Robertson Art Tile Company
Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
An innovative tile and abrasives manufacturer, founded by the Robertson family of ceramic artisans in 1890, operated here until 1982. It was notable for craze-free pure white tiles, its efficient single-fire method, and an on-site quality control lab. Featured at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition, RATC ceramic mosaic tiles were among the first in the US to line an indoor swimming pool. In the 1950s, Robertson tiles were installed in most original Levittown homes.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
The Robertson family, ceramic artisans, founded their art tile and abrasives works in Morrisville in 1890, and it ran until 1982. The firm won notice for its craze-free pure white tiles, an efficient single-fire process, and an on-site quality lab, and its ceramic mosaics were among the first in the country to line an indoor swimming pool. By the 1950s Robertson tiles graced most of the original Levittown homes.
Why it matters
Robertson Art Tile bridged the artistry of the ceramics tradition and the demands of modern mass housing, its work turning up everywhere from world's fairs to postwar suburbia.
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Related people
- · Robertson family
Themes & tags
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