McKusick tiles vs Desert House Crafts Tiles

The McKusicks only ran the pottery studio at Desert House Crafts from 1952-1954. Their output from that time represents a fraction of what they accomplished in Globe, AZ, and a fraction of what Desert House Crafts continued to produce after their departure.

After the McKusicks left Tucson in 1954, Dan and Bebe Lotz took over the pottery studio at Desert House Crafts. After the Lotzs left, others followed. Many of the tile designs produced by the McKusicks at Desert House continued to be made. Here’s an early picture of Charmion and a later picture of Lydia Cosen with the same double tiles in the backgrounds. 

 

Charmion McKusick

Lydia Cosen at Desert House Crafts

 

Except for possibly some early pieces, McKusick tiles are clearly marked – stamped on the back and sometimes edges, and paper labels on the cork backing. Desert House Crafts tiles had a rubber stamp on the cork backing or no mark at all.

 

Here are two Crow Mother tiles. The tile on the left is by the McKusicks and is stamped 'Gila Tile, Hand Crafted, Tucson, Arizona'. The tile on the right is a later, unmarked piece by Desert House Crafts. 

Many of the pieces attributed to the McKusicks for sale online and in shops are pieces produced by other tile makers at Desert House Crafts. A good example are the tiles designed by Pablita Velarde. Often attributed to the McKusicks, they never worked with her. 

 

The McKusicks came into their own after moving to Globe, producing hundreds of tile designs, plates, and tiles in pressed tin frames. Their output is nothing short of amazing, especially considering they did all the production themselves, and later with the help of their daughter Kathy and Native American artists. Their work is exquisite, and the craftsmanship and execution is of the highest quality. 

 

Great Horned Owl from the exhibit at Sabino Canyon

White-Throated Wood Rat at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Desert House Crafts had a metal shop on site and set tiles into copper and other metal lamp bases, into copper frames for hanging or used as dishes or ashtrays, into bookends, and into boxes. They also produced wrought iron pieces such as multi-tile and tile panel tables and fire screens. The blacksmithing for these pieces was farmed out. 

 

 

There are still a few buildings in Tucson that have Desert House Tiles incorporated into their exteriors. The McKusicks supplied the tiles for the Casas Adobes Shopping Center and the Tucson Citizen/Arizona Daily Star building, which no longer exists. I've been trying to research more on the other remaining buildings with DHC tiles and who the makers were.