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Margaret Sherratt Keys (née Baines; after first marriage, Sherratt; after second marriage, Keys; 1856-1942) was a British-born American porcelain painter and the proprietor of Sherratt's China Art Store in Washington, D.C., the first porcelain art store in Washington, D.C. Keys was an examplar in the art of china painting and its many kindred phases.

Early life and education

Margaret J. Baines was born in Longton, England. Her parents were Joseph and Hannah (Johnson) Baines.

Keys was educated at private school at Longton.

Career

Keys and her first husband, Samuel Sherratt, learned the art of china painting in Staffordshire. They came to the U.S. in 1879, after a wide experience in England. Interested in the potteries of New Jersey and West Virginia,, they lived in Wheeling, West Virginia, East Liverpool, Ohio, and Trenton, New Jersey. They remained in Trenton for nine years in the field of instructing amateurs the art of china painting. They became successful at this, their notability spreading beyond the city where their activities were then confined.

Recognizing in Washington, D.C. a greater center for exhibiting their talents, the Sherratts moved there in 1889 and opened a studio. The entrance into Washington of capable artists filled a long-felt want. There were talented young people desiring skilled instruction in the art of china painting. The classes which the Sherratt's inaugurated grew, and china painting, till then, a neglected field of study, became at once an end for consistent and conscientious endeavor among hundreds of aspiring artists. J. T. Baines, a nephew of Mrs. Keys, and one of their graduates in hand china painting, became associated with the firm for 12 years, and became an instructor in the decorating department.

Demand for hand-painted china, as well as products used in its preparation, enlarged constantly, and at length, the Sherratt china art store was established and became a center point for thousands of patrons. As importers of china and materials for china decoration and manufacturers of Sherratt's Roman gold, the establishment became widely known. In keeping with its growing popularity, the store's growth was rapid, finally attaining the rank of one of Washington's noted show places, where was displayed the choicest specimens of expert handiwork in china painting and its accessories. Large cases of delicately decorated Royal Worcester, Dresden Porcelain, and Belleek Pottery wares were scattered throughout the studio and furnished inspiration to the many amateur decorators who patronized the Sherratts. Directly above the sales rooms were the parlors where class and private instruction were given daily. All branches of china decorating were taught.

In 1893, Keys attracted nation-wide attention in decorative art circles, by the work she exhibited in the Woman's Department, Columbian Exposition, Chicago, and received their medal for best work in the line of decorated china.

Upon the death of Mr. Sherratt in 1904, Keys became the controlling factor of the varied interests of the concern. Throughout the U.S., she was known as the manufacturer of Sherratt's Roman gold, an attractive product for embellishing china, its quality being superior to others in its day. This was Keys' exclusive product, and it was supplied extensively to patrons through the U.S. and Canada. Art materials in large quantities were also in stock. Keys was the sole agent for Washington, D.C. and Southern cities for the Revelation China Kiln, and this part of the enterprise grew to large proportions.

Keys was a member of the Washington Chamber of Commerce.

Personal life

Her first marriage was to Samuel Sherratt (died 1903); the second was to Marion H. Keys.

Margaret Keys died in Washington, D.C. on October 13, 1942; interment was in Rock Creek Cemetery.

References

1. ^ "KEYS, Margaret Jane Sherratt (Mrs.)". Who's who in the Nation's Capital. Consolidated Publishing Company. 1926. p. 328. Retrieved 10 December 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. ^ "Mrs. Margaret Keys Dies; China Art Store Owner". Evening Star. 15 October 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 10 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Merited Renown in Hand China Painting. Mrs. Margaret Sherratt". The Washington Post. 24 February 1907. p. n.p. Retrieved 10 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. ^ "Sherratt's China Art Store. 608 Thirteenth Street Northwest, Washington, D.C." The Washington Post. 12 June 1912. p. 53. Retrieved 10 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
5. "All day long ... at the spacious studio of Mrs. and Mrs. Samuel Sherratt, at 1315 Fourteenth Street". The Washington Post. 29 July 1894. p. 7. Retrieved 10 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

• 1856 births
• 1942 deaths
• Porcelain of the United States
• 19th-century American painters
• 20th-century American painters
• 19th-century American women painters
• 20th-century American women painters