Spode and Audubon Birds

November 9, 2016, 9:31 am

≫ Next: Spode Pattern 329 & a bit about Pattern Numbers

Dessert plate, bone china (detail) Audubon's Birds featuring Morton's Finch

Spode's Audubon Birds pattern is a design from the 1940s but has its roots firmly in the style of Spode's showpiece dessert services of the early 1800s. The 19th century dessert services were often spectacular and comprised many, many pieces - sometimes hundreds - made for rich customers.

5 different Spode part dessert services c1800-1828

Whilst many of these early 19th century designs featured flowers in groups and sprays, the more specialist customer demanded botanical subjects or exotic birds.

Many of these services were handpainted. Each piece would feature a different subject as the centre design. Once the service was complete it would look spectacular with many, many plants or many, many birds often derived from publications of the time, such as Curtis's Botanical Magazine. The flower subjects and the bird subjects were usually named on the backs of the pieces, painted or printed in beautiful script.

Cream/sugar tureen stand, featuring 'Pine Grosbeak', pattern 1979 c1814

Handpainted backstamp on cream/sugar tureen stand, pattern 1979

Icepail, Lady Staffords shape, pattern 2114 c1820

Audubon Birds pattern is a 20th century design made by Spode under the ownership of the Copeland family. The pattern was produced on bone china and finished with a gilded edge. The birds were transfer printed in outline and then, as detailed in the pattern books (now in the Spode archive), 'handpainted by the boys'. The boys were the apprentice painters learning from the master painters at the factory who were all men. In the 1959 and 1961 catalogue the marketing blurb says the pieces of the pattern 'are a delight to see and a treasure to possess'.

Spode catalogue page, Audubon Birds 1959

The bird subjects for Audubon Birds pattern were derived from the studies of John James Audubon (1785-1851). Audubon's book 'Birds of America' was printed between 1827 and 1838.

On the Special Collections pages of Lehigh University, USA, you can find out more about this book including:

'Measuring 39.5" x 29.5", Birds of America has long been recognised as one of the greatest bird books of all time. Audubon, a self-taught ornithologist and talented artist, researched his specimens in their natural habitats, hunting them to secure their likenesses with brush on paper. His innovative methods of wiring them into position enabled him to sketch and paint elusive specimens, thus contributing to his accuracy.

Audubon supplied his publisher with life-size paintings that were transformed into copperplate etchings and printed in black on white paper. Each plate was then meticulously hand-coloured by Robert Havell's staff according to Audubon's specifications. In many cases, Audubon supplied the birds alone, leaving the background to either his field assistants or Havell. Over 1,000 birds appear on 435 plates, typically bound into four volumes, each with its own title page.'

Copper plates were engraved by the Spode engravers for the 20th century pattern to be produced by the pottery transfer printing process. In this case though the copper plates were engraved the 'right way round'. For the book the copper plates would have been engraved 'back to front'.

Click HERE> to explore Lehigh University's wonderful pages.

Frontispiece from Lehigh University Special Collections

Red-shouldered Hawk

Spode's Audubon Birds pattern followed on from the success of a pattern with rhododendron centres called, unsurprisingly, Rhododendron. Both were introduced in the 1940s during World War II (1939-1945) for the American market.

Spode catalogue page Rhododendron pattern 1959

Audubon Birds patternwould have to have been mainly for export anyway, as from 1942 to 1952, during and after World War II, no decorated pottery was allowed to be sold in the UK except seconds and export rejects.

Spode designer Harold Holdway* recalled that he had access to a copy of Audubon's 'Birds of America' which belonged to Ronald Copeland and so was able to use this to produce the pattern for American customers. The birds were adapted from Audubon's book to fit the ceramic shapes and were not direct copies of the ornithological subjects.

Spode catalogue page, Audubon Birds 1961

On the 1961 catalogue page illustrated here you can see that dinner, dessert, tea and coffee wares were in production. A.D. cups were (and it took me years to find this out) After Dinner cups - a term more widely used in the USA. The numbers against the items on the page, such as No.1 or No. 2, are sizes for holloware pieces such as a sugar bowl or teapot. The simple drawings down the left hand side of the catalogue page show the Hamburg shape.

Spode produced different versions and different shapes of the Audubon Birds pattern. Each version of the pattern was allocated its own unique pattern number and entered into the pattern books. This meant no confusion was made when a customer ordered a particular version. One of the most well-known versions of the pattern was introduced in 1941 on Hamburg shape with pattern number Y6466 and continued in production for many years.

Backstamp for a coffee saucer featuring a Bobolink, early 1970s

Previously in 1940 pattern number Y6437 was produced on Regimental shape which had a plain edge rather than wavy. Also produced on Hamburg shape were pattern numbers Y6682 of 1943, the same as pattern Y6466 but with a Marina Green ground all over; and Y6919 of 1947 which had a Celadon Blue rim.

Soup saucer, pattern Y6466 featuring Black-throated blue warbler, early 1970s

Backstamp for the soup saucer above, early 1970s

Audubon's Black-throated blue warbler published 1827 -1838

Tea and coffee wares were also produced to accompany the dinnerware on Hamburg shape.

Below are listed the bird subjects used on the various pieces of tableware for Spode's pattern. They are listed as recorded at Spode but I believe some have been renamed and reclassified since the publication of Audubon's Birds of America, some may not exist and some may be misspelt.

Plates - 10 inch and 9.5 inch

1.Western Tanager
2.Red Eyed Vireo
3.Canada Jay
4.Chestnut Backed Chickadee
5.House Finch
6.Lazuli Bunting
7.Arkansas Kingbird
8.Audubon's Warbler
9.Bohemian Waxwing
10.Scissor Tailed Fly catcher
11.Maynard's Cuckoo
12.Yellow Throated Warbler

Teacup, Coffee Cup, Soup Cup

1.Common Redpoll
2.Dickcissel
3.Bartram's Vireo
4.California Jay
5.Black Capped Chickadee
6.Tennessee Warbler
7.Painted Bunting
8.Northern Shrike
9.Brewer's Blackbird
10.Cape May Warbler
11.Indigo Bunting
12.Bullock's Oriole

Plate 8 inch, Soup plate 8 inch, Soup saucer, Dish 12.75 inch, Baker dish, Square Salad Bowl

1.Townsend's Solitaire
2.Myrtle Warbler
3.Crested Flycatcher
4.Morton's Finch
5.Passenger Pigeon
6.Golden Winged Warbler
7.Blue Grosbeak
8.Least Flycatcher
9.Band-Tailed Pigeon
10.Black Throated Blue Warbler
11.Sage Thrasher
12.Lazuli Bunting

Plate 6.5 inch, Coffee saucer, Tea saucer

1.White Throated Sparrow
2.Pine Warbler
3.Maryland Yellow Throat
4.Blue Headed Vireo
5.Bobolink
6.Cedar Waxwing
7.Clay Coloured Sparrow
8.Cuviers Regulus
9.Ruby Crowned Kinglet
10.Magnolia Warbler
11.Parula Warbler
12.Chestnut Sided Warbler

A series of 6 'Presentation Plates' on Hamburg shape, individually boxed, were produced in the 1970s. There is no information as to which 6 centres were used but probably taken from those for the 10 inch plate.

Leaflet for 'Presentation Plates'. (The orchid is incorrectly named) 1976

* See 'Harold Holdway: 20th Century Ceramic Designer' by Holdway, Harold & Holdway, Ruth. Details on my booklist.

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Spode Pattern 329 & a bit about Pattern Numbers

November 23, 2016, 2:14 am

≫ Next: Spode, Christmas Tree and New Information

≪ Previous: Spode and Audubon Birds

Coffee cup, Bute shape pattern number 329 c1803

This beautiful early 19th century coffee cup is made from Spode's very white bone china. It is handpainted and gilded, all of which was done by hand. It would have been used with a saucer. And it would have been just one piece from a tea and coffee service.

The design has pattern number 329 which was first recorded in the Spode Pattern Books in about 1803.

Detail of gilding to handle done in a very 'Spode style'

I love everything about it from its shape, Bute shape, to the pure whiteness and quality of Spode's bone china to the slightly quirky design. And especially the beautiful, soft colours combined with gold. I wonder what the design influence for this was?

This one little cup would have had to go through at least 4 firings in the Spode bottle ovens... and through a lot of skilled hands from the processing of the raw clay to the burnishing of the gold.

Here's a bit more about the Spode pattern records of which 329 was just one.

Amongst the papers in the Spode archive are the Spode Pattern Books. They date from about 1800 to about 1998 when pattern recording ceased.

Pattern Books in the Pattern Safe at Spode 2007

In the Pattern Books about 75,000 patterns are recorded.

That's a lot of patterns.

For one company.

Think how many existed for the whole industry...

Most patterns recorded in the Spode archive do not have a name - but they do have a unique pattern number. Sometimes in the early years of the factory only the pattern number appeared on a piece and no company name.

Backstamp from a Spode teacup in pattern 889 c1806. It can be confusing, it is not 688!

Even if patterns did have a name they still had a number as there might be several versions of a design. The exception to the rule was for patterns printed in a single colour from an engraved copper plate. The engraved copper plate then served as the record... unless extra colour and/or gilding was added then the pattern was given a number. See my blogs on Italian pattern - click here>.

Salad Bowl, Italian printed in a single colour: no pattern number, late 1800s

Dessert plate, Italian printed, handcoloured & gilded: pattern number 2614, c1818

Once a design was accepted for production it was allocated its number and then recorded on paper. Later, as the company grew, and the volume of patterns increased the sheets of paper were bound into books and became known as the Pattern Books.

In the early 1800s multiple copies were done by hand, at least 3 if not more. For example, a master copy was made, one for use on the factory and one for the London business. Some pages are annotated 'Sent to London' usually with a date added.

Not all the sets of pattern records survive for the early 1800s. Fragments are known in collections both private and public. The Pattern Books were highly regarded by the Spode company under its various ownerships and carefully protected as 'commercially sensitive' until about 2005.

The Pattern Books (essentially business records of the company) eventually became part of the Spode archive, This is now deposited with the Stoke-on-Trent City Archives which looks after the best collection of papers and books relating to the whole of the Staffordshire Pottery Industry. Click here for more details about the Spode archive.

Stoke-on-Trent City Archives also holds the amazing Minton archive - the Minton factory was about a two minute walk from the Spode factory in Stoke. (It's now a Sainsbury's). The Stoke-on-Trent City Archives have a really good blog about Minton - click here>

Pattern Books in the Pattern Safe at Spode 2007

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Spode, Christmas Tree and New Information

December 5, 2016, 6:43 am

≫ Next: Spode and a Victorian Christmas Pattern

≪ Previous: Spode Pattern 329 & a bit about Pattern Numbers

As Spode's iconic 20th Century pattern, Christmas Tree, is one of the most commercially successful patterns ever produced by the company I always try to write something about it at this time of year.

I have already written a lot about Spode & Christmas. The subject even has its own page on this blog - click here>.

Plate, Christmas Tree, pattern number S2133 1939

So I do wonder sometimes if I am going to find anything else to say but that reckons without my dear readers. Thank you to those who have sent me information and images to add to the story.

This time I am indebted to Paul Hanson of Philadelphia who not only has given me new information about Spode's Christmas Tree pattern but has also shared details of a delightful Victorian Christmas plate. The latter is worthy of its own blog post which I will do at a later date.

What's new about the history of Christmas Tree pattern?

It was always thought that, although there was no documentary evidence, after the initial introduction of the pattern in 1938, the inscription on the reverse 'Wishing You a Merry Christmas' usually followed by the date, was omitted.

This is part of what I wrote in 2010 on this blog:

"After the revision of the design a ten inch plate was produced with the wording 'Wishing You a Merry Christmas 1938' printed on the back of the plate. The salesmen were swamped with orders. The inscription was discontinued after 1938 but over the following years Christmas Tree pattern developed into whole table services and extra serving pieces." Click here for the full 2010 blog post.

However Paul Hanson, a collector of Christmas Tree pattern, has a plate with 'Wishing You a Merry Christmas 1939' on the back.

Backstamp with 1939 greeting, the factory mark &the pattern number

Whether this was a special commission from Spode for the American agent or for an individual customer is not known. But I love it when new information comes to my attention as it all adds to the history of Spode patterns, designs, shapes and customers, the full story of which was rarely recorded in its minutiae at the factory.

I have also seen a backstamp on a plate in this design which includes the greeting but the date omitted. This was on a plate which had an impressed datemark for 1940 or 1941. The datemark was hard to decipher.

Backstamp on a Christmas Tree plate dated 1940 or 1941

Thanks to Paul Hanson and other collectors for sharing their knowledge and images.

Detail of Christmas Tree pattern with Santa, toys & baubles

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Spode and a Victorian Christmas Pattern

December 17, 2016, 1:31 am

≫ Next: Spode and a Mystery Teapot Stand

≪ Previous: Spode, Christmas Tree and New Information

Copeland, small plate, Christmas design, pattern number D5208 (detail of top border) c1868

Earlier in this festive season I posted new information about Spode's famous 20th Century designChristmas Tree. But there are other Christmas designs produced by the Spode company under its various ownerships going back to the early 1800s. Go to my Spode & Christmas page for more information.

The now iconic image of a Christmas tree does not seem to appear in any of the Spode designs until 1938. From research in the Spode Pattern Books over the years I became familiar with Christmas and seasonal designs. Recorded on paper, these are production records. I admit to rarely having seen actual pots decorated with these festive patterns.

So I really am grateful to Paul Hanson of Philadelphia who kindly shared another of his Christmas pieces with me. It was he who found new information about Spode's Christmas Tree pattern detailed in my previous blogpost.

I was delighted when the images arrived as it is one of my favourite Christmas designs from Spode, then under the ownership of W. T. Copeland & Sons.

Copeland small plate, Christmas design, pattern number D5208 c1868

Here we go back to the Victorian era. This lovely seasonal plate, which is 6⅞ inches in diameter, is decorated in pattern number D5208. This pattern number was first recorded in about 1868 although the overall design was registered a year earlier.

Its design is pretty, charming and festive with cheerful seasonal messages on pink ribbons. Have you spotted the 'cartoons' amongst the entwined branches with holly leaves and berries? The designer seems to have had a good sense of fun. I like the dancing 'cartoon' which feels a lot more modern than mid-19th century.

'Cartoon' detail - perhaps a bit scary?

Dancing 'cartoon' detail

Other images used in this design record a parade of food and drink including a giant pudding topped with holly carried on a large dish but this scene is not featured on this plate.

The pattern is printed in outline and then hand coloured. Hand coloured is the phrase which was generally used in the Spode pattern books now in the Spode archive. Women and girls did the hand colouring ie painting over a printed outline; men and boys were allowed to paint. Both sexes served long apprenticeships for this specialist skilled work.

On the back of Paul Hanson's plate there are several backstamps.

The green printed mark of 2 entwined Cs back-to-back and Copeland underneath is the company mark, usually, but not always, used on bone china. It was in use from about 1850-1890. I am not sure if this plate is bone china or not as I have not seen it 'in the flesh'. In the absence of a datemark I think this plate dates from about 1868 when the pattern was first recorded.

The black printed diamond shaped mark is a registration mark giving coded information about when this design was registered with the British Patent Office. This one is for October 26th 1867 and has the registered number 212881. In Robert Copeland's book 'Spode & Copeland Marks & Other Relevant Intelligence' it is described as 'Mug & saucer design A Merry Christmas to you'.

The National Archives now have some registered designs online for many different companies and I have to admit I surprised myself when I found it - click here.

On the National Archives web page there is no illustration but there is a written record which says it is for a plate. It also says 'earthenware'. Once a design was registered it did not prevent use of that design by the company in different ways from its original registration such as on on different shapes, in different colours and on different pottery bodies.

The red number is handpainted and reads D5208 followed by dots. The D5208 is the pattern number and the dots probably a workman's mark ie that of a paintress.

Pattern number handpainted in red

Happy New Year!

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Spode and a Mystery Teapot Stand

January 9, 2017, 7:51 am

≫ Next: Spode and a Coffee Cup & Saucer

≪ Previous: Spode and a Victorian Christmas Pattern

Teapot stand, bone china, pattern 522 c1804

This pretty oval 'dish' is in fact a teapot stand. It is 8 inches long. I found it some time ago on a bric-a-brac stall at the regular Saturday antique market in Leek, UK. It is essentially a morning market so arriving after lunch means that you can only dash about watching as delightful looking objects disappear unsold back under mounds of old newspaper and into cardboard boxes. A sort of panic sets in just in case you are missing something interesting.

On the cobbles by one stall was a higgledy-piggledy pile of plates, dishes and saucers. Racing against the moment they would be hauled from my view into their packaging I spotted what I thought was a pretty Edwardian dish with painted cornflowers. I extracted it quickly and carefully from its pile and knew instantly from its look and feel that it was about 100 years older than my first thoughts and was an early 19th century teapot stand.

Part tea service, bone china, New Oval shape, pattern 893 c1806. Note the stand under the teapot

In the early 1800s a teapot stand was an integral part of a tea service and would be the correct shape and pattern to match the teapot. It was not really a separate item bought on its own. It is only as time has passed that services were split up and teapot stands often lost and not recognised as such.

'Combed' underside of the stand more usual of early 1800s than early 1900s

I liked it enough to buy and it was mine for a few pounds. At first I just thought of it as a mystery pot made by an unknown potter and didn't even consider it might be made by Spode. Back home, with the grime carefully removed from its surfaces, I began to wonder if, from its style of pattern and its feel together with the quality of manufacture perhaps it could be...

The underside of a piece is always important to scrutinise to see if there are any clues to a manufacturer. The backstamp was simply 522 handpainted in gold. As a process of elimination I checked my Spode notes and found pattern number 522 recorded as a 'missing number' - ie there is no paper record in the Spode archive showing what it was like. In fact patterns 518 to 522 are all 'missing'.

Teapot stand backstamp, pattern number 522 painted in gold

There are over 75,000 patterns recorded on paper in the Pattern Books in the Spode archive. It is the first 5,000 or so patterns in the Pattern Books which date from the Spode period (up to 1833) so, if recorded, this is where 522 would have been.

Why was this pattern missing from the Spode record? There are several possible reasons one of which could be that the records on pieces of paper may have been physically lost. The patterns were originally on loose sheets and only later bound into books.

I was lucky to find further clues to the manufacturer of my stand as some years ago I had been contacted by a collector and Spode enthusiast and provided with a photograph of this 'missing' pattern on a sugar box (sometimes referred to as a sucrier).

Identifying unmarked pieces it easier when the piece is holloware rather than flatware like my teapot stand. Holloware ware shapes are usually more particular to a manufacturer than a surface pattern, which could have been produced by several different manufacturers. The sugar box in Old Oval shape matched the pattern on my stand and had the same gilded 522 mark. The shape was unmistakably a Spode shape confirming the pattern as (almost certainly) Spode by its owner, an authority on unusual Spode objects and hunter of 'missing' pattern numbers.

An image of the sugar box in pattern 522 is below but unfortunately doesn't show the distinctive handles of Old Oval shape. So I include an image of a complete Spode Old Oval sugar box with its lid in pattern 477 where you can just see the gilded handles. Also note the gilded pattern on the shoulder is the same as that on the 522 sugar box.

Sugar box (detail), pattern 522 c1804. Note how the gold has worn.

Spode sugar box & lid, bone china, Old Oval shape, pattern 477 c1804 (I love this pattern with its panels of flowers interspersed with gold stars)

So it seems I had actually unintentionally found myself a piece of Spode from c1804. I think there must always be the caveat that there is no absolute proof but all the clues lead to this being pattern 522 missing from the Spode records. Delighted!

I thought it would be fun to look a bit more closely at the design. The pattern is handpainted and gilded and at first glance looks simple but is actually quite complex. It comprises a series of borders around a centre of hand painted cornflowers and gilded leaves.

Teapot stand, border detail

Working from the outside the design starts with a gilded edge; then a zigzag stylised leaf border also in gold; a yellow band with a gilded line either side; and then a really pretty stylised garland of green leaves, red dots and pink flowers. Then follows a border of linked gold dots which frames the central design of cornflowers and gold leaves. In some way it reminds me of the delicate designs of sprigged muslin dresses of the same period.

Teapot stand cornflower and leaf details in centre

This piece would have been fired in the Spode bottle ovens at least 4 or 5 times - a biscuit firing, a glost firing and then several firings for the 6 different colours and finally the gold. The gold would then have to be burnished to bring out its lustrous shine. Tools with tips of agate or bloodstone were used for this skilled job. You can see some by clicking HERE>

So here was the proof that my chance find of a teapot stand, which at first I had thought an anonymous, pretty early 20th pattern, was in fact a pretty early 19th century pattern from Spode.

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Spode and a Coffee Cup & Saucer

February 20, 2017, 8:14 am

≫ Next: Spode's pattern 2789

≪ Previous: Spode and a Mystery Teapot Stand

Spode coffee cup, earthenware, London shape Cracked Ice and Prunus c1821

Cracked Ice and Prunus is the name of a pattern produced by Spode in the early 1800s. It was derived from an 18th century Chinese porcelain design. The earliest pieces from Spode were probably those transfer printed, underglaze, in one colour - blue.

Detail of Spode's pattern, transfer printed in blue c1821

The oldest written record of this pattern from Spode was first detailed in about 1821. The pattern books in the Spode archive record several versions of this design - different colour combinations, a bit of gilding, sometimes not as an 'all-over' design, or sheet pattern, but simply as a border.

The coffee cup and saucer illustrated here is printed in grey and then hand coloured in blue. It was found in a charity (thrift) shop by Andrew Goff from the USA. He kindly provided me with the photos. And we both love it!

I think the soft colour combination is very elegant and, combined with Spode's very beautifully-proportioned London shape, makes for a gorgeous piece.

Backstamps on coffee cup

The only other piece I have seen in this colourway is elsewhere on this, my very my own blog! I first wrote about the pattern Cracked Ice and Prunus for a blog post in May 2015. The design represents the coming of spring. The elements of the design show cherry blossom petals (prunus) falling on to the background of thawing ice.

Saucer to the coffee cup

Backstamps on saucer

The backstamps show the Spode company name which, in this style, was used up to 1833; a workman's mark for the printing team; a workman's mark for the person who painted the blue; and, in the case of the saucer, an impressed 4 which would have indicated which workman made the piece from the clay.

You can find more about Spode's Cracked Ice and Prunus pattern history and more images by clicking here>.

Barrel Scent Jar with a pierced cover over a (not visible) flat lid to hold pot pourri c1821

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Spode's pattern 2789

April 6, 2017, 4:08 am

≫ Next: Parian: 'The Bride' and 'The Mother'

≪ Previous: Spode and a Coffee Cup & Saucer

Dessert plates, bone china, pattern 2789 c1819

Knowing my interest in botanical subjects on early 19th century Spode wares, a correspondent kindly told me about two square dessert plates which were up for sale online*.

These bone china plates from Spode were once part of a large dessert service, made for use, not simply for display. In the early 19th century Spode dessert wares were particularly fine; produced in the most expensive, fashionable styles; and sold to the wealthiest of customers.**

Pattern 2789 was first recorded in about 1819. It has a border design of mainly cobalt blue and gold - a combination of 2 of the most expensive materials for decoration - with a touch of red. The centres are handpainted with a pair of botanical subjects. Every piece of the service would have had a different pairing of flowers making for an amazing sight when laid out together with all its matching serving pieces.

Backstamp on the convolulus plate - note the form of the figure 8 in the pattern number 2789

My original correspondent wondered if the flower subjects were taken from Curtis's Botanical Magazine which I have studied over the years, matching the magazine illustrations to Spode patterns. When I started doing this research at the end of the 1990s I used the original 18th century Curtis's Botanical Magazines, which are in fact books, in the Spode archive.

A volume of Curtis's Botanical Magazine 1780s

It was painstaking work, carefully turning pages, lifting the tissue covering the print to see if a flower matched a Spode piece. Many years on these magazines are now online. Hoorah! I use the fantastic Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) digitisations here. You can follow BHL on Twitter @BioDivLibrary.

It is still painstaking work but much quicker and much easier to share. A simple botanical subject on a Spode piece is fairly straightforward to find. You can see this in the example of the daffodil or, as Curtis describes it, 'Narcissus Major or Great Daffodil'. Here the Spode design of about 1808 is a direct copy of the magazine illustration of 1788.

Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Vol 2 plate 51, printed and hand coloured 1788

Spode dessert plate, bone china, pattern 1100 handpainted centre with gilded border c1808

It gets more difficult for me to identify the source of the flowers when the Spode designs are more stylised, rather than a true botanical subject, such as in pattern 2789 featured here; and also the fact that 2 unrelated flowers are put together on each piece.

Dessert plate, pattern 2789, Tagetes and Bluebell

Curtis's Botanical Magazine Vol 5 plate 150, 1791

Dessert plate, Tagetes and Bluebell (detail)

I spent a long time looking at the illustrations in Curtis's Botanical Magazine online to see if I could find matching subjects for these 2 dessert plates but was only partly successful. I looked through the first 12 volumes and found a Tagetes, described by Curtis as 'Tagetes Patula. Spreading Tagetes, or French Marigold', which could be the source of one of the flowers but did not find the bluebell it is paired with.

Dessert plate, pattern 2789, Convolvulus and probably Delphinium

I also found the probable source for the Convolvulus described by Curtis as 'Convolvulus Nil or Azure Convolvulus'. I did not find its pair which I think is a Delphinium.

Curtis's Botanical Magazine Vol 6 plate 188, 1792

Dessert plate Convolvulus and Delphinium (?) (detail)

I confess I was rather relived there were only 2 plates to research, not a whole service of dozens of pieces...

Teawares were also produced in this pattern again with each piece having a pair of flower subjects. The flowers are as you would expect on the saucers but for the coffee cup and teacup the design is adapted so a flower appears on the outside of the cup - one on each side.

L-R: Coffee cup, saucer and teacup, pattern 2789

Saucer, pattern 2789

________________
*With thanks to Jayo Emms Antiques England for the images of the 2 dessert plates which inspired the blogpost.

**For more about dessert wares from Spode on this blog please use the Search box/page and enter dessert.

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Parian: 'The Bride' and 'The Mother'

April 25, 2017, 8:03 am

≫ Next: Spode and London

≪ Previous: Spode's pattern 2789

Parian bust of 'The Bride' 1861

In the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge there is this wonderful photograph of a Copeland parian bust, 'The Bride', from their collection.

It is a stunning piece of ceramic manufacture in a body called parian. The fabric folds seem almost real. In about 1845, Copeland's parian, then a new ceramic body, was described by sculptor John Gibson RA (1790-1866) as 'Decidedly the best material next to Marble'.

'The Bride' is also illustrated in 'Parian: Copeland's Statuary Porcelain' by Robert Copeland. There are several excellent books on parian ware but this has to be the go-to reference book about parian figures from the Spode factory. In it Robert Copeland explains that 'the original marble sculpture of this subject [The Bride] was executed by Raffaele Monti for the Duke of Devonshire and was known as the 'Statue Voilee'. Monti's figure also seems to be known by many other names on the web...

'Statue Voilee' by Raffaele Monti now at Chatsworth House

On October 11th 1860 Alderman W. T. Copeland, then owner of the Spode company, paid Monti £10 for 'a model of a small veiled head representing The Bride, and the copyright of it'.

In 1871 another parian bust was made called 'The Mother'. This was also from an original marble sculpture by Raffaele Monti (1818–1881). It is interesting to see that negotiation was made directly with the well-known and revered sculptors for various parian figures from W. T. Copeland. Papers relating to the arrangements are in the Spode archive.

'The Mother' was sold as a companion to 'The Bride' - not a matching pair but two associated subjects usually referred to as 'Companions'.

Parian bust of 'The Mother' c1871 in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Parian bust of 'The Mother' from Copeland's book

Cover to Robert Copeland's excellent book on parian

Frontispiece of my copy of the book with Copeland's lovely dedication

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Spode and London

May 29, 2017, 7:45 am

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≪ Previous: Parian: 'The Bride' and 'The Mother'

Trade Card, 1825 British Museum, Department of Prints & Drawings

Recently I was delighted to hear from Judy Rudoe of the British Museum who kindly let me know about a Spode trade card in the museum's collection. It was great to share information with each other about this little piece of paper. I intended this post to be a short blog showing the trade card but it has grown a bit... it is surprising how much can be gleaned from a single trade card of 1825.

I have written about the Spode company's London business on this blog before, in a post about the company's showrooms. You can find it here: Spode and Showing Off. But there is more detail to discover about the London business with this trade card.

Josiah Spode II (1755-1827) set up Spode's London business in 1778. Josiah Spode II was the eldest son of the company's founder, Josiah Spode I (1733-1797).*

Josiah Spode II (1755-1827)

Spode's Portugal Street premises

If you look at the front of the trade card you can see that the London business is in Portugal Street to where it had moved in 1794. It had begun at 29 Fore Street - 'the chief shopping street in the northern part of the City [London] until the mid-19th century'.**

By the date of this card, 1825, the business was called 'Spode, Copeland & Son'. I found this very interesting because of the style of the company name. Who exactly are these individuals involved with Spode's London business?

'Spode' is Josiah Spode II (1755-1827).
In 1825 he was back in Stoke running the manufactory and his eldest son, William Spode, had been running the London business with William Copeland. However William Spode had retired in 1811 - a wealthy young man - and Spode II had taken over his son's role in the partnership with William Copeland in 1812. It is Copeland who would have had most of the responsibility in London whilst Josiah Spode II concentrated on Stoke.

'Copeland' is the William Copeland (1765-1826) mentioned above, who had worked, from a young age, for Spode II in London, from about 1784.
He probably began as a traveller or salesman in tea - a perfect link to pottery and porcelain. He rose through the business to eventually become a partner and to be a trusted friend of the Spodes. From a humble background, he too became wealthy from his hard work which had led to success and respect in the business. He was ambitious and wealthy enough to eventually purchase the Leyton estate.

'Son' is William Taylor Copeland (1797-1868) who was the son of William Copeland mentioned above. William Taylor Copeland was admitted into the London business in 1824.

William Copeland (the father) died in January 1826. Following this Spode II and William Taylor Copeland entered into partnership in April 1826.

William Copeland

So from these details it can be seen that the 'Spode, Copeland & Son' style for the London business had just a short date range as the company name from 1824 to 1826.

On the trade card you may also have noticed that the company is described as 'Porcelain, Earthenware and Glass Manufacturers'. Spode manufactured porcelain, now known as bone china, and earthenware but it is not thought they ever manufactured glass. This would have been bought in from a reputable manufacturer/supplier to sell on to their customers.

There is also the important fact that they were 'Porcelain, Earthenware and Glass Manufacturers TO THE KING'. Great marketing! This was HM George IV and the Spode company had also supplied him with wares of all sorts prior to his coronation whilst he was HRH Prince of Wales.

Reverse of the trade card British Museum, Department of Prints and Drawings

The reverse of the trade card has been used as a receipt. It reads: 'Recd. July 9th 1825 of Mrs Chandos Leigh One pound five shillings as per Acct. for Spode etc £1.5.0 Wm Davey'.

I wonder what Spode goodies Mrs Chandos Leigh bought? Here are some of the wares which Spode produced in the 1820s which Mrs Chandos Leigh may have seen in London. They include designs for teawares (full size and miniature or 'toy'), dessert wares, dinner wares and ornamental wares.

Part toy teaset & tray, pattern 3157, c1821

Dessert tureen stand, Felspar porcelain, pattern 4130 c1825

Incense Burner, bone china, pattern 3798, c1824

'New Shape French Jar', bone china, c1823

Dish, earthenware, Geranium pattern, transfer printed c1818

Jug, sprigged stoneware c1820

By 1833 William Taylor Copeland was the sole owner of the Spode company (the London business and the Stoke manufactory). The Spode family was no longer involved following the deaths of Josiah Spode II in 1827 and Josiah Spode III (his second son) in 1829. The Copeland family owned Spode longer than anybody else. You can also visit my page Who Owned Spode? for more information.
____________
*Many people seem to merge all the Josiah Spodes plus Spode, the company, into one - it can get very confusing... and to me seems a little unfair on the individuals.

Of course in their lifetimes the several Josiah Spodes were never known by the suffixes I, II, III & IV. For example they were referred to as Spode the elder and Spode the younger. On the death of Spode the elder this suffix would shift...

Please see my blogpost A Confusion of Spodes for a little more clarification on the various Josiah Spodes.

**The London Encyclopaedia

Thanks as ever to Robert Copeland and Peter Roden - see my booklist.

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Spode and Sunflower and Convolvulus

July 14, 2017, 4:33 am

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Sunflower pattern c1813 (detail)

Spode's Sunflower pattern is my favourite of all the Spode transfer printed designs. It is a gorgeous pattern of intertwining flowers and foliage. At first glance it could be mistaken for a design from the latter part of the 19th century* but is, in fact, a lot older. It dates from about 1813, possibly a little earlier.

The pattern was also referred to as Sunflower and Convolvulus; and, in the 1870s, there is a reference in the Spode archive of it being called Arcadia but I have rarely seen this name used elsewhere.

The beautiful convolvulus flower with its trailing stems was much-loved in various forms on Spode wares in the early 1800s, as well as fashionable to grow. However the name was dropped in the modern era as the plant was later regarded, by some, as an invasive, pernicious weed in the UK. Weeds were not felt suitable to market the reintroduced design in the late 1990s and the pattern is now usually known as simply Sunflower.

Dessert plate (detail), bone china, handpainted convolvulus, pattern 2789 c1819

The pattern was mainly produced in one colour - blue. It was printed underglaze usually on earthenware. The design is known as a 'sheet pattern' which requires only a few engravings to fit all shapes in a tableware, tea, dessert or toilet ware service as the design covers the whole surface of the object and doesn't have to be 'fitted'.

Roller printing Sunflower pattern in blue, (brown colour is cobalt blue before firing), no date, TCC image gallery

Tablewares were made in this pattern in the early 1800s including large serving pieces. The large dish with a removable drainer (illustrated) could be used without its drainer to serve a roasted meat joint, when the juices were required. To serve something boiled or steamed, such as a whole fish, when the juices were not required, then the drainer could be put in place and the unwanted juices would drain into the dish below.

The hole in the middle of the drainer is for a finger. This makes fitting the drainer into the dish, and removal from it, easy to do, particularly if it was a tight fit.

Earthenware dish & removable drainer Sunflower pattern c1813

Earthenware dish with its drainer removed Sunflower pattern c1813

Other versions of the pattern are recorded in the pattern books in the Spode archive but pieces of these variations are rare.

Pattern 1931 of about 1813 is particularly stunning with a gold background to the pattern. Thank you to Judie Siddall and her Dishy News blog for helping me with images of this version of the pattern.

Sunflower, pattern 1931 c1813 Transferware Collectors Club

3 pieces of Sunflower, pattern 1931 c1813(private collection)

My favourite version of the pattern is one I have never seen other than its record on paper in the pattern books. It has pattern number 1864 again of about 1813. So without a piece all I can do it describe it for you.

The design for pattern 1864 is unchanged and is printed underglaze in blue from the same engraved copper plate or roller as the plain version. But then the fun begins! The whole pattern is handpainted overglaze in vivid, natural colours.

The sunflowers are in a perfect deep, strong yellow with brown centres for their seeds; the convolvulus flowers are painted pale blue fading to white at their tips, with green for their yet-to-unfurl buds; the same green is used for all the leaves. What makes it so striking is that the background, (gold in pattern number 1931), in this multi-coloured version is red. If you see a piece you won't miss it. And if you see a piece - I need to know!

The stunning effect of adding handpainted colour to a blue printed Spode pattern can be seen in the illustration here of a pattern call Group. Filling in the 'white space' around a printed pattern, as in this case of Group, is known as clobbering. Experts disagree about the exact definition of this word in relation to ceramics but this is the one I was taught many years ago by a reliable source.

Plate, earthenware, printed & handpainted (clobbered), Group pattern 1589 c1811

Introduced around 1813 Sunflower pattern seems to have been made perhaps mostly in the early part of the 1800s but no exact details of it dates of production are recorded.

However, as part of The Spode Blue Room Collection it was reintroduced on earthenware in the 1990s. It had pattern number S3464 and was produced as tableware and giftware items. It was withdrawn in 2000.

Sunflower was also adapted as a border design in cobalt blue and gold for a bone china pattern called Brocade Cobalt. This was introduced in 1996 and had pattern number Y8603. It was made as large service plates only. It was not a commercial success.

Teapot, earthenware, 2000

Teapot backstamp

Cups & saucers, earthenware c1990-2000

Cups & saucers backstamp c1990-2000

Dessert plate, bone china, pink with gilded edge c2000

Dessert plate backstamp

Dessert plate, bone china, pale blue with gilded edge c2000

Service plate (detail) bone china, Brocade Cobalt, pattern number Y8603 1996

Service plate backstamp

*For a good read about the sunflower motif in design (but unconnected to Spode) got to Jeckyll and the Sunflower which is on the blog Colonel Unthank's Norwich.

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Spode and Potters Poppies

August 24, 2017, 3:15 am

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Plate, bone china, Potters Poppies, Art Deco design, made 1960-1970

I bought this plate in the lovely market town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England in June 2017. The town is famous for its antique shops but my purchase was from a charity (thrift) shop. Those of you who read my blogposts will know straight away that this was to be one of my bargains!

You may not immediately think of the design as Spode but I knew it from a previous encounter and had always liked the pattern. Turning the plate over I found that the style of the Spode backstamp was one used between 1960 and 1970. I had only thought thought of it as an Art Deco design and I've no idea why this piece was made in the 1960s. I think it unlikely it ever went into full production at that date.

Backstamp, with Spode in Gothic-style type, on my Potters Poppies plate

This backstamp tells a little story. *In 1960 the coal fired bottle ovens were fired for the last time at Spode. Bone china was fired in the new Gibbons open-flame gas-fired tunnel kiln of advanced design. Like many of the bottle ovens in the past at Spode this new kiln was given a name: it was called 'Jubilee' to mark the fifty years celebration of the City status of Stoke-on-Trent. This was a new backstamp, with 'Spode' in Gothic-style type, and it distinguished ware fired in this tunnel kiln. It was applied in green. The style of the type was derived from an old Spode backstamp from about 1822. Company stationery and advertising material had already used this Gothic-style logo for many years.

I first saw a plate like this when I was Curator of the Spode Museum. I was selecting items from the museum's huge reserve collection to go on display. Often the emphasis for the displays at Spode were for the oldest pieces in the collection - usually only up to 1833 - when the company name had changed from Spode to Copeland & Garrett.

Potters Poppies in foreground & other Spode 20thC object (sorry about poor photo)

In the late 1990s I wanted to show a greater range of designs from different dates and was looking for objects to represent the mid-20th century. This design was a bit of a surprise. It is very bright and the colours really stand out on Spode's very white bone china. I immediately loved it.

I always remembered the design but didn't come across another piece until 2013 when working with the Ceramics Network at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. They had a plate in the same design but on the more decorative Hamburg shape.

Plate, bone china, Hamburg shape, Potters Poppies printed & hand painted, pattern X8340 c1924

This had pattern number X8340 on a paper label on the reverse. Paper labels (and pencil marks) can tell you a lot about a pot so always be careful when washing items as you can lose history in a brief moment of soggy paper. X8340 was first recorded in about 1924 putting the design firmly at the beginning of the Art Deco period. You can find out about Spode's X pattern numbers on my Spode ABC blog by clicking HERE>

Paper label with pattern number on back of the Potteries Museum Potters Poppies plate

The most spectacular version of the Potters Poppies design was produced on bone china, to a very high specification, using the most expensive of decorating techniques, colours and gold. It had pattern number R8460 which was first recorded in c1924.

Dessert plate, bone china, Exeter shape, Potters Poppies pattern R8460 detail from catalogue c1928-1932

The description of the design, in a catalogue which I have dated to between 1928 and 1932, is detailed and quite lovely:

'Centre - Potters Poppies in crimson, mauve and yellow on a gold cloud within a gold line. Powder blue ground. Rim - gold laurel border coloured in green, spaced with poppy pods and pimpernel. Gold edge.'

I particularly like the 'gold cloud' and the 'poppy pods and pimpernel'. Good marketing blurb!

According to the catalogue, pattern R8460 was offered as dessert ware in Exeter shape, tea & breakfast wares in Ducal shape and coffee ware in Boston shape.

Catalogue page, c1928-1932, Potters Poppies pattern R8460

This catalogue is interesting in that it has prices which show a massive difference between that for bone china and and that for earthenware patterns. A quick reference (courtesy of the late Robert Copeland) is that bone china was usually about 3 times the price of earthenware. But this catalogue shows that Potters Poppies on bone china, pattern R8460, was about 8 times more expensive than a version on earthenware with pattern number 2/7835. This latter was also made on a range of shapes which you can see detailed on the catalogue page (below).

Catalogue page c1928 for Potters Poppies, pattern 2/7835

The earthenware versions of the Potters Poppies pattern are also recorded in Spode's pattern books all dating from c1924. These include pattern numbers 2/7835 (above), 2/7847 (below) and 2/7853 (no image)

Plate, earthenware, printed & hand painted, Potters Poppies, pattern 2/7847 1928

Backstamps, Potters Poppies, pattern 2/7847 1928

_________________
*Copeland, Robert; 'Spode & Copeland Marks & Other Relevant Intelligence'; Studio Vista; 2nd edition 1997 ISBN 0 289 80069 2

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Spode Patterns in the Very Early 1800s

September 24, 2017, 8:44 am

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Saucer, pattern 312 c1803

I rather like Spode designs from the very early 1800s. So here is a look at a few of them produced on the then new bone china. By 1804 around 600 patterns had been recorded in the pattern books. The books are in the Spode archive.

Each design was recorded with a unique number. Dates of Spode pattern introductions are always approximate at this period as dates rarely appear in the pattern books. The dates given here are based on the meticulous research of Robert Copeland.

Cup & saucer, Bute shape, pattern 309 c1803

I have chosen to show some patterns mostly on teacups, coffee cups or coffee cans.

All are bone china.

All are handpainted & gilded (unless otherwise stated). This gold decoration is... well... gold! There used to be a specific gold safe at the Spode factory in Stoke.

Spode plate (detail), pattern unrecorded, gold border, c1800

All were fired in bottle ovens multiple times for the many separate firings they required during manufacture.

These wares were produced for people who were well-to-do; wealthy enough to be able to afford this very fine and highly fashionable ware and wealthy enough to have the accompanying lifestyle. Customers included HRH The Prince of Wales, later HM King George IV, as well as many other royal families worldwide. In 1806 Spode II was appointed 'Potter & English Porcelain Manufacturer to His Royal Highness'.

These early bone china designs are elegant and of high quality. Sometimes I think they look surprisingly modern.

Teacup, London shape, pattern 312 c1803

Pattern 312, pattern inside cup

Pattern 312 has a beautiful design of roses & forget-me-nots in gold cornucopia. It is a deceptively clever design which is painted and gilded inside the cup leaving the outside plain - Spode's stunningly white bone china set off with simple, elegant gilding. As you drank your tea the pattern was revealed and prior to that, if taken without milk, shimmered through the tea. The translucency of the bone china was as important in these fine wares as its whiteness and the sumptuous decoration.

Whilst Curator at Spode I once had a go at painting inside a cup. I found it was actually impossible. Well, obviously not really, but it helped me understand further the skills on a pottery factory and why apprenticeships were so long.

A saucer in pattern 312 is shown at the top of this blogpost. Usually, at this date, only 1 saucer was provided per teacup and coffee cup/can. This worked perfectly as the two drinks were not generally served at the same time and with no well in the saucer it could take the 2 different sizes with no problem. Today (2017) saucer, teacup & coffee cup/can are often put together and described as a 'trio'. The word, though, is not one used in the early 1800s but more of a marketing word to sell antiques, particularly where large tea services have been split up.

Backstamp on teacup pattern 312

Teacup, Bute shape, pattern 319 c1803

Coffee can, Bute shape, gilded tassels, vines & grapes, pattern 329 c1803

Typical Spode handle gilding, pattern 329

Teacup, Bute shape, pattern 330 c1803

Teacup & saucer, Bute shape, sepia & gold, pattern 333 c1803

Backstamp for pattern 333

Coffee can, Bute shape, pattern 499 c1804

Teapot stand, pattern 522 c1804. More HERE>

Teapots were not always provided with a tea service as customers often chose to use a solid silver one. However if a teapot was provided it almost certainly had matching teapot stand.

Coffee can, Bute shape, pattern 555 c1804

Coffee can & saucer, Bute shape, bat printed & gilded, pattern 558 c1804

Coffee can, pattern 558 in more detail

Saucer, pattern 558

I am illustrating pots here but, of course, the pattern records were made on sheets of paper. The patterns were illustrated on various shapes and types of ware. The pattern sheets were later bound into books. There were several copies made but all the sets have not survived. The copies produced were likely to have been: a master copy, a copy for use on the factory and copy for Spode's London business.

On the factory the Spode pattern books were kept secure as they were regarded commercially sensitive. Those which remained at Spode were kept in the Pattern Safe with limited access until the late 1990s. These are the ones now in the Spode archive.

Pattern Safe 2007

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Spode and Bang Up Pattern... or the pattern with a funny name

November 21, 2017, 4:23 am

≫ Next: Spode and Marketing Christmas in the USA

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Soup plate, stone china, 'Bang Up' pattern 2886 c1820 (Lovers of Blue & White)

Here's an oriental pattern from Spode with an odd name. Sometimes it is easy to find a reason for a pattern name, or at least to take a stab at why it was called what it was, but this one is still a bit of a mystery.

'Bang Up' pattern was first introduced by Spode in about 1820. It was recorded with pattern number 2886 and, like most records in the pattern books, no name was mentioned with the paper entry. The pattern is oriental in style but, unlike other Spode patterns of the early 1800s, a Chinese porcelain original is not known. The origin of the name remains puzzling.

The pattern was usually printed and then handcoloured. Some versions had added gilding.

Comport, stone china, 'Bang Up' pattern 2886 c1820

Comport, looking down. Note how the central design in the panel is adapted to follow the shape

'Bang Up' proved to be a very popular and successful pattern for Spode and several versions of it were produced over the next 100 years or so. It would seem the pattern is known by the name 'Bang Up'whether it has the panel around the central spray of flowers with a bead at the edge as in pattern 2886; or if these are omitted as in other versions such as patterns 3504 and 3690.

Soup plate, stone china, pattern 3504 c1823

Pattern 3690 is a combination of two Spode patterns - it has the 'Bang Up' centre and 'Ship' border.

Soup plate, stone china, 'Bang Up' pattern 3690 c1823 (Lovers of Blue & White)

Interestingly the design enjoyed a revival in the late 1800s and again in the 1930s. Some of these later versions are mentioned below.

Pattern 2/4074 was introduced in about 1895. It was similar in design to 'Bang Up' with pattern number 3504 of about 1823 but was produced on earthenware on 'Gadroon' shape. This version was available until about 1960.

Dish (meat dish/platter), earthenware, 'Gadroon' shape, 'Bang Up' pattern 2/4074

Backstamp on dish, pattern 2/4074

Pattern S2374 on earthenware on 'Camilla' shape was introduced in about 1938. The body had a 'Royal Jasmine' glaze. It was printed in blue, hand coloured onglaze. The 1938 catalogue, whilst still unsure of the name, includes a seemingly randomly chosen date for the pattern of 1808. Its marketing blurb includes:

'Here, in an oddly named design, the artist has evolved in truly Eastern style a glorious medley of conventional flowers, bright and gay, to please the most fastidious taste of any period.'

'Bang Up' earthenware, pattern S2374, 1938

Pattern W6 was introduced in 1939. It was on fine stone - a more modern name for Spode's stone china. It was again similar to pattern 3504.

Sometimes the border of the pattern was used alone with a badge or coat of arms replacing the central panel. The panel shape was also used in pattern number 2/6750 introduced in about 1915 but with a completely different design in the centre.

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Spode and Marketing Christmas in the USA

December 8, 2017, 4:11 am

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Leaflet, front, 'Christmas Tree' pattern for the USA 1990s

Spode's famous and iconic pattern 'Christmas Tree' was first produced in 1938. In the USA it was an instant success and was very important commercially for the Spode company. You can find out a lot about this popular pattern, its history and its design variations from the links on my dedicated 'Spode & Christmas' page.

Cup & saucer, 'Christmas Tree' 1986

Spode, under all its ownerships, was excellent at marketing its products. On my blog this year for Christmas, I thought 'Christmas Tree' collectors in particular, would like to see some sales and marketing literature for the pattern. The biggest sales of this seasonal design were to the USA. The pattern was produced all year round at the Spode factory in Stoke ready for the culmination of what in the USA is called the holiday season.

So with thanks to Paul Hanson of Philadelphia, here are some leaflets (or brochures) produced specifically to market 'Christmas Tree' pattern in the USA in the late 20th century.

Leaflet, inside, part of the huge range...

... and there's still more on the fold-out page

Leaflet, inside back cover and back, 1990s

Leaflet, back, with address detail, 1990s

This leaflet from the 1990s shows that it was for the USA market with details of Spode's USA business - 'Royal China & Porcelain Companies Inc.'- often referred to at Spode as RCPC.

68 choices of items are listed in the 1990s leaflet. Not all items were made by Spode. From 1938 up to the early 2000s, whilst 'Christmas Tree' ceramics were mostly made at the Spode factory in Stoke, England, some were not. These included many of the Christmas tree ornaments and 'three-dimensional gifts'. Glassware, textiles and cutlery parts were also made elsewhere, sometimes outside the UK.

In the bottom right hand corner of the back of the 1990s leaflet is a reference number beginning with MNC. This stands for Morris Nicholson & Cartwright, a specialist agency engaged by Spode to produce marketing literature from about 1984 to 1996. In 2005, whilst I was Curator at the Spode museum, Stephen Morris of MNC kindly donated the MNC papers, relating to their Spode work, to the museum. Their papers are now in the Spode archive.

Leaflet, front, for 'Christmas Tree' pattern for USA c1989

A leaflet probably from about 1989 uses the Spode slogan 'Only Spode is Spode' whereas the 1990s leaflet, shown at the top, has the later slogan 'Invest in the Original'. The clue to late 1989 dating is in the marketing blurb at the bottom of the leaflet: 'The Gift of a Family Tradition for Over Fifty Years' so it has to be 1988 or later. Here is some more of the leaflet:

Leaflet, back, for 'Christmas Tree' pattern for USA c1989
with 'three-dimensional gifts' illustrated.

And here is another leaflet this time from the 1970s/1980s:

Leaflet, front, for 'Christmas Tree' pattern for USA 1970s/1980s

Leaflet, back, for 'Christmas Tree' pattern for USA 1970s/1980

And some pages from the inside:

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Spode and a Cress Dish

December 27, 2017, 6:31 am

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Cress dish & stand, c1805

This Spode item is very specific. It is a footed cress dish and stand. This would have been used to serve watercress in the early 1800s.

Made in a fine earthenware body called creamware, the design is an elegant, classical, repeat border pattern in pinkish red and black - all of which is handpainted.

The design was recorded as pattern number 687 and dates from about 1805.

I love the shape as well as the very lovely pattern of what is simply an arrangement of drain holes. This allowed any water to run off from the freshly-washed watercress. The little claw feet on the dish raised it above its stand so it does not sit in a puddle.

Detail of piercing

The cutting of the holes is done by a technique known as piercing where the intricate pattern of holes was cut by hand. You can find out a lot more about the technique by visiting my Spode ABC - click/tap HERE>.

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Spode and a Spring Crocus

February 19, 2018, 6:46 am

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Dessert plate, earthenware, Spring Crocus, c1815

Backstamps on dessert plate

This is a Spode dessert plate from about c1815. It is decorated with a Spring Crocus from 'Curtis's Botanical Magazine' of 1787 illustration 45. The common name of the plant, rather than the botanical name, is printed on the back of the plate along with an impressed Spode backstamp.

Illustration 45 from 'Curtis's Botanical Magazine' 1787

The plate shown here was part of a service; every piece in a large dessert service featured a different botanical subject taken from the 'Curtis's Botanical Magazine'.

For this design the dessert service was produced on earthenware, transfer printed first with the plant and then with the leaf sheet pattern, which in this design, is called 'Thyme' sheet. The botanical subjects were then hand coloured. During the manufacturing process it meant that each piece of the service was fired in a bottle oven at least 4 or 5 times.

A word about the word plate. Over the years, when I wrote up my various research articles about the botanical sources for Spode patterns I had to be very careful with the word plate!

Plate could have 3 distinct meanings: plate as in a ceramic plate; plate as in a book illustration; and plate meaning copper plate i.e. the engraved copper from which the pattern was printed in the transfer printing decoration process.

More on my blog post 'Spode and Botanical Designs' here.

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Spode and Bottle Ovens

July 1, 2018, 9:10 am

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Working at Gladstone Pottery Museum in the late 1970s, I found myself part of the organising team for a huge and important event - the final firing of a potters bottle oven.*

As a young curator it was very exciting to be deeply involved with the event: the Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978.

In 1976 David Sekers, director of the museum, had come up with the daring and momentous idea of firing a Potteries bottle oven for one last time. The aim was to record on paper, audio tape and 35mm movie film all the traditional skills required to fire an oven before the knowledge was lost.

Smoke from the Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978

Now, as a volunteer, I am surprised to find that I am involved with the 40th anniversary of this amazing event, helping to organise a Festival of Bottle Ovens at Gladstone Pottery Museum for August and September 2018. Four of us, part of the team 40 years ago, are once more in the thick of it, working closely with the museum staff, to tell the story of the final firing. There will be a book written by Terry Woolliscroft and yours truly, an exhibition which I am helping to prepare and many other bottle oven related events.

Find the Programme of Events for 2018 HERE>

Staying with the subject here's a bit of history about Spode's bottle ovens and their later replacements.

Dessert plate with view of Spode bottle ovens c1800. Fired in those same bottle ovens for each stage of its various manufacture

From humble beginnings and, with at least two partnerships in two different pottery businesses behind him, Josiah Spode I eventually owned his own factory and became an independent pottery manufacturer. Together with his son, Josiah Spode II, he bought a ready-made factory in Stoke in 1776. The factory was described as 'potworks'.

In 1776 the bottle ovens are described as 'potovens' in this extract from 'Copyhold Potworks & Housing in the Staffordshire Potteries 1700-1832' by Peter Roden.

'All that meadowe, with the appurt’s, lying in Penkhull, within the said Mannor, called Madeleys Meadowe, and also, all those potworks potovens pothouses workhouses warehouses compting house barns stables cowhouse marl bank and outbuildings to the same belonging, situate in Penkhull aforesaid, & adjoyning to the said meadowe called Madeleys Meadowe...'

Josiah Spode I (1733-1797)

Josiah Spode II (1755-1827)

As Master Potters, the Spodes would have had all the skills required to manufacture their pottery from raw clay to finished product. Importantly, and perhaps often underestimated, this included all the techniques required to fire pottery, of different types and at different stages of manufacture, using that important tool of the potters' trade - the bottle oven. The single most important part of the potting process was, and still is, the biscuit firing. Losses associated with a failed firing, at any stage of the manufacturing process, particularly at the time of the Spodes, could ruin a company.

Throughout the late 1700s and into the 1800s both father and son would have seen great development and huge proliferation of bottle ovens in Stoke-on-Trent - now regarded as iconic buildings.

In the 'Tour of the Grand Junction' published in 1819 the Spode factory is described as employing around 800 people and having '18 large ovens… [using] upwards of 200 tons of coal per week.'

Extracts from Tour of the Grand Junction

Details of 'Building The Meadow Oven', dated 1 June 1825,** can be found in papers in the Spode archive. The total cost for the oven building was £10 3s 5½d and described as 'the Whole Cost including Brick Dressing & Labouring'. The cost of materials is not included.

The document records that Obadiah Greatbatch was the oven builder. Also listed are his men and boys with the hours they worked and what they were paid. It seems to be a mix of skilled men, labourers, boys and an apprentice. Here are the names of these unsung heroes of the pottery industry.

William Burchell
Thomas Buckley
Samuel Steele
John Tomkinson
Walter Sarjeant
Cartwright
James Wardle
Samuel Lainton
Thomas Smith 'a boy'
Joseph Western 'a boy'
Malkin
Dick 'apprentice'
John Lainton

(Forenames, where recorded, are mostly abbreviated throughout the original document; I have written them in full here).

An 1833 insurance plan of the Spode factory in the Spode archive, records at least 20 ovens and kilns.

In May 1843 'The Penny Magazine Of The Society For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge' records that 'the Spode Factory in Stoke supported 37 bottle ovens: 7 biscuit, 14 glost, 16 enamel'.

In 1776 the Spode factory was already a well-established 'potworks' and included 'potovens'. The number of ovens on the site fluctuated throughout the 233 year of Spode ownership, as the business changed, flourished or declined, embraced new technology and finally closed in 2009.

Spode factory from the air 1929

Spode factory 1930s

Spode factory looking towards Stoke Minster 1930s

From recent research I found that the Spode company was, from the 1930s to the 1960s in the forefront of changing from filthy, injurious coal-fired bottle ovens to embrace new cleaner and safer firing technology developing within the pottery industry. This was largely due to Arthur (Ted) Hewitt.

In 1932 the Spode Company name was changed to W. T. Copeland & Sons Ltd. It was already owned by the Copeland family but this name change followed the purchase of another local firm, Jackson & Gosling, as its owner, Arthur Hewitt, was wanted for the Copeland board of directors.

Arthur Hewitt's impact on the greater success of Spode was huge, with increased orders and modernisation from this strong and farsighted man; and, consequently, on the development of the Spode factory site.

Mr. A. E (Ted) Hewitt

Hewitt was involved in local politics, including becoming Lord Mayor. As an advocate of clean air, he introduced firing by gas and electricity at Spode in place of smoky bottle ovens.

Here are some of the changes which took place at Spode much earlier than the compulsory change from coal fired ovens which was demanded by the Clean Air Act 1956 which gave companies 7 years to find alternative fuels.

1934 two circular Gibbons Rotalec enamel kilns powered by electricity were installed.

1936 a gas-fired tunnel oven for glost firing of earthenware was installed.

1946 an electrically-fired glost tunnel kiln, named The Meadow,** was installed for firing bone china.

1951/2 two gas-fired biscuit tunnel kilns were installed, named Black and Canal, for firing earthenware. For the first of these 2 ovens a special ceremony took place 1 October 1951. The Spode Saga magazine 1951 recorded what was seen as a momentous event and how important Spode regarded its own history whilst also looking to the future. (More about the Spode Saga HERE>)

Report in the Spode Saga of the lighting of the new tunnel kiln

Detail of bringing the flame from a bottle oven being fired to the new tunnel oven. The 'torch' is in the Spode museum collection

L-R: Gresham Copeland, Ashton Maskery, John Copeland and Spencer Copeland (white coats). Iron lamp (torch) bottom left

1957 a Shelley 'Top Hat' kiln was installed for china glost firing.

1960 a gas-fired open flame tunnel kiln named Jubilee was installed for firing bone china biscuit.

1960 also saw the last firing of a coal-fired bottle oven on the Spode factory.

'It was in 1960 that the last firing of a bottle oven on the Spode Works took place. It was a china biscuit oven - that is, the bone china clay-ware was fired to about 1260°C to the 'biscuit' stage' from Manufacturing Processes of Tableware during the Eighteenth & Nineteenth Centuries by Robert Copeland.

Much demolition of bottle ovens and old buildings, from the days of the three Josiah Spodes, took place on the Spode factory between the 1930s and 1950s, as the company moved towards modernisation. The new gas and electric kilns were often named after historic parts of the factory which had been demolished, creating a link with the company's history.

The Clean Air Act of 1956 plus the electrification of the factory earlier in the 20th century led to the big changes. The increased use of gas and electric for firing, led to the demolition of all but one bottle oven - an updraught hob-mouthed oven - the hovel of which collapsed in 1972.

Postcard, Spode's updraught hob-mouthed bottle oven prior to hovel collapse

Spode's updraught hob-mouthed oven after the hovel collapse 1972, even less remains 2018

Finished product: coffee cup, bone china, fired several times in Spode's bottle ovens, pattern 2812 c1820

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Further information:

Robert Copeland's books about Spode found here and Terry Woolliscroft's websites: The Potteries Bottle Oven; The Last Bottle Oven Firing in the The Potteries and Potbank Dictionary
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Notes:
* The Last Bottle Oven Firing took place at the Sutherland Works of Hudson & Middleton and not at Gladstone Pottery Museum whose ovens were too fragile to use.
** The name 'Meadow' is included in the description of the factory when the Spodes bought it in 1776 (see above). The Meadow name continued in use at the Spode factory as a modern kiln in 1946, and later to describe a modern building which caused confusion amongst strangers looking for, well, a meadow!

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New Book: 'Bottle Ovens and the Story of the Final Firing'

July 31, 2018, 8:18 am

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Our new book is out!

Front cover

Published by, and available from, Gladstone Pottery Museum; researched and written by Terry Woolliscroft and Pam Woolliscroft.

Images from the book

Can't help it, very excited, more of our books!

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Below is my blogpost about 'Spode and Bottle Ovens' written 1st July 2018 - just one month before the launch of the 'Festival of Bottle Ovens' at Gladstone Pottery Museum.
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'Spode and Bottle Ovens'

Working at Gladstone Pottery Museum in the late 1970s, I found myself part of the organising team for a huge and important event - the final firing of a potters bottle oven.*

As a young curator it was very exciting to be deeply involved with the event: the Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978.

In 1976 David Sekers, director of the museum, had come up with the daring and momentous idea of firing a Potteries bottle oven for one last time. The aim was to record on paper, audio tape and 35mm movie film all the traditional skills required to fire an oven before the knowledge was lost.

Smoke from the Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978

Now, as a volunteer, I am surprised to find that I am involved with the 40th anniversary of this amazing event, helping to organise a Festival of Bottle Ovens at Gladstone Pottery Museum for August and September 2018. Four of us, part of the team 40 years ago, are once more in the thick of it, working closely with the museum staff, to tell the story of the final firing. A new book has been published (detailed above) written by Terry Woolliscroft and myself, an exhibition which I am helping to prepare and many other bottle oven related events.