American Art Industries (1889), 1888-1890

As the Trustees reported that year, had it not been for the inclement weather, the "Exhibition of American Art Industries" would have attracted twice its attendance of 28,000. Held from October 8 to November 18, 1889, the exhibition expanded its purview to include six branches of "Art industry;" namely, pottery and porcelain, glassware, terra cotta, tiles, stained glass, and mosaic. In a brochure dated May 15, 1889, the Museum President and Committee Chairman once again set out the lofty goals of the exhibition, and noted that offering prizes would "stimulate native talent and bring the standard of American art work up to a level with that of foreign countries." They also announced that Pennsylvania's Senate and House of Representatives heartily endorsed the exhibition.

Correspondence is similar to that of the 1888 exhibition. Included in the early responses is one from Union Porcelain Works of Green Point, NY. In his very brief reply, the writer declined to participate noting that "our experience has been such as to cure us of all desire of ever again sending goods to an exhibition." With more than 900 pieces of correspondence comprising this sub-subseries, it is clear that many other firms did not feel the same. With a broader range of competitors, the correspondents make up an extensive list of industrial art craftsmen and firms of late 19th century America, and an idea of the type of goods popular during that period. In correspondence to Dalton Dorr numbered 723 through 726, Hockley lists some of the winners. As implied in his attachment (no. 726), the competition was intended to encourage participation, offering many opportunities to win. In the pottery and porcelain category alone, 15 classes were judged, such as "overglaze printing in underglaze," "freehand painting overglaze," "porcelain or china body." and "white granite body."