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John Sage / FinchHaven Photography Archives

the High Fire Works studio,
Long Beach, California
the early 1970s

Click for information about Reprints, custom Blurb photo books, and digital photo eBooks

You might also enjoy:

Mexican Mask Folk Art, the Art Galleries, California State University at Long Beach, early 1970s

the Foundry, the Sculpture Department, California State University at Long Beach, March 1971

Epoch Ceramics Inc, Compton California 1974

Wild Oats, Huntington Beach California 1973

Background (such as I recall it): the High Fire Works was a group pottery and glass blowing studio in Long Beach California in the very early 1970's. Maybe five potters, two glass blowers. Most of us were originally from the Art/Ceramics department of California State University at Long Beach. Many of us also worked up in Compton California at Epoch Ceramics Inc as professional potters.

The storefront had previously been some sort of hippy restaurant; there was a large stainless steel restaurant sink in what had been the kitchen. The "back yard" was amazing: landscaped with bamboo and pines and entirely filled with a geodesic dome, hand-made out of what legend said were 1" steel drill rods from the nearby Signal Hill oil fields.

Several different sets of undated and unnumbered Ektachrome slides.

Flashback: the High Fire Works studio, Long Beach California, early 1970s and now...

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the High Fire Works studio, Long Beach California. early 1970s

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The High Fire Works pottery and glass studio, Long Beach California, early 1970's

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The geodesic dome in the back yard, High Fire Works pottery and glass studio

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The old hardbrick high-fire kiln at High Fire Works pottery and glass studio

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The old hardbrick high-fire kiln at High Fire Works pottery and glass studio

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Full reduction, firing the old hardbrick high-fire kiln at High Fire Works

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Darlene and me and Sisu the Wonder Dog

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Tearing down the old hardbrick high-fire kiln at High Fire Works

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Breaking up the old concrete slab. Everything goes

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The new floor, the flue opening at the back, and the burner ports are laid down in new hard brick

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Me cutting hard brick. Face shield, but no dust mask

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The arch form in place, the skewbacks are laid, and one course of arch bricks

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The ironwork for the kiln frame and the gas piping is finished

the High Fire Works studio, Long Beach California. early 1970s

the High Fire Works studio, Long Beach California, early 1970s and now...

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The High Fire Works pottery and glass studio, Long Beach California, early 1970's

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2016 Google Street view: the General Tire has become a Discount Tire, Roger Bacon Printing has become Dell's TV-VCR-Stereo, and it looks like the Watch/Clock Service that was right next to us might have moved one store-front east into the tan stucco building and may have survived. High Fire Works, Jeannie's Pet Salon, and what ever else was there are now nothing but a parking lot...

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2016 Google Earth view of East Anaheim and Redondo Avenue, Long Beach California, looking southeast: the High Fire Works, Jeannie's Pet Salon, and what ever else was there to the west are now nothing but a parking lot.

The diagonal property line of the shopping center parking lot almost certainly marks the alignment of the old, vacated Pacific Electric street car right-of-way, possibly the old "Seal Beach-Huntington Beach-Newport Beach" line. In Google Earth you can make out miles and miles of the ghost of the northwest-southeast trending right-of-way quite clearly.

the High Fire Works studio, Long Beach California, early 1970s and now...


Return to FinchHaven Photography Archives: the Nineteen-Seventies: California

Return to FinchHaven Photography Archives: the Nineteen-Seventies

Return to FinchHaven Photography Archives

Tip jar:

Consider a donation to help me continue my work

John Sage / FinchHaven Photography Archives

the High Fire Works studio,
Long Beach, California
the early 1970s

Click for information about Reprints, custom Blurb photo books, and digital photo eBooks

You might also enjoy:

Mexican Mask Folk Art, the Art Galleries, California State University at Long Beach, early 1970s

the Foundry, the Sculpture Department, California State University at Long Beach, March 1971

Epoch Ceramics Inc, Compton California 1974

Wild Oats, Huntington Beach California 1973


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