James S. Robinson Jr.'s Brown Ceramic Pheasant Bird Was on an Antique Table in the Judge Homer S. Brown Memorial Room at Virginia Union University

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
James S. Robinson Jr. Project
Pittsburgh PA
October 2, 2010

My mother, Beatrice Saunders Robinson and my father, James S. Robinson Jr. received a postcard from Billie Byrd Brown, Judge Homer S. Brown's wife, stating that my father's brown pheasant bird was in the Judge Homer S. Brown Memorial Room at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. The picture on the postcard showed that the bird was positioned on an antique table in the Memorial Room. My father had donated the bird to Mr. and Mrs. Homer S. Brown for the Memorial Room in the late 1970's.
On September 15, 2010, I was informed by Selicia Allen, Director of Virginia Union's Archives Department, that the Homer S. Brown Memorial Room had been dismantled but that she had a record of my dad's brown pheasant bird on file. Mrs. Allen couldn't ascertain when or why the Judge Homer S. Brown Room was dismantled.
My dad was a man of many talents and making ceramics was one of his unique skills. I remember him saying that the Kaufmann's Department Store located in downtown Pittsburgh, PA wanted him to make his famous ceramic Christmas trees for them, but their price wasn't right.
The ceramic kiln oven that my dad purchased while employed as executive director of the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Community Center in Butler, PA is still in the downstairs area of said center. According to Kate Donnelly, the present executive director of the Dunbar Center, no one has used the kiln oven since my father left the center in 1960. Mrs. Donnelly also informed me that no one had those skills that my dad had.
My dad taught ceramic lessons to many people throughout the Butler Pennsylvania area as well as to juveniles at the Allegheny County Juvenile Detention facility which was previously located at 3333 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. My dad made all A-1 plus first class ceramics.

This post is part of the James S. Robinson Jr. Project