The Potters and Potteries of Chester County, Pennsylvania has been the bible of pottery research nationally, as it has inspired others to document pottery in other regions. A whole generation of students of pottery has learned from Doctor James' research. Today, there is even wider interest in American decorative arts and the local characteristics which distinguish regional styles. For this second generation of historians and collectors, this book is essential reading for it is not a survey, or a general essay, but rather the complete story of the potteries and their makers of Chester County. A tremendous amount of historical and genealogical information has been woven into the text. Doctor James' sense of humor takes the subject and makes it delightful reading. His local anecdotes carry the story along, such a welcome stylistic relief from the quagmire of dull information through which some historical books require the readers to wade.
