Henry Mercer: The Renaissance Man

To me, science and art are two  things that don't seem to mix. They are like polar opposites, one based on the pursuit of knowledge, the other is an emotional journey. However, Henry Mercer thought that the combination of art and science is a wonderful idea, and, after learning more about him, I may just have to agree.

Henry Mercer was born a privileged child. Both of his grandfathers were politicians. His father was a graduate of the American Naval Academy in Annapolis, and his mother was a Philadelphia socialite. He had many opportunities that other children his age didn't have. He got to visit Europe at the age of fourteen. He attended a Military boarding school in New York and also went to Harvard. He studied law, but only practiced it for a few years.

Mercer was appointed the curator of American and Prehistoric Archeology by the University of Pennsylvania Museum in the 1890's. He believed that American history was being forgotten due to industrialism, so he decided to search for old American artifacts in order to preserve them. He also devoted himself to learn about German pottery. Mercer became the apprentice of a German potter and founded the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in 1898. He became very well known for his ceramic tiles, which are used in the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol, which is the biggest collection of his tiles. He also collected many early American tools which are kept in the Mercer Museum. The museum holds over 40,000 artifacts.

The Mercer Museum, Fonthill, which is his home that he built from reinforced concrete, and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works make up what is called the "Mercer Mile". Henry Ford commented that the Mercer Museum is "the only museum worth visiting." Henry Mercer died in 1930 at Fonthill. But he forever left his mark in America by preserving bits of its past and creating wonderful works of art for the rest of America to appreciate.