Staffordshire Porcelain and China
Historical Background
Staffordshire, England has been a district making pottery and porcelain since the 1700s. Some of the most famous factories include Adams, Davenport, Ridgway, Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, Spode, and Wedgwood. Many potteries were established in the Staffordshire district of England in the early 1700s, and many are some remaining in operation today. The well-known Staffordshire dogs were well known subjects, but figurines and groups were made in large numbers. Sizes ranged from perhaps 3" to the largest measuring up to about 20". The period from about 1850 through 1900 was the high point of Staffordshire portraiture on porcelain, representing many historical as well as fictitious personalities. Staffordshire "Blue Ware" was produced from about 1820, much for export to America and often decorated with scenic views of well-known U. S. landmarks. Early works were distinguished by the use of very deep cobalt. By 1830 a softer blue was favored, and within the next decade black, pink, red, and green prints were used. Although sometimes careless about adding their trademark, many companies used their own border designs that were as individual as their names.
English stoneware was made on a large scale only after the late 17th century. The best of Staffordshire white salt-glazed stoneware was made between 1720 and 1760. Staffordshire was also a center for cream ware, a popular lead-glazed earthenware made of Devonshire white clay mixed with calcined flint. In 1754 the English ceramist Josiah Wedgwood began to experiment with colored cream ware. He established his own factory. In Stoke, in 1800, Josiah Spode began the manufacture of porcelain ornamented with designs inspired by eastern art, and his son, also Josiah, later mixed kaolin, feldspar, and bone ash to make "bone" china.
The successful development of bone china by the Spode factory at Stoke-on-Trent (1776-present), for wares of outstanding beauty and economy in the Regency style of the early 1800s, ensured its preeminence among commercial producers. Josiah Spode, a former apprentice of the great Staffordshire potter Thomas Whieldon, and continued by his son Josiah Spode II. He built up a highly successful business, first in cream ware (a delicate cream-colored earthenware) and later (from 1784) in pearl ware (fine white-glazed earthenware) transfer-printed in blue; his son, also trained as a potter, ran the firm's warehouse in London. Spode's nearest rival was Minton (1796-present), outstanding in the Victorian period for its "art" porcelains. Among Spode's chief followers in producing bone china for the mass market were Davenport (c. 1793-1887); Wedgwood for a short period between 1812 and 1822; Ridgway, New Hall, and Rockingham.
Josiah Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Staffordshire on July 12, 1730 into a family with a long tradition as potters. At the age of nine, after the death of his father, he worked in his family's pottery. In 1754 Wedgwood began to experiment with colored cream ware. He established his own factory, but often worked with others who did transfer printing (introduced by the Worcester Porcelain Company in the 1750s). He also produced red stoneware; basaltes ware, an unglazed black stoneware; and jasperware, made of white stoneware clay that had been colored by the addition of metal oxides. Jasperware was usually ornamented with white relief portraits or Greek Classical scenes. Wedgwood's greatest contribution to European ceramics, however, was his fine pearl ware, an extremely pale cream ware with a bluish tint to its glaze.
Wedgwood's basalt, a hard, black stone-like material was used for vases, candlesticks, and realistic busts of historical figures. Jasperware, his most successful innovation, was a durable unglazed work that was most characteristically blue with fine white cameo figures inspired by the ancient Roman Portland vase. Many of the finest designs were the work of the British artist John Flaxman.
Crown Staffordshire
Thomas Green's father (Thomas Green senior) began the family connection with pottery making in c.1790 at Burslem. He bought the Churchyard Works in 1795 and there manufactured earthenware’s. The family moved to Somerset in 1812 but Thomas junior returned to Staffordshire in 1822 and is reported to have worked for Matthew Mayer (Shelton), Minton’s, Copeland and Wedgwood.
In 1833 he rented the Minerva Works, Fenton where, with four of his sons, he commenced production of bone china. Two sons were traveling salesmen, one was an artist and one became production manager. The company remained on that site for the remainder of its history.
After Thomas Green junior died in 1859 his widow, Margaret, ran the company with her four sons for the next 17 years during which time it was known as M. Green & Co. It must have been a successful venture as, in 1863, she purchased the Minerva Works, which, until that time, had been leased. Following Margaret Green's death in 1876, two of her sons, Thomas Allen and Spencer, bought out their brothers and the company became T A & S Green. Thomas Allen Green established London showrooms, known as Green Bros. and Edis.
In 1897 the name Crown Staffordshire first appeared in the title of the firm and in 1903 it became a limited company under the name Crown Staffordshire Porcelain Co. Ltd. By the turn of the century, the company were producing a wide range of bone china products including dinner ware, tea and coffee ware, miniatures, vases, cutlery handles, door furniture and floral china baskets. In the late 1920s Crown Staffordshire pioneered the large-scale production of china floral ornaments and china costume jewelry for which they became famous.
The Art Director at Crown Staffordshire for over thirty years was J T (Jack) Jones. Born in 1898 Jack Jones joined Crown Staffordshire at the age of thirteen and worked for the company for forty-seven years. At the time of his death he was described as one of the leading designers of bone china tableware, but today he is probably known best for the range of bird groups that he designed for Crown Staffordshire. These ranged from large cockatoo figures to tiny wrens.
The company also used other designers. In the 1930s T. M. Bayley produced a range of figures of children on elaborate floral bases, but most figure and floral groups do not bear the name of their designer.
Crown Staffordshire made all types of tablewares and giftwares, and was noted for its powder blue and other grounds, usually combined with fine hand painting. It continued to reproduce 18th century styles well into the 20th century. Some of the finest artists, such as Leslie Johnson (Cries of London vases), signed their work.
In the 1930s the company introduced the "Pan" range of yellow-glazed tablewares, decorated with stylized flowers, but the public preferred to see the white body of bone china and the yellow glaze was dropped. Floral and bird subjects were popular subjects on tablewares, paralleling the modeled groups.
Both before and during World War 2 the company produced badged ware for the fighting services, including the British and Canadian navies. During the war they were designated as a nucleus firm (1941), which meant that they were allowed to continue trading in their own premises and, although Barlows of Longton were concentrated upon the Minerva Works for the duration of the war, no earthenware was made, only bone china.
In 1946 the Heron Cross factory was purchased to allow increased postwar production of decorated wares, primarily for export. Tunnel ovens replaced the bottle ovens there. In 1945 the company was one of those permitted to recommence manufacture of 'fancies' for the home market. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the firm, woven china baskets had been introduced. These constituted an important export ware and were marketed under the slogan A May basket for every bride.
A range of china miniatures was also produced. These frequently were tea sets for two, comprising teapot, cream jug, sugar bowl, two cups and saucers and a matching tray.
In 1948 the name of the company was changed to Crown Staffordshire China Co. Ltd. and two subsidiary companies were established, in Canada and America, to control distribution abroad. In the 1950s three quarters of total production was exported. Agents were employed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Belgium.
In 1952 the Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review as the largest producer of china flowers in the Potteries as well as producing many figure and bird studies described the Crown Staffordshire China Co. Ltd. Over 200 people were employed in the factory's decorating department.
In 1965 the Green family's connection with the company ceased and the company became part of the Wedgwood Group in 1973. Christmas plates were manufactured from 1972-1981 (1972-76 exclusively for export). From 1985 the name Crown Staffordshire was not used, the name Coalport Ltd. (also part of the Wedgwood Group) being used instead. |
