[!bc-ceramics-vancr-northern-lights-vase-late-50s.jpg](http://canadiandesignresource.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bc-ceramics-vancr-northern-lights-vase-late-50s.jpg) BC Ceramics was BC’s largest manufacturer of ceramic giftware, including vases, lamps, bowls, and figurines. Their distinctively shaped and decorated products were sold nationally through Birks and department stores. The principal figures in the Company were F. Leuchte (businessman), Walter Gerz (ceramic engineer) and his wife, Herta Gerz (ceramic artist). While most often decorated with floral and native motifs, the Company’s ceramic products sometimes featured contemporary abstract designs and experimental glazes consistent with the European trends of the time. An example of the huge contribution that German and other immigrants made in the development of the art and design industries after WW2. -Allan Collier