Inspired by European tiles at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John Gardner Low, along with his father John Low, established J. & J.G. Low Art Tile Works in Chelsea the following year. The company reached prominence in the 1880s, when it garnered several prestigious awards in the U.S. and Europe. Also during this period, the company’s name changed, after J. F. Low, son of John Gardner Low, replaced his retired grandfather.
Of the artists and designers who worked for Low Art Tile Works, some went on to establish successful companies. In 1890, George W. Robertson, a chemist and glaze expert for Low, established Robertson Art Tile in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. William H. Grueby, who apprenticed with the company for ten years, founded in 1894 Grueby Pottery, which was known for its matte green glaze called “Grueby Green.” English sculptor Arthur Osborne, who designed the renowned “Plastic Sketches” for Low (which published booklets by the same title) returned to England in 1898, where he began producing his acclaimed “Ivorex” plaques in the market town of Faversham.
