Carole Coates

Carole Coates (Herzog), avid collector, private dealer, author, lecturer, Etsy shop runner, Curator, and closet historian, wrote the groundbreaking book Catalina Island Pottery and Tile: Island Treasures 1927-1937, (Schiffer, 2001 & a fully Revised Edition in 2011) and California Revival: Vintage Decor for Today’s Home (2007). Over 25 years of study led to Carole’s fascination with Historic California Decor that has recently evolved from a niche collecting market (fueled by celebrity collectors) into a nationwide, and increasingly popular movement. Captivated by visits to the homes of clients and early enthusiasts who artfully integrated their collections into their actual living spaces, she decided to utilize her display experience both in her own home, museums, and with clients, to offer consultations and buying advice on vintage California decor. Books featuring Monterey furniture, California vintage tile and pottery, paintings, and ironwork in real-life settings were in short supply. With the generous help of her long-time clientele, fellow aficionados, and collector-friends, she set out to document and define this new interpretation of a historic style and continues to write and research the history and artists surrounding this Golden California art movement.

A featured speaker at well-known pottery and tile conferences, Carole has contributed to many books including Beautiful Bauer, Monterey: Furnishings of California’s Spanish Revival and many more. She was Guest Curator for California Heritage Museum’s Catalina show (2004), and has loaned rarities from her own collection to museum exhibits across the state. She curated the acclaimed Catalinaware Exhibit at the San Francisco Airport Museum’s International terminal (2008), and the Monterey furniture and Catalina exhibit at the historic Casa Romantica in San Clemente (2016).

A background in screenwriting and TV production shaped Carole’s accessible storytelling style and her interest in uncovering the human stories behind the arts and crafts made in California during its Golden Era, the 1920s to 1940s. She is proud of making some exciting previously unknown discoveries and continues to contribute to the identifcation, preservation, and protection of historic tile sites. Author Susan Toomey Frost, Colors In Clay: the San Jose Tile Workshops of San Antonio, called Carole a “super sleuth” in the forward of the book for her research assistance. She sees her focus on historic collecting as a form of urban archeology that informs our ideas about what is worth saving, as well as a tribute to the people that brought this art to life.

Born and raised in Southern California, she spent childhood vacations on colorful Catalina Island, and was mesmerized by the Old California atmosphere. It was a short leap as an adult to collecting paintings, furniture, and scenic tile murals of the period, and then to helping clients refine their own historic acquisitions. Pleased that thoughtful individuals are recognizing the intrinsic value of historic tile art and vintage California furnishings as investments, decor, and objects worthy of preservation, she hopes to inspire others with ideas and know-how to allow the timid to “try this at home,” and to add a touch or a blending of vintage “California” to their lives.

Carole works with private clients and sells on her Etsy shop at www.2Q20.com the 2nd Quarter of the 20th Century).