from some dated price guides is used and the color reproduction on these is poor. The few original photographs are well done, but there are very few of these. The Roseville lines are not separated, so using the volume as a reference is impossible. In fact, the Roseville section is nothing more than a reproduction of the old Purviance price guide, and the mis-information in that guide is sometimes reproduced here. The Weller section is done the same way, but at least there are a few new photographs in that section. If this is an example of how future Schiffer books are to be published, then they just lost a long time good customer. Surely they could have done better with a subject matter so wide and complete. Your money is better spent elsewhere. JK