Drawings from the Potter Art Iron Studios [also known as the Potter Art Metal Studios] are now available to view online! If you have ever walked around the Highland Park Shopping Center or driven down Swiss Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard in Dallas, most likely you have admired the beautiful wrought iron fixtures that adorn these buildings and homes. Henry Cornwell Potter [1892 – 1971], began his career in the early 1920s by making small lanterns.
The popularity of his work had grown so much that in 1924, he moved the business from his garage to a studio shop located at 2927 North Henderson Avenue. He soon employed 15 craftsmen, most of whom he had trained to do the iron work, and hired his cousin, Billy Potter, who executed most of the drawings in the collection. The business continued to thrive in the Potter family until its closure in 2014.
Relax and have fun taking a “visual” nostalgia trip through almost 100 years of Potter Art Iron Studios history.
Image: Bronze Lantern Pendant Light, 1931, Potter Art Iron Studios
More about the Bywaters Special Collections.
Thank you to Ellen Buie Niewyk, Curator of Bywaters Special Collections, for this guest blog!