Whether they know it or not, almost everybody has seen a Hagen-Renaker. That miniature ceramic frog, deer or bunny sitting in the curio cabinet is probably Hagen-Renaker. But miniatures are only part of what the company made. Perhaps the most highly sought after figurines are the Designers Workshop horses sculpted by Maureen Love, which stand as pieces of realistic art in their own right. But realism was only one aspect of the company’s figurine styles, which also included comic and stylized pieces. Each style has its own charm and delight, which was solidly based on superb sculpting and decoration. In fact, Walt Disney, himself, praised the Hagen-Renaker Disney pieces as being the "finest three-dimensional reproductions of the drawings that he ever saw." To honour Hagen-Renaker and its production, I wrote a Hagen-Renaker collector’s catalogue (1989) and I am now pleased to announce that the third edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hagen-Renaker has just been released. As in the previous edition, there are chapters devoted to Hagen-Renaker history, designers, pottery production, and to Hagen-Renaker production lines: Designers Workshop, miniatures, Little Horribles, Pedigree Dogs, Disney, and others. For each piece, as much information as possible (mold number, dates of production, colours, designer, etc.) and value is listed.
This new edition features more information about Plaques and Trays and a completely new section: CP Line (Ceramic Planters); along with corrected, updated and newly discovered information about all the lines and best of all, a 32-page colour section. The colour section really enhances the colour descriptions and demonstrates the differences between the varieties of decoration, an important part of colourway identification.
The recent passing of Maxine Renaker reminded me once again of the stories behind the company and the passion that these bits of fired clay engender in both the producers and the collectors. Maxine gave me the opportunity to gather invaluable information about Hagen-Renaker along with the many, many collectors who have shared their collections and knowledge with me. I believe this third edition of The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hagen-Renaker is a fitting tribute to that passion.
