When Mark and I moved to Seagrove in 1976 one of the throwers who worked at JB Cole's Pottery was Virginia Shelton, a niece of Waymon and Nell Cole.Virginia was one of Bascom King's daughters.
Bascom was married to Nell's sister Vellie.
While going through pictures I found these great pictures, taken what looks to be many years back, of Virginia Shelton.
I thought I would share them with you.
As you can tell in some of them she must have had a warning that photographs were being made.
She is so pretty in her dress and with her hair all fixed up, but note the feet.
I love that she has no shoes on.
Virginia was one of those potters who Mark and I would go and visit with when we had a quest for the knowledge of how to make pots.
We were enrolled in the local community college, but we were also embedded in the history of the surrounding potteries.
Going to Cole's to watch someone like Virginia or Waymon for that matter was a treat.
They could both throw and talk at the same time. I guess they were very used to the many visitors which came and went.
One of the best things about Seagrove in those days was the ability to wander through the work areas of the local potteries.
As long as you did not get in the way you could stand and watch for hours.
It was easy to find a place and settle in for a spell.
Mark and I both took a great liking to Virginia.
Generous, kind and sharing.
Although both of us knew we would never be able to out turn Virginia.
She, like many of the potters who were here when we first moved here, is long gone.
But we keep these potters close in thoughts when we are working.
The last picture must have been taken at a later date then the ones above.
7 comments:
How wonderful to discover those photographs and I notice she standing up while she is throwing barefoot.
Wow great photos.
cool... throwing barefoot and talking at the same time. i can barely answer a yes or no question without stopping completely
I do love these pictures, the barefeet and the dress, hair all done up.
Great pictures.
Now Jim, I bet you could talk and throw at the same time!
I bought pottery from her in the summer of 1987 that we love every day. It was a blue-speckled lemonade pitcher and four 16 Oz tumblers, all of which have now met their maker, as it were. But the pitcher we still use as a vase and it brings great joy, just as it brings joy to see these amazing photos of her. Thank you so much!
I had the pleasure of meeting her, while she was throwing in the early 80's. I have a number of her blue/white speckled/red clay base pieces.
It was my first entre into clay, and I was hooked. I was in college at the time at Guilford in Greensboro, NC.
My then, future Mother-in-law took me down and introduced me to her. Their families knew one another.
It was something I will never forget.
I collected pottery from Seagrove, and still do. But did not start making until 2007.
Lovely pictures, and wonderful memories!
how wonderful to have those memories, thank you for sharing them
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