Ernest Batchelder moved to Pasadena, California in 1901, just as the City of Angels began its meteoric rise at the turn of the 20th century. He taught manual arts (metalwork, pottery, tile-making) at Pasadena’s Throop Polytechnic Institute (now known as the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech) for about a decade. Around 1910, Batchelder began making ceramic tiles in a backyard studio he installed at his home on 626 South Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena, CA.
Early clients were local Arts & Crafts Movement architects Greene and Greene and the Heineman Brothers. The business was successful and Batchelder later moved his ceramic tile factory to an even larger facility where he operated through the 1930s. Batchelder was very active in the Southern California art community, serving as founding member of the Pasadena Art Museum (now known as the Norton Simon Museum), for example.
Los Angeles in the early 20th century was a magical place to be, as more fully documented in the wonderful book The Mirage Factory by Gary Krist. New people were arriving daily, attracted by perfect weather and endless opportunities. Batchelder’s tiles were an affordable source of decorative tile for the sprawling metropolis being built in the area. His tiles were popular enough to sell across the United States and into Canada. At its peak, the Batchelder tile factory employed as many as 175 artisans.
Batchelder tiles are often associated with residential fireplaces, although his work also decorated commercial buildings, bathrooms, fountains and other types of real estate.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA.org) has a number of Batchelder tiles online here. I’ve also found samples online which I scattered through this article. Many are for sale, running between $160 to $250 for a 4 inch by 4 inch tile (as of this time).
A significant commission for Batchelder was a Dutch-themed chocolate shop, now Los Angeles Historical-Cultural Monument No. 137. The site is closed, but there is an interesting article and some photos of the interior tiles on the Los Angeles Explorer’s Guild website:
The Pasadena Museum of History commissioned a short film on the Batchelder House itself, which includes some information on Ernest Batchelder. (It’s a bit nostalgic for me. When I first graduated from grad school I rented an apartment in South Pasadena, very close to the original Batchelder House.)
JTW Ceramics 