Early ceramic bathroom handmade.
Colonial American bathrooms featured marble or ceramic tile in the homes of those who were sufficiently well-to-do to afford them. Less wealthy Americans tiled floors and wainscoting and left the upper parts of walls to be painted with oils or covered with decorative paper. Tiles in the 13 colonies were handmade imports from Britain -- luxury items that only the rich could afford to use in abundance. American-made tiles came later.
Early North American Tile-Making
Tile-making is an ancient craft that can be traced back to Centamura del Chianti near Siena, Italy, where an ancient kiln from the 3rd century b.c.e. was recently excavated. European tile makers brought their skills to America in the late 18th century. Tile-producing factories were eventually established across North America in the mid-19th century. Until World War II, most tile was made in brick kilns in small batches. The tile often took 24 hours or more to be properly fired and set.
The Process
Early tile-making was an expensive, labor-intensive process that put the finished product out of affordable reach for most Americans. The tile had to be hand-fed into a press, dried, glazed and fired. Fancier tiles required multiple firings. Decorative work was painstakingly tedious and required patience and artistry. Producing just one run of tile could take days. Temperatures within the kilns were difficult to regulate, and unwanted color differences or defects meant many imperfect tiles had to be scrapped.
Innovation
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, advancements in kiln design improved the manufacturing process. Instead of placing tile within a stationary kiln, the material was loaded on carts and gradually pushed through a tunnel kiln that could be several hundred feet long. Manpower gave way eventually to steam-generated presses and conveyor belts, making tile manufacturing faster and cheaper while increasing uniformity and decreasing waste. Tile was becoming affordable for increasing numbers of Americans.
Early Tile Shapes and Patterns
Colonial tile patterning featured white, 3/4-inch-square tile in a straight or broken joint configuration. This gave way to 3/4-inch by 1 9/16-inch mosaic subway tile, so-called because of its use in underground transport tunnels in the 1880s. Circular 3/4-inch penny rounds became common at the turn of the century, and these and earlier tiles were combined to form elaborate basket weave, herringbone and spiral patterns. More tile shapes were developed in the early 20th century, including the pentagon, hexagon and diamond.
Salvage and Reproduction Tiles
As older buildings were demolished in the building boom after World War II, some American companies had the foresight to salvage old tiling for reuse in restoration or reproduction bathroom projects. As consumer demand for nostalgic design grew, other tile producers began to specialize in reproductions of early American tile to create a vintage look in contemporary bathroom spaces.
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