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So You Think You Know
Wedgwood:
Wedgwood Through Three Centuries,
And Heading
For The Fourth
Keith A. McLeod & James
R. Boyle
When Josiah Wedgwood established his Company in 1759, Quebec was just becoming part of the British Empire, and the industrial revolution was in its infancy although, in fact, in the potteries industry it was well under way (but that is another story for another day). Josiah’s early success was built upon his use of the scientific method of experimentation. While still a partner of Whieldon’s he had, after many tries developed a green glaze that was lustrous, colourfull, and different from the mottled and dreary tortoiseshell glaze, now so sought after by collectors. Wedgwood’s green glaze was soon emulated by other potters. Even Queen Charlotte purchased a tea set from Josiah in green glaze (1765). But Josiah realized that there was more to industry than repetitious production. He continued to experiment with improving the cream ware that was still a dark mottled beige as produced in the countless small potteries in Staffordshire and elsewhere. Between 1759 and 1768, he performed hundreds of experiments and finally achieved a very pale beige creamware; which was refined not only in body but in glaze. (However, even this was improved upon in succeeding years.) The development of the light creamware became the basis for the Staffordshire industry. Creamwarre quickly achieved a popularity with the wealthy classes and rapidly became the yet another set of ware on the tables of the middling classes; , Queen Charlotte complimented Josiah when she gave him permission , in 1766, to call his creamware "Queen’s Ware." She subsequently purchased a dinner service which further enhanced his popularity.
To develop his business he established a London showroom in 1763; there the people of fashion and elegance could come and view his products and be seen. The showrooms were under the management of his brother at first, but after his death and Josiah"s formation of a partnership with Thomas Bentley (1769), whose knowledge and taste he admired, Bentley became the London manager and for ten years advised Josiah about the tastes and trends in society. Josiah had just improved upon the body called basalt which was quickly exploited as the most popular body with which to produce that fashionable item which became the craze of society, the vase. Wedgwood proclaimed that he would be " Vase maker General to the Universe"
But it was Josiah’s further development of a new body in 1774, Jasper, which catapulted him into eternal history; Robin Reilly, his biographer, calls Jasper the most significant innovation in ceramic history since the invention of porcelain by the Chinese a thousand years before. Again, it was Josiah’s persistence with experiment after experiment ( hundreds) that resulted in the new body. Wedgwood’s genius as a potter was further enhanced, so much so that many people today equate Wedgwood with that ‘ blue ware’, ignoring the fact that jasper comes in many colours. When Josiah died in 1795 he had established an enduring reputation and what has turned out to be an enduring company.
The nineteenth century was
to prove itself to be one of challenges and difficulties combines
with recoveries and successes. His children were in some respects more
intent upon being gentlemen than potters, so much so that just before the
death of Josiah (d.1843), in 1842, the family attempted to sell the Company.
However, as no one was interested in paying the reserve price, the factory
remained in the family. In this half century, the Company’s first
attempt at producing bone china came to a dismal end after sixteen
years (1812-1828). Collectors now eagerly seek out examples of the
patterns and pieces of ‘first period Wedgwood bone china’.
The second half of the nineteenth
century is a better story. The grandchildren and great grandchildren
proved to be of sterner stuff! Francis Wedgwood (1800-1880)
put the firm back on the road to prosperity, and his sons Godfrey , Clement,
and Lawrence continued the success. It was during the time of Francis that
the Company produced parian ware, which they called Carrara and also produced
majolica ware, which was very popular. He also hired Emile Lessore , whose
hand painting on Queen’s Ware, revived the sales of that body. It
was the next generation of his three sons that reintroduced, successfully,
bone china in 1878. They broadened production to include such items as
tiles, Victoria ware, pate sur pate, and commemorative ware. It was during
their time that dinner ware again became the basis of their prosperity.
In the twentieth century
the Wedgwood firm has gone from being a family business, to a public
company , to being part of Waterford-Wedgwood. However, the nature
of the Company also changed; in 1906 Kennard Wedgwood went to the
USA and opened a branch sales office, which was transformed into
Josiah Wedgwood and Sons
USA , an incorporated subsidiary, in 1919. It was not until 1949
that the Canadian subsidiary was established.
The British parent entered the century with the biggest yearly financial losses ever in 1901 and in 1902. In the following decade to World War I, the Company struggled to survive; they even considered closing the factory. During the years of the War the Company survived by cutting costs through closing two days each week; the European market was basically closed and people’s attention was on matters other than home decoration. However the seeds of post war revival were there. John Goodwin was beginning to model and design dinner ware that the increasingly prevalent revival of neoclassical taste appreciated, powder blue decoration had just been developed by James Hodgkiss, and Daisy Makeig-Jones had been hired and was developing her lustre ware. Harry Barnard and Bert Bentley were now at the height of their modelling careers. Thus prosperity returned in the 1920s. In addition to the work of these factory designers, Alfred and Louise Powell were employed at their London Studio hand painting one of a kind pieces as well as designing patterns that were executed at the factory. They even trained some of the hand ‘paintresses’ and designers, such as Millicent Taplin and Star Wedgwood.
The depression brought severe reversals in fortune; the Company nearly went under; however, the fifth generation had entered the firm and through energetic management Josiah V was able to salvage the Company. He let the older generation of designers go and he contracted with such notables as John Skeaping, Keith Murray, Eric Ravillious, as well as employing other such noted designers as Victor Skellern and Norman Wilson. Josiah V, ever forward looking , by the end of the thirties decided that a new modern factory was essential to replace that which Josiah I had built and opened in 1769. The result was that by the time World War II began the factory was being built and it was duly opened in 1940. Because of the War the new factory did not go into full production; the old factory was kept going and , in fact, production there did not cease until 1950.
Because of its historical prevalent position in the industry the Wedgwood factory was kept open during the War years; its production was considered essential to the War effort. Collectors can find in Canada pieces of Wedgwood impressed with marks indicating they were produced during the War. Following the War the firm became part of the post War recovery effort of Britain. Exports have increased significantly to many corners of the earth. A Design Studio was established and in the marketing field greater attention was paid to consumer demand especially as transmitted by the overseas subsidiaries and even shop keepers. Josiah V travelled the world listening to his advisors and their ideas. After his retirement the Company was led by Arthur Bryan, the first non family company head. He was the force behind the huge expansion of Wedgwood; the Company purchased William Adams, Royal Tuscan , Suzie Cooper in 1966; Coalport, 1967; Johnson Bros.,1968; J. &G. Meakin and Midwinter in 1970; and Crown Staffordshire and Mason’s in 1973. In 1986 Wedgwood was taken over or purchased by Waterford to become Waterford-Wedgwood.
As we are about to enter the next century Wedgwood’s fourth, what are the prospects? Wedgwood will probably continue to become more and more international in a variety of ways. However, it is also likely that in order to survive it will also have to continue to call upon its historical identity especially in terms of production. It will have to continue to reflect classical taste , quality, and excellence as well as the innovativeness and creativity that has periodically been shown in the firm.
These articles were originally published
in Antiques Showcase, where
our articles on Wedgwood are frequently found.
The Antiques Showcase subscription
email is: office@trajan.com
For further information, contact k.mcleod@fcmail.com
