Henry Poor
Henry Varnum Poor is best known for his thrown earthenware domestic work especially plates and bowls which were glazed with metallic oxides on slip, often with the addition of sgraffito.
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About
- Biography
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Henry Varnum Poor is best known for his thrown earthenware domestic work especially plates and bowls which were glazed with metallic oxides on slip, often with the addition of sgraffito.
Still lifes, pastoral scenes, portraits, and figures were his subjects and reflected his training as a post-impressionistpainter. He also created many painted and tiled murals in public buildings including the Departments of Justice and the Interior in Washington, DC.
After returning from World War I, Poor traveled to NYC to sell his paintings. During that time he was introduced to ceramics which became his creative focus from the 1920s onward. Poor is considered one of the first studio potters in the USA. His lifestyle embodied the Studio Crafts Movement. Poor lived and worked for over 50 years at Crow House where he designed and built his home, studio and out buildings.
Poor was one of four founders and the first president of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Madison, Maine.
" - Apprenticeships & Residencies
- Primary Work Experience
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1911-1912
Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
1920-1970Studio Potter
Other
- Public Collections
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The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Brooklyn Museum, New York, New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Yor, New York
The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey
Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas
- Bibliography
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Clark, Garth and Margie Hughto. A Century of Ceramics in the United States: A Study of It’s Development. Syracuse, NY: Everson Museum with E.P. Dutton and Co. Inc., 1979.
Levin, Elaine. The History of American Ceramics: From Pipkins and Bean Pots to Contemporary Forms. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams Inc., Publishers, 1988.
Poor, Henry Varnum. A Book of Pottery: From Mud into Immorality. New York, NY: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1958.
Stiegleder, Linda. “Henry Varnum Poor 1887-1970.” American Craft 44, no. 1 (February/March 1984).
- CV or Resume
- Website(s)
Citation: Henry Poor, "The Marks Project."
Last modified April 29, 2026. https://www.themarksproject.org/artists/henry-varnum-poor
