Céramique de Beauce (1940-1989) occupies a unique place in the history of pottery-making and ceramics in Quebec. The entreprise was founded by the Quebec government to stimulate the economy and culture in rural Quebec and to encourage a handcraft renaissance. As a cooperative structure originally known as the ''Syndicate of Rural Potters of the Beauce', it was intimately associated with a provincial pottery school first established in Beauceville and later moved to Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce in 1943. During its fifty years in operation, Céramique de Beauce evolved from a modest producer of handicraft to a full-fledged industrial pottery manufacturer able to offer a broad range of products to meet the needs of the Quebec and North American markets.

Without foregoing its tradition of savoir-faire, the entreprise readily embraced universal modernity, renewing its forms by tapping into the immense talent of some of the era's most creative ceramics master. The entreprise closed its doors in 1989.

The authors of this book present a new perspective on Beauce Pottery of which the public knows relatively little despite its prevalence on our dinner tables and in the formal universe of our living rooms. In preparing this book, the authors were given access to several private collections including the comparable collection put together by Véronique and Pierre Riverin, two passionate patrons of Quebec's heritage.

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Auteurs : Daniel Cogné, Richard Dubé, et Paul Trépanier (avec préface de Michel Lessard)

© Les Éditions GID, 2004

ISBN : 2-922668-51-7