By Louise Irvine
Research for the Majolica International Society Convention, held this year in Fort Lauderdale, has shed new light on our celebrated Mermaid “Flower Bearers” jardiniere, which starred in the 1982 musical film Annie. This monumental Minton majolica piece was once owned by Warner Brothers and also featured in the 1945 movie Rhapsody in Blue, the story of composer George Gershwin.
WMODA visitors are struck by the Minton jardiniere, which stands 2 feet tall in our Secret Garden. The design was first exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair in 1867, followed by London in 1871, Vienna in 1873, and Philadelphia in 1876. The WMODA version, with a silvery-gray shell, was acquired by Milton S. Latham, a California governor who holds the record for the shortest time in office. After just five days, he was elected to serve in the US Senate, then pursued a career in banking and helped finance California Pacific and the North Pacific Coast Railroads.
With his immense wealth as a rail baron, Latham built a 50-room mansion in Menlo Park, San Francisco, named Thurlow Lodge, and commissioned Herter Brothers of New York to furnish it in Gilded Age style. Surviving photos of the opulent interiors by Carleton Watkins in 1874 depict several pieces of Minton Majolica, and it has been fascinating trying to identify them.
Two large statues of nymphs adorn the Thurlow Lodge music room, and we have found examples in different glazes. They were modeled by Albert E. Carrier de Belleuse, a distinguished French sculptor who worked for Minton in Stoke-on-Trent and signed his work E. Carrier. He continued to work on commission for several British potteries after returning to Paris and becoming art director of Sèvres.
Carrier de Belleuse was also responsible for modeling the Mermaid “Flower Bearers,” which were originally produced in a small sizes, two of which are also on display at WMODA. It is not known how Latham acquired the mermaid sculpture, although he often traveled to Europe to acquire works of art, including fountains and garden ornaments for his 250-acre estate. Sadly, he did not enjoy his home for long as he lost his fortune and died bankrupt in 1882.
Thurlow Lodge was sold to Mary Kellogg Hopkins, who gave it as a wedding gift to her adopted son, Timothy Hopkins. After being renamed Sherwood Hall, it survived with its original furniture for over 50 years before being given to Stanford University after Hopkins’ widow died in 1941. When America entered the war in 1942, the estate was requisitioned before the house was demolished to make way for a military hospital.
The house contents were sold at auction by Butterfield & Butterfield. Warner Bros. and Universal Studios were the main bidders at the estate auction, and they used the furniture as props in several post-war movies. The mermaid jardiniere appears at the end of Rhapsody in Blue, looking somewhat incongruous when George Gershwin, played by Robert Aldo, first becomes aware that he is seriously ill. In the next scene, one of the Minton Majolica nymphs from Thurlow Lodge can be glimpsed in the background.
Maybe some eagle-eyed Majolica fans, including the Glazed and Confused blogger, will spot the mermaid jardiniere in more post-war movies. WMODA followers already know that it had a starring role in the 1982 musical Annie, showcasing the affluence of billionaire Daddy Warbucks. As the maids dance around the table, Annie sings, “I think I’m going to like it here.” In another scene, Drake the butler, gives Sandy, the dog, a bubble bath and a Minton pedestal can be seen in the bathroom. Warner Bros. sold its props collection, including the Minton Majolica Mermaid jardiniere, at Bonhams Los Angeles auction in 2011, and it was acquired by Arthur Wiener. For 10 years, it graced the Pottery Pioneers gallery at WMODA in Dania Beach and was featured as our Curator’s Choice. Now it continues to command attention in the Secret Garden at WMODA in Hollywood.
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Majolica in the Movies
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Curator’s Choice