His history-making tiles earn instant name recognition. Who was Ernest Batchelder?
The tile hunters of Altadena have saved at least eight boxes (and counting) of historic and architecturally-significant tiles from fireplaces around town, in many cases all that’s left of homes leveled by the devastating Eaton fire.
The majority of tiles that Cliff Douglas, Eric Garland, Stanley Zucker and company have rescued were designed and produced by artist Ernest A. Batchelder (1875-1957), one of the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Batchelder produced his earliest tiles from his home on the banks of the Arroyo Seco. He later founded the Batchelder Tile Company in Los Angeles, earning the popularity his designs still enjoy until the Depression. After the business failed, Batchelder switched to ceramics and ran a smaller shop into the 1940s.
Batchhelder is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena.
The Batchelder Tile Registry project at the Pasadena Museum of History preserves an understanding of his design legacy, business innovation and community impact.
“The artistry seen in Batchelder tiles is deeply embedded in his philosophy of design, which is rooted in a synthesis of global influences,” said Iris Shih, project archivist at the Pasadena Museum of History. Throughout his career, these influences included Japanese aesthetics, Gothic Revival and medieval periods, and later, Spanish Colonial Revival and the Art Deco era. Cultural motifs he drew on include Native American, Islamic, Celtic and Moorish traditions.
A key feature of his style is balance in asymmetry, Shih said.
“His designs often blended geometric patterns, floral and animal motifs, and symbolic elements from these various cultures, creating intricate, unique, and harmonious compositions.”
Batchelder’s work also emphasized handcrafted artistry in opposition to mass industrialization. Shih said his incorporation of global design elements demonstrates both his broad artistic knowledge and his willingness to experiment with diverse cultural influences, positioning his work as part of a global dialogue about beauty, balance, and harmony.
Batchelder’s designs evolved over time, reflecting changing tastes and cultural influences.
“In the late 1920s, we see the emergence of pre-Columbian and Mayan motifs in Batchelder’s work, reflecting the growing scholarly interest in ancient art, as seen in publications like ‘National Geographic,’” Shih said.
Aside from a beautiful aesthetic design, Batchelder tiles were designed to be functional and durable, Shih said.
The late architectural historian Robert Winter, who curated a Batchelder exhibit at the museum, explained that while Batchelder tiles were not inexpensive, “they were affordable to people of more modest means, and thus hundreds of homes in Southern California, and indeed, the rest of the United States and even Canada are endowed with beautiful Batchelder fireplaces and fountains.”
“His work featured muted, earthy tones evocative of old Persian rugs, with irregularities in color, texture, and form—characteristics that imbued his tiles with a sense of timelessness and imperfection, a quality that continues to attract collectors,” Shih said.
Batchelder tiles have become highly collectible due to their rarity, historical significance, and artistic quality, she added.
And of course, after the Eaton fire, the tiles have even become more valuable.
“What remains has increased in importance, because the town now has fewer historic marvels,” said longtime Altadena historian Michele Zack.
Ironically, the company’s factory records were lost in a fire, making each surviving tile a piece of irreplaceable history, a poignant punctuation to the work of Altadena’s tile hunters.
The Batchelder Tile Registry is the Pasadena Museum of History’s own research project. It documents the placement and context of Batchelder (as well as Claycraft) tiles across North America.
“The Batchelder Tile Registry project is a vital part of the ongoing effort to preserve Batchelder’s work and engage the public in preserving and understanding his legacy,” Shih said. “We hope to foster a connection to regional and national art, history, and design, as well as an appreciation for the role that craftsmanship and functional art play in shaping our built environment.”
The Batchelder Tile Registry and ongoing preservation efforts, even from the rubble of the Eaton Fire, is uncovering the full scope of his legacy, and revealing his contributions to decorative arts and American cultural history to a new generation.