Alexis Antiques Wedgwood Blog

Yet another Wedgwood Tome in the Offing

2012-02-04T22:20:00.004-06:00

From the Financial Times website comes an article by A N Wilson, son of famed Wedgwood designer Norman Wilson. It appears he has written a novel about our favorite potter, Josiah, and the 18th Century. He was raised in The Potteries so his point of view might be different from some of the other recent books about Wedgwood. And he weighs in on the current dilemma with the Museum's future. Click the title of this post to see the article; one has to scroll down a bit but you'll see it, title is in bold letters. I'll be watching for the book, hopefully it'll be out before long. If you read it and want to send a review, I'd love to post it!

New Wrinkle on Wedgwood Museum Dilemma

2012-02-02T00:27:00.003-06:00

Click on the title of this post to read up on a newer development in the Museum dilemma in Barlaston. It appears new ideas are coming forth to hopefully find a solution to save the treasures of the Wedgwood Museum and still satisfy the ruling laws.

Presidents' Day will be here soon

2012-01-13T11:51:00.004-06:00

It's long been our habit to make a Featured Item Frame on the website for American History Month and Presidents' Day in February. If you click the title of this post you'll see three nice Presidential China plates we have in stock. If you go to the Browse Inventory box on our site, and type in Lincoln, Kennedy, or Eisenhower you will find items pertaining to those men produced by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons as well, and don't miss the Featured Item Frame on the beautiful set of George and Martha Washington portrait plates produced in 1932 for the Daughters of the American Revolution, they are gorgeous!

Wedgwood Course in Massachusetts this spring

2012-01-09T23:46:00.006-06:00

While I have some great family history in the Deerfield, MA area, I have never been able to visit Historic Deerfield, but it looks like this coming April would be the time to go. I'd love to do some cemetery hunting and more research at the Smith College and Northampton Libraries, where there is a wealth of information about my family's contribution to the history of the area. My 8th great-grandfather's pregnant wife and children were captured by the Indians and the story of his recapturing his family and the birth of his daughter is very well documented - the baby was named Canada for the name of her country of birth...this all took place in central MA near Deerfield. Enough of that, the course being offered at Historic Deerfield sounds very interesting, and if nothing else, their website announcing it is very well executed. Click the title of this post to go to the website. Upon further research I see that in March there is a one day symposium on the Indian Raid of February 29, 1704 in which my 8th great-grandfather, Sgt. Benjamin Wait, was killed by the Indians. For those of you in the east, with an interest in the history of central MA or our Indian heritage especially, can go here to see about this seminar.

WEDGWOOD SANTA CLAUS FUN -Merry Christmas everyone

2011-12-22T12:03:00.003-06:00

One Wedgwood side-topic that I enjoy is finding restaurants, inns and hotels named Wedgwood. I have a stack of menus, ads, etc. to do an article on the subject someday but for now I was going through the stack recently to straighten it out and ran across something fun for the season. This Santa is a heavy cardboard giveaway from The Wedgwood, Family Dining, Corner Tampa Ave. & Business Route 41, Venice, FL I have not yet researched this particular one, but can just see many touring families in the restaurant with the children entertaining themselves, and maybe some of the adults :-)), with these toys, trying to get that ring caught on Santa's moustache. It isn't difficult, I did it on the second try! We at Alexis Antiques wish for all our customers, readers and Wedgwood friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and may 2012 be a kinder, gentler year to all of us, we need it!

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

2011-12-22T11:13:00.005-06:00

Herewith the text of the official Wedgwood Museum Press Release. As of this writing it appears there are several ideas being floated in several circles in which the goal is that the Museum holdings would remain with the WMT in one fashion or other so that the Wedgwood Museum can continue to function with its contents intact. Click the title of this post to read the Release.

WEDGWOOD FOR WILLIAMSBURG

2011-12-21T13:55:00.003-06:00

Thanks to the editor [my good friend Adele Barnett] of The Capital Wedgwoodian, the newsletter of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC, I have just learned that this year is the 75th anniversary of the Williamsburg Reproductions Program "a concept developed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.". Over the years we have carried many of the beautiful products from Wedgwood through this program to help one carry the colonial theme into one's home. At this time we have a few in stock which you might enjoy seeing. Click on the title of this post to see what we have available right now. These are all high quality reproductions of actual items in the Colonial Williamsburg collection. The 1936 Husk Queensware pattern was the first of the items licensed by Wedgwood and we have a piece or two in stock to add to a collection, or perhaps start a new one! For information on the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC and its newsletter, see www.wedgwoodcapital.org.

Wedgwood Museum Case update

2011-12-21T12:25:00.004-06:00

There are MANY links floating around to the news stories relative to the recent unfavorable decision on the future of the holdings of the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston. This recap seems to tell pretty much the current story in an organized fashioned. I suggest if one is interested, continue to watch the Internet, perhaps Googling Wedwood Museum Trust for the latest news on a daily basis. New information is coming forth frequently.

Top level talks to help save Wedgwood collection

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Sentinel

URGENT meetings have been taking place to secure the future of the world-renowned Wedgwood Museum collection in the wake of a High Court judgment which paves the way for it to be sold to pay off creditors.

Tristram Hunt, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, met with Culture Minister Ed Vaizey yesterday along with officials from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

It came as Potteries-born billionaire John Caudwell offered to buy the entire collection – valued at between £11.5 and £18 million – if no other solution can be found.

The Sentinel reported yesterday that the High Court in Birmingham had ruled the collection is not held by the Wedgwood Museum in trust, and can therefore be sold to pay off debts.

The Barlaston attraction went into administration last year after being hit with a £134 million claim from the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan. The Pension Protection Fund – which provides compensation for members of defined benefit pension schemes when companies have collapsed – could not accept the Wedgwood scheme because five of its 7,500 members were employees of the still-solvent museum trust.

Mr Hunt said the Attorney General would have to wait for a written transcript of Monday's judgment to see whether there are grounds for appeal, which is unlikely to arrive until the New Year.

He said: "The Minister was pretty bullish about how the collection is of national if not international significance and that everything has to be done to save it for the nation.

"We talked about the process of appeal but we also talked about what our strategy would be in terms of fund-raising if any appeal fails.

"Around the table we had the Heritage Lottery Fund, who have an £8 million investment in the museum, The Art Fund and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

"It was a good meeting but we do need to know whether there are grounds for appeal.

"If not we are getting all our ducks in a row in terms of a fund-raising strategy.

"The ideal is obviously a sustainable, long-term future for the museum at Barlaston.

"That involves a number of partners including Wedgwood owner KPS, leading national organisations, members of the Wedgwood family and also the people of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, because it is part of their heritage."

The 10,000-piece collection includes rare ceramic pieces, such as company founder Josiah Wedgwood's copy of the famous Roman Portland Vase, paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and George Stubbs and Josiah Wedgwood's handwritten notes.

Mr Hunt added: "It is part of the soil and the history of the people of Staffordshire, but it is also about current jobs and the economy too because the museum is part of our tourism offer.

"This is not about sentimentality or nostalgia."

Meanwhile former Phones4U tycoon John Caudwell has offered to buy the collection if no other solution can be found.

The billionaire, who was born in Stoke-on-Trent but now lives near Eccleshall, said: "The first thing that strikes me is just how grossly unfair it is that a law designed to protect people in totally different circumstances is causing such vast worry and uncertainty among those who are completely blameless for a debt that may result in an important collection – and a big piece of Potteries heritage – being broken up."

He added: "I passionately believe that the collection should remain intact and in place, and available for public viewing.

"If the trustees don't find any other way of solving the issue, then I will attempt to buy the entire collection and keep it in situ and continue with public access.

"This would be subject, of course, to the outcome of any discussions with administrators, and input of the trustees.

"It is vital that such an important piece of history and heritage remains in the Potteries."

When the museum went into administration last year, administrators at Begbies Traynor sought a High Court ruling on the status of its collection.

At a three-day High Court hearing in Birmingham earlier this year, lawyers acting for the Attorney General argued the treasures could not be sold as they were held in charitable trust.

But lawyers acting for the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) said it was an asset of the company and could therefore be sold to pay off creditors.

Administrators Bob Young and Steve Currie, from Begbies Traynor's Caverswall office, said the decision in favour of the PPF does not necessarily mean "the end of the road" for the museum.

Mr Currie said: "We need to look at all the options available. Ideally we would like to preserve the collection at Barlaston if possible.

"We will wait and see whether the Attorney General decides to appeal before we can plan a route forward, but we will work with all the stakeholders to see if there is a solution that can keep the collection at Barlaston."

Mr Currie and Mr Young said that although they are obliged to raise money to the value of the collection for distribution to creditors, they would try to do that without selling the collection, perhaps by way of a three-year Creditors' Voluntary Arrangement.

If the collection does have to be sold, it could go to benefactors who would allow it remain where it is.

Mr Currie added: "It is not the end of the road at all."

Mr Young stressed that the company and the collection would continue with the protection of administration for the time being and that there were no immediate plans to close the museum, which continues to be open to the general public.

A spokesman for the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan said: "The pension trustees would like to highlight that they were under a legal obligation to seek to clarify the ownership of the museum collection. "While it is regrettable that the museum did not take the appropriate action to separate the collection itself from the museum's liabilities to the pension plan, the pension trustees are pleased that the ownership of the collection has been clarified.

"Given the size of the deficit of the plan, unless very substantial sums are recovered from the museum's collection or other sources, it is likely that the plan will move towards transferring to the Pension Protection Fund so that members can benefit from the compensation it provides. "Without the steps which the plan trustees have taken in relation to the museum, members would probably not qualify for this compensation and would see even bigger reductions to their pension benefits."

Museum trustees, who described the court ruling came as a "huge disappointment", said their priority was now striving for a solution which would save the collection for the nation and keep it on display at Barlaston.

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM FIASCO SETTLED UNFAVORABLY

2011-12-19T10:35:00.002-06:00

Well, in their full stupidity, the powers that be in England have decided that the Wedgwood Museum holdings will be sold to the highest bidder. The repercussions of this mess are going to be felt far and wide. People are going to lose jobs, money spent in the past is now a total waste. The family and the public will likely lose access to one of the most valuable records of a nation, industry and society in the civilized world. All because of a poorly written law that no one bothered to think through. That is a major flaw with our modern society, no one can think. Now we will see the consequences...what a loss to the world of history of the industrialized world. The phrase that someone is rolling over in his or her grave pales by comparison to what Josiah and his contemporaries are doing right now.

WEDGWOOD FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-12T09:46:00.002-06:00

CHRISTMAS IS NEARLY HERE BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME TO SHOP WITH ALEXIS ANTIQUES. WE SHIP RIGHT UP TO THE LAST MOMENT SO IF YOU WANT TO PAY OVERNIGHT SHIPPING, WE CAN SHIP AS LATE AS FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR SATURDAY ARRIVAL. WE'VE ADDED A FEW NEW ITEMS FOR CHRISTMAS, SO CLICK THE TITLE OF THIS POST AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE THAT MIGHT PLEASE YOUR GIFT RECIPIENTS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR MANY CUSTOMERS AND VISITORS, WE HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS ARE WARM AND BRIGHT!

JOSIAH WEDGWOOD WATCHING OVER HIS EMPIRE

2011-10-20T09:08:00.004-05:00

We've found a great blog called Staffordshire Daily Photo and today's photo is taken from an angle most of us don't think of. All of MY photos of this statue of Josiah are from the FRONT, how about yours? This is just a short article, but a powerful picture! And be sure to click the link within to the Save The Museum website ~ it's growing close to the end of the month, the deadline by which we have been hearing we'd know the fate of The Museum Mess! Happy Wedgwooding! You know the drill, click the title of this post to go to the article!

JOSIAH WEDGWOOD TURNS UP AS GRAFFITI - AN ODD TWIST

2011-10-15T20:28:00.003-05:00

Here's an unusual take on Josiah Wedgwood...the connections in the world to Josiah seem endless, and this story from This is Staffordshire is no exception. What must Jos be thinking? Click the title of the post to see the story and photo.

GREAT REASON TO HEAD TO EDINBURGH - Wedgwood

2011-10-13T09:25:00.006-05:00

As if there weren't enough reasons to go to Edinburgh, Scotland here is one more! What fun to add a matchbook, swizzle stick or coaster from this restaurant to your Wedgwood accessories collection! We'll all probably assume the china on which the food is served is by Wedgwood & Sons! Be sure to try afternoon tea at The Balmoral, another great spot! Photograph: Mike Wilkinson, article courtesy The Guardian
"When this restaurant opened four years ago it sent out a clear message that on Edinburgh's touristy Royal Mile you could still find seriously good restaurants with seriously interesting menus. Many a business in this historic location would be tempted to bask in their success; maybe put their feet up and watch the tourist money roll in. Not Wedgwood; its pigeon served with haggis, neeps and tatties is as unusual as it is delicious. Try to avoid being seated downstairs, as the natural light of the street-level dining room is where you will enjoy this inventive and innovative experience the most." For recent (12/2011) reviews of this restaurant go here.

WEDGWOOD ON YOUTUBE - FABULOUS FINDS

2011-09-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

If one clicks the title of this post, the story of Wedgwood comes alive, a great YouTube video highly recommended to learn a lot quickly! It is mainly the story of Josiah's campaign for the Trent & Mersey Canal and why it was so important to the development of Wedgwood and the potteries area in general. It's about 8 minutes, so give yourself time to watch. THEN, be sure to click on the other videos on the right side, several very good documentaries on our favorite subject, and some of its side-lights from trains to a beautiful Satsuma teapot. The 250th Anniversary video is excellent. There are a couple of errors, and one that made me laugh; in the first video the narrator shows a piece of creamware falling off a horse-drawn haywagon; unfortunately, the modern Wedgwood backstamp shows very clearly on the shard as it hits the bricks. I guess Gaye wouldn't let them just toss a good, old piece of Queen's Ware to its demise, even for a great video! Spend some time learning! Our modern technology does so much to help us learn about so much. Enjoy!

INTERESTING WEDGWOOD SIDELIGHT

2011-09-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

We Wedgwood aficionados normally spend our time reading and studying the pots or their history, the potters and their history and the potteries, but how often do we think about the underpinnings of the Wedgwood & Sons firm? Speaking for myself, not often and I suspect that goes for others as well. Click the title of this post to read about the Wedgwood's IT operations, a subject I'd imagine few of us think about! It always amazes me what little tidbits one can turn up on our favorite subject, from toilets to bits & bytes - and most everything in between!!

And speaking of the underpinnings, I read this morning that the decision on the Museum Mess is due next month, hopefully a more accurate prediction than the "end of the year" I read earlier in the week.

WEDGWOOD WITH AN AUSTRALIAN CONNECTION

2011-09-14T08:10:00.011-05:00

Our good friend Judy Jones of Sydney has finished a valuable research project and has shared the results of her labours with our readers. Please click the title of this post to see Judy's list of Wedgwood with an Australian Connection. She realizes there may be some omissions, but not for a lack of trying on her part! If you know of Wedgwood produced for the Australian market or with a connection to the history, people or places of Australia, please comment and we'll put you in touch with Judy. THANK YOU Judy for sharing your excellent work with us! Click here to see the listing for this Qantas Airlines butter pat. If you check our website at the New & Featured items page you'll see a new entry as of 1/8/2012, both with Australian connections through the Australian Wedgwood Collectors group which is no longer functioning - a set of thimbles for the Australian market.

1/8/2012
Herewith are some items which have been added to Judy's list of Wedgwood with an Australian connection, which she will be revising more formally at a later time:

Dinnerware for Tattersalls Club Brisbane

Dinnerware for Athenaeum Club Melbourne

Sydney NSW Match Striker oblong box - c1914 - white reliefs on dark blue dip

Arabesque Bowl - 1969, blue jasper, 26cm dia, 11cm high - 2 made as prototypes for Bicentenary - reliefs of Captain Cook, Map of Australia, wattle and leaves

America's Cup Sweet Dish - made for Qantas - pale blue reliefs on white jasper

Waratah Sweet Dish - 1988 - white on pale blue jasper "NSW First State 88" in royal blue print

Meriden School Sweet dish - 1997 centenary - white on portland blue jasper

Sir Donald Bradman bisque porcelain sculpture/figurine - 2002

I have also been reminded The Queen's Beasts Vase 1953 was made in conjunction with Copeland, RCD, RD and Worcester.

Thanks again Judy for sharing with our readers!

WEDGWOOD COLLECTORS ON AUSTRALIAN TV

2011-09-08T11:23:00.006-05:00

On August 12th our friends, and superb Wedgwood collectors, Colin & Judy Jones of Sydney, Australia, were featured on "Collectors" a TV series in Australia. They and some of the Wedgwood in their collection can be seen by clicking the title of this post to go to the video. Earlier, I tried typing this URL into my browser and it didn't seem to work, but when I clicked the link it did, so please let me know if it doesn't work for you. I checked it just as I am posting and it's working well. Congrats to Judy and Colin for a lovely glimpse and great TV interview! And thanks for sharing!

AMERICAN CERAMIC CIRCLE GRANT AWARDS

2011-09-07T23:27:00.009-05:00

THE AMERICAN CERAMIC CIRCLE ANNOUNCES 2011 GRANT AWARD

Below is the ACC recent Press Release. If you have any ceramics marked WYKSTRA or with a conjoined V and W, please get in touch. These may be products of the pottery which I am researching. To see some examples of the VW Pottery, you can go to my Vander Meulen family blog and scroll down to the pix on the left hand side. Click the title of this post to go to the rest of the announcement and the ACC website.

"The American Ceramic Circle has awarded Leslie Vander Meulen Canavan a grant in support of original research in the history of ceramics. Leslie will conduct research on the small, but important, early twentieth-century pottery, the Van der Meulen & Wykstra Art Pottery Co. of Dunkirk, NY. The pottery was founded in 1905 by Leslie’s great great uncle, Theake Van der Meulen, a Dutch immigrant, and his partner Gerrit Wykstra.

The ACC awards up to $5,000 for expenses associated with the preparation of scholarly papers based on original research in the history of ceramics. Grant recipients are required to offer completed papers for publication in the American Ceramic Circle Journal and may be invited to speak at an annual ACC symposium. The next deadline for completed applications is April 1, 2012.

An application form and a statement of general principles pertaining to the grants process are available on the website, www.amercercir.org. Questions may be addressed to ACC Grants Chairman, Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, Curator of Decorative Arts, Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35203-2278 or aforschler@artsbma.org.

Founded in 1970, the American Ceramic Circle promotes scholarship and research in the history, use and preservation of ceramics. Symposia are held in early November at various museums around the country. A limited number of scholarships to the symposia are available for students. For information about membership and publications, contact Executive Director, Suzanne Findlen Hood, sfhood@acc.hrcoxmail.com."

FOR OUR FRIENDS DOWN UNDER

2011-08-31T11:53:00.005-05:00

Over the years we have had the pleasure of corresponding with and selling to several Wedgwood collectors in Australia to include some we have even been able to meet 'in person'. We like to try to take interesting information to the world-wide Wedgwood market and we don't want to ignore our Aussie friends. By clicking here one can see an interesting article about a lady trained in the Staffordshire art of producing and decorating bone china. I'm sure you will enjoy reading her story and perhaps some of our readers will have visited her studio or own some of her work, we'd love to hear from you if so! And stay tuned, our roving reporter Judy Jones has compiled a very comprehensive list of Wedgwood with an Australian connection which she has graciously allowed us to share, it'll be coming soon!

Interesting new find - work by Eric Ravilious

2011-07-28T10:35:00.006-05:00

Click this post title to check this new article about a recently-uncovered mural by artist & Wedgwood designer Eric Ravilious in Wales. If it can be saved it would be the only extant example of his mural work. Here is a picture of the Midland Hotel, Morecambe taken in 1936. And thanks to our super sleuth Tony Pulford in Scotland, we found that the Hercule Poirot episode "Double Sin" was filmed at the Midland Hotel & we watched that episode with more interest this time 'round. Thanks Tony for that piece of Poirot trivia.

JOSIAH WEDGWOOD & HIS WOMEN - DESIGNERS THAT WAS

2011-07-04T01:19:00.004-05:00

What was it I was just saying the other day, that we can't pass a day without finding something relative to Josiah in our surroundings? Today we have an interesting article about women designers, specifically Elizabeth Templetown, who were commissioned by Josiah I to create designs for his execution in jasper and other bodies. Josiah's was an age when men certainly dominated most areas of design and art. Click the title of this post to read an informative article, but like the other earlier in the week, with a bit of a mis-statement in the first paragraph - you'll spot it if you know anything about George Stubbs! In the meantime, check out Wedgwood Society of Washington, D.C. on Facebook for a picture of another work by Lady Templetown and sip a cuppa with the New York Times and Wedgwood as we celebrate our nation's birthday! Have a Glorious Fourth!

Hensleigh Wedgwood chimes in on that Pesky Extra E

2011-07-04T00:32:00.010-05:00

While researching in my library sometime back, I randomly picked a book from the shelf and to my delight noticed it had been one of Elizabeth Chellis'. The title page of Staffordshire Pottery and its History by Josiah C. Wedgwood does not state a publication date, but in Elizabeth's hand in pencil I found: [1913]? 1922 says C V Wedgwood check again I smiled as I thought about her thorough attention to detail. I found enclosed in the front a news-clipping from the local Wellesley newspaper of 12 Feb 1953- an ad for the local Community Playhouse with coming attractions, a fun commentary on the times, to wit: The Promoter, Operation Secret (with Karl Malden), Everything I Have is Yours, with Marge and Gower Champion and Claudette Colbert in Outpost in Malaya. More interesting to us Wedgwoodians perhaps is an article, dated 4 Feb 1947, from the Boston Herald which I think bears repeating: "Hensley [sic] Wedgwood, of the British family whose name is famed in china and pottery, arrived in this country recently on a business trip. He was interviewed by a group of newspaper and magazine writers about the manufacture and sale of Wedgwood...One interviewer noticed that in his lapel [he] wore a tiny pin on which was the letter 'E'. Wedgwood was asked whether this was a British award similar to the 'E' Awards, given by the War and Navy Depts. during the war. 'Not at all,' said Wedgwood. 'It's there to remind people abut the correct spelling of my name-that there's only one 'E' in Wedgwood'". One would think that since the article was about the spelling of his name, the newspaper proofers would be sure his FIRST name was spelled correctly! Perhaps we need to retell this story to young collectors, those on eBay and other places where we SO often find this annoying mis-spelling. We really need to commission a jewelry manufacturer to make us a blue & white enamel E lapel pin! In a quick search for a photo of Hensleigh, I found a very interesting article by Hensleigh in a 1970 issue of American Heritage about Josiah, another article about our favorite potter, which bears a good read. Click the title of this post to read it! And another amazing find popped up as I searched for that picture of Hensleigh. Check out this book by a much earlier Hensleigh Wedgwood! I don't remember having heard of this one, but perhaps I have and simply never investigated!

And from the back of Elizabeth's book, perhaps used as a placemarker, fell a short poem cut from a newspaper without attribution or date with which I close, in hopes that someday when my library is disseminated others will enjoy the odds and ends I seem to be constantly tucking inside my books.

STAFFORD CANAL
Where lichened locks all dripping cool
So deeply store their limpid pool,
Gay-painted barges dream and drowse
In soft shadows of haymows.

And by the inn with open door
Old bargemen speak of water lore,
Crews or cargoes, miles per day,
Copper bars, and bales of hay.
[wonder if Elizabeth itched to change this to 'pots of clay' as do I]

While off in distant growing gloom
I see dark massive Wrekin loom,
Low lightning-lit in Shropshire sky.
An anchored cloud as night flows by.
R. N. T.

JOSIAH WEDGWOOD A MAN FOR ALL TIME

2011-06-30T08:37:00.005-05:00

It seems that the subject of Josiah Wedgwood, his pots, his family and his own story never seem to disappear from some facet of the public consciousness in today's world of instant international communication for the masses. In Josiah's time the world was much larger, meaning that one couldn't reach it so fast and easily as we can today when the world has been made much smaller by fast travel, fast communication and more global thinking. One of the reasons he and subjects involving him are so prevalent is that he was so many things - and the things in which he involved himself were important, and in many cases momentous. The building of the Trent & Mersey Canal affected so many in England; his scientific discoveries and inventions, and those of his descendants, still matter in our world (think photography for one). It is amazing to me how often Wedgwood-related subjects pop into the modern consciousness. Clicking the title of this post will show just one small example of my thoughts of the day. A musician in Indiana making a list of important happenings not only adds Josiah's founding of Wedgwood & Sons, but the photo that accompanies his article is a picture of a tribute to Josiah from our times. Josiah on the mind of a Nicaraguan musician raised in New Orleans and an expert on early music - go figure!

But this week, that's not all. At the University of Edinburgh, an archaeological dig has unearthed evidence of chemistry accoutrements made by Josiah & his firm as well as several other important artifacts and has the chemistry world quite excited. To read a bit about this news circling around the globe this week, one can go here to a post which includes a video interview with an expert on the subject. So we have an article on historic music and chemistry and Josiah all falling into my computer in one morning. It's an amazing world isn't it? There is one more thing that fell into my realm this morning, which is interesting, odd and in part inaccurate but certainly worth a quick read.

Galileo once used one to look at the sun... but it wasn’t as big as ours! So what has THIS to do with Josiah Wedgwood you ask? I did too and couldn't resist reading further in this article from The News, Portsmouth, England.

"By Aline Nassif
Published on Wednesday 29 June 2011 07:05

GALILEO had one so he could safely look at the sun.

Now schoolchildren are following in his footsteps by having their very own camera obscura – but on a much grander scale.

This octagonal white building, pictured below, is in fact a pin-hole camera and is one of just 12 of its kind in the UK.

It works by projecting light and reflections of the surrounding landscape via mirrors through a large lens in the roof, creating a moving image onto a white table below.

Youngsters at Wicor Primary School in Portchester have been using the £10,000 camera obscura – which means ‘dark room’ – to complement art, science and history lessons.

Alexandra Birch, 10, said: ‘The first time I went inside it was so exciting. I had never seen anything like it before, it was almost like stepping inside a time machine or a different period.

‘In my class we’ve been using it to draw trees and it has really helped me with my artwork because the quality of the image it reflects is so accurate.

‘It’s not just great for art, it also gives you an amazing sense of history and all the great people in the past who have used the camera obscura from the Greeks to famous painters.

As well as helping Galileo study the sun, the invention – which led to modern cameras – was also used by Dutch artist Vermeer to paint his intricate canvases and Josiah Wedgwood to sketch English countryside scenes for a 900-piece dinner service.

Elizabeth Harbridge, 10, added: ‘It is incredible to think we have just one of 12 camera obscuras in the whole country.'

For dramatic effect the reference to Josiah works, but it's of course not accurate. Josiah was a potter and a scientist, but not really an artist. Those images on the well-known dinner service he produced for Catherine the Great of Russia were not sketched by Josiah, but purchased by him from artists and / or commissioned by him for the purpose of providing Catherine with 952 pieces of dinner and dessert ware to remind her of her English homeland, where she never lived. It was by the images on the dishes which we lovingly call The Frog Service today that she knew of the surroundings of her English relatives.

INTERESTING CURRENT EVENTS IN THE WORLD OF WEDGWOOD

2011-06-26T10:15:00.006-05:00

For those of you thinking of a trip to Birmingham, AL to see the largest and best collection of Wedgwood outside of England, click the title of this post to read a great article on the tourist advantages in Birmingham. Not only is the Birmingham Museum of Art featured, you will also find a good deal of information about all the other things to do in this fabulous Southern city. Check our older posts for a great picture of Vulcan after you read the article here on its history.

Additionally, you can click here to see a video interview with the current CEO of Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton, Pierre de Villemejane, with commentary on the direction the company is now taking. With the fast-moving changes in the world market today, and the china industry is no different, this gives a quick overview of where Wedgwood seems to be going.

And you can check out Lord Wedgwood's recent travels to Houston here.

"JOSIAH WEDGWOOD" A SHIP WITH AN AMAZING STORY

2011-06-21T15:58:00.015-05:00

Some weeks back I somehow stumbled upon a World War II era ship named "Josiah Wedgwood". One thing led to another and I learned a lot, as did my friend Tony in Scotland, who is a former mariner. Between the two of us, our curiosity got the better of us and Tony spent a good deal of time not only doing the research to figure out why the ship was named "Josiah Wedgwood", but to condense the large amount of information down to a more reader-friendly article. The links we've provided give additional detail for anyone interested in a more in-depth version! We've found trains and boats, books and pots, wonder what else we'll find named "Josiah Wedgwood"! We hope you will enjoy the fruits of Tony's labours and a big thanks to him for taking his time to elucidate this fascinating story. As is our habit, clicking the title of this post & the colored links will lead to more information on the topic.

"The corvette "Beauharnois" was built by the Morton Engineering and Dry Docks Co., Quebec City and launched on 11th May 1944 for service with the Canadian Navy. Corvettes were a temporary answer to a shortage of patrol and escort vessels until the larger destroyers entered service. Short (205 ft) and broad in the beam, they were based on a whaling ship design which allowed them to patrol in heavy weather. The hull design also gave them a reputation of being capable of "rolling on wet grass" - a challenge to the stomach of even the most hardened naval veteran! They could make 16 knots whilst a surfaced U-boat was capable of 17-18 knots.

Decommissioned in July 1945 she was purchased, along with her sister ship the "Norsyd", by Mossad Le'Aliya using a false shipping company as a "front". She was sailed to New York and renamed "Josiah Wedgwood", joined a fleet of ten Aliyah Bet ships manned by largely American crews for the purpose of running the British blockade of Palestine. Sailing from New York with a crew of 20 men (the usual crew numbered 85) she eventually reached Italy where 1259 Jewish refugees were taken on board for passage to Palestine. However, she was intercepted by the British destroyer "Venus" and towed into Haifa where all on board were transported to the Atlit Detention Camp. After being laid up in Haifa harbour she was renamed the "Hashomer" and served with the Israeli Navy until 1955.

The name "Josiah Wedgwood" was chosen as a tribute to Colonel Josiah Clement Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood of Barlaston, DSO. Also known as Josiah IV, he was the son of Clement Wedgwood and Gt-Gt-Grandson of Josiah 1. He followed a career, first in industry and then, after seeing service in South Africa during the second Boer War, became a Liberal Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1906.

After serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the First World War, he returned to Parliament and, in 1919, joined the Labour Party. It was for his championing of Zionism and his attacks on the government's Middle East policies over the next twenty years that the ship was named in his honour. Serving in the Home Guard during the Second World War, he toured the USA putting Britain's case against Germany. It was while there that Churchill offered him a Peerage and he became Baron Wedgwood in 1942. He died the following year in London aged 71.

Much more detail on the background to the politics which brought about the blockade of Palestine and the formation of the Aliyah Bet fleet can be found on the internet as can a full account of the life of Josiah IV. [Go here to read a first-person account of a sailor on the ship.]

In total the 66 ships of the Aliyah Bet fleet transported 71,534 refugees out of which the 10 American ships transported 31,078 or 43.4%."

Refugees at Haifa

Wedgwood Interest Photography

2011-06-17T20:21:00.003-05:00

Some time back I corresponded a bit with Gered Mankowitz, the son of Wolf Mankowitz of Wedgwood fame. Wolf was a dealer of Wedgwood and an author. Many of us collectors have his books in our libraries. Gered is a very famous photographer and well known for his work with The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. In working at my desk just now, I have the TV show Pawn Stars on for noise; nothing else I like better was airing! Amazingly, someone took a framed black & white photo of Jimi Hendrix in to sell and the son bought it for $2,000 as a Father's Day gift for his dad. It was signed by Gered and numbered #4 of 25 prints made. It would probably have sold for more at an auction, but the seller was happy. By the way, the Wedgwood retail shop in London named Gered was named after Gered as I recall his telling me. For more information about this famous photographer, just Google Gered Mankowitz. You can also click here to see the Wedgwood Queensware mug with the front of the Gered store in Piccadilly, a great place to shop for Wedgwood in the not-so-long-ago-past plus it's a great looking mug!

NEW WEDGWOOD CONFERENCE CENTER & WEDDING VENUE

2011-06-14T10:09:00.007-05:00

The beautiful buildings, gardens and grounds at the former Wedgwood Memorial College have been given a new lease on life. Imagine a beautiful sunny day and your wedding and / or reception at Barlaston in the former Wedgwood Memorial College campus, renamed Wedgwood College and Conference Center, and now having undergone changes to provide 22 hotel rooms and venue for weddings and other celebrations, meetings, conferences. Congratulations to the Stoke-on-Trent City Council for a great idea and great execution! In MY next life, I'm getting married there! Click the title of this post to see a recent article on this exciting new conference center!

INTERESTING NEW HONOR FOR WEDGWOOD MUSEUM

2011-05-25T00:37:00.002-05:00

Here is an interesting article about a great new honor for the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston. Our friend Gaye Blake Roberts is quoted in the article. Thanks to Google for the link to this BBC News article! I love Google! Click the title of this post to go directly to the article.

DEATHS IN THE WORLDWIDE WEDGWOOD COMMUNITY

2011-05-22T14:33:00.003-05:00

On a sad note, the Wedgwood world has recently lost four long-time citizens whom we should remember and thank for their important contributions to the knowledge and enjoyment of the ceramics so many of us love to study and collect. May they rest in peace and love. Thank you to Adele Barnett, editor of the Capital Wedgwoodian, newsletter of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC, in whose next newsletter these items will also appear. We appreciate the sneak peek since I was working on my blog today.

B. F. (Ben) Sherman, Jr. (1923 - 2011): Ben Sherman of McLean, Virginia, was a founding and active member of the WSWDC and served on its Board as a director for seven years. For decades he attended the Wedgwood International Seminar, participated in WSWDC exhibitions, and was a collector of primarily early 20^th century Wedgwood artists. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, Ben later earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Stamford University and spent his long naval career mainly in submarines. He was commander of the USS Alexander Hamilton and a submarine commodore based in Scotland. After retiring from the Navy in 1943, Ben hiked the entire Appalachian Trail before embarking on a career developing educational toys as president of Orbix Corp. Ben leaves two sons and two grandchildren. He was 87 and will be missed by many, especially those of us among the local WSWDC membership.

Ronald H. Zimmerman (1944-2011): Ron Zimmerman of Kingsville, Maryland, was also a founding WSWDC member and very much involved in its activities and exhibitions. His love of Wedgwood was eclectic, but he especially gravitated toward colorful wares of all types and Napoleon Ivy patterns (Ron’s recently deceased partner, Alex Mowery, and also a member of the WSWDC collected Napoleonic memorabilia). Before he retired, Ron’s career was mostly in the publishing business. He enjoyed traveling and was a leader in his Lutheran church. Ron’s health deteriorated rapidly after Alex’s tragic death months prior. He was 66 and left no surviving relatives. Again, another dear friend of the WSWDC who will be sorely missed.

Milton I. (Mickey) Aion (1919 -2011): Mickey Aion of Rydal, Pennsylvania, was well known in Wedgwood circles. In 1969 he founded the first Wedgwood Collectors Society in collaboration with the Wedgwood firm. A jeweler by trade, Mickey created Wedgwood cameo-mounted pieces of which virtually every Wedgwoodian has an example. He also designed for Bing & Grondal porcelain and provided services for Lenox China. Mickey commissioned, among other wares, the blue jasper tray for Philadelphia’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s Beth Shalom Synagogue. He was a long-time member of the English Ceramics Study Group of Philadelphia and in recent years, the WSWDC honored him with complimentary membership for all his generous donations of Wedgwood wares, books, and ephemera. Mickey as 92 and leaves a daughter, Edith Weinstein, a son, Larry, and one grandchild. The WSWDC is grateful for all that Mickey contributed to the Society. Background information provided by Suzanne Rubin

Denbeigh Garrard (1940 -2011): Denbeigh Garrard of Australia was the president of the Wedgwood Society of New South Wales and a collector of Wedgwood jasperware, stamps, and DVDs. A doctor of medicine, he served in a number of capacities to include pathology registrar, general practice, and hospital superintendent, and served as a head deacon, elder, and Sabbath school leader. Denbeigh was 70 and leaves his wife, Bev, WSNSW secretary, two children and five grandchildren. Extracted from WSNSW “The Medallion”

RUSSIAN ELLE DECOR MAGAZINE FEATURES WEDGWOOD

2011-05-22T13:47:00.009-05:00

Through our friends Lord Wedgwood, Adele Barnett of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC, Judy Jones of New South Wales and Paul Thomas, editor of the Wedgwood Society of New South Wales' newsletter The Medallion, comes this wonderful pdf file of the March issue of the gorgeous Elle Magazine Russian edition. The featured item is gorgeous photos of and commentary on the antiques-filled Philadelphia residence of Lord and Lady Wedgwood. Thank you to all who made the digitized version of this sumptuous article available to on-line Wedgwood aficionados, and of course to those of us who cannot visit Philadelphia or Russia! Enjoy! Be sure to click on the little "sticky note" symbols in the captions, that is where the translations of the text are found.

WEDGWOOD AT VILLA FINALE IN SAN ANTONIO

2011-05-22T10:34:00.007-05:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation owns and runs properties around the country and most are filled with unimaginable treasures. The NTHP publishes a great blog which I follow but I'd forgotten that Villa Finale in San Antonio had been featured there in the past. Click the title of this post to check out the blogpost link. Our late dear friend Gwen Steapp was a Wedgwood "pal" of Walter's and she talked often of his mentoring her and sharing his adventures in his collecting pursuits. The pictures on the Villa Finale website give an amazingly comprehensive glimpse of what is in store when one visits. I can't help but imagine that this will be one of the stops on the Wedgwood trail followed by the attendees of the 2012 Wedgwood International Seminar in San Antonio - slated for April 25 to 28, 2012..

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM TRUST NEWS

2011-05-20T13:29:00.006-05:00

GO HERE to see an earlier status update of the Wedgwood Museum Trust pension fiasco and learn how YOU can help. Here is yet another article. PLEASE GO HERE NOW TO SEE HOW YOU CAN DIRECTLY & POSITIVELY IMPACT THE STRUGGLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WEDGWOOD MUSEUM, AND PLEASE READ DR. TRISTRAM HUNT'S ARTICLE, IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST WELL-WORDED OF ANYTHING RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THIS VASTLY IMPORTANT SUBJECT. It is not only the Josiah Wedgwood & Sons employees who beseech us to help, but also the family itself. If the Museum's treasures are sold, that will include the FAMILY correspondence and papers also, lost to them and the Wedgwood admiring public, as well as historians of ceramics, Staffordshire, the Industrial Revolution, and so many more subjects! 10/26/10, it appears the Museum is getting a bit more proactive, check out their current court plans here. And WHILE WE STILL DO NOT HAVE A COURT DATE, GO HERE TO READ SOME OF THE PUBLICITY.

SEE SAVE THE WEDGWOOD MUSEUM on FACEBOOK & see another article here. Follow the Save The Museum news blogs. Here is another article, indicating the court date now may have been moved to Spring, which as of 3/22/11 is now untrue, it's been moved again, see blogpost of this date.

Check out one other article. as yet another family member weighs in on the subject, read here what Anne Makeig-Jones has added to the volume of opinion coming forth.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 IS NOW THE COURT DATE! NOTHING LIKE DRAGGING IT OUT!!!

LORD WEDGWOOD, MARTHA & A GOOD WEDGWOOD HISTORY

2011-05-05T06:47:00.005-05:00

Martha Stewart and Piers, Lord Wedgwood have become friends along their way over the years, being a good team of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons advocates. Click the title of this post to read a good and accurate (accuracy often difficult to find on-line) article about the history of the company and various Wedgwood products. If you look through our posts, you'll see other articles about Piers, and photos of him too. At our website, www.alexisantiques.com, in our Featured Items section you'll see another good article about an appearance by His Lordship on Martha's TV show which features a piece of the Frog Service Reproduction Queen's Ware series which we loaned them for the show. Martha is a Wedgwood collector so her interest in the subject is not merely one of having another subject to highlight in her magazine and on her TV show, but also one closer to her heart as a collector. 5/19/11, the Ice Pail has sold, so this featured item frame will be gone, but the link above will take you to any Frog Service items we may have in stock at any one time. Today His Lordship is in Australia at a signing event and word has it that he's with our friends Colin Jones and Lee Bradshaw helping spread the Wedgwood spirit in that part of the world. Have fun fellows!

WEDGWOOD LOOK WEDDING CAKE

2011-04-28T11:23:00.006-05:00

Click the title of this post to see some gorgeous wedding cakes on display at Harrod's in London, one of which you should recognize, Wedgwood's interpretation based on the Renaissance Gold pattern of William and Catherine's Royalty Commemorative china - so we have the pattern on a rug, a cake and royalty souvenirs. I have to wonder how popular the Renaissance Gold pattern has become as a table setting! Enjoy these gorgeous photos! ONCE FINISHED WITH THE CAKES, BE SURE TO LOOK AT THE SLIDESHOW LINKS BELOW THE CAKE PHOTOS - THESE ARE PROBABLY THE BEST, MOST SUCCINCT PHOTOS ALL IN ONE PLACE WE'VE SEEN COVERING THE FAMILY HISTORIES, STORY OF THE ROMANCE, ENGAGEMENT AND MARRIAGE OF WILLIAM AND CATHERINE. WELL DOCUMENTED GORGEOUS PHOTOS, AND IF ONE IS INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT, WORTH THE TIME TO VIEW! AND YOU LADIES INTERESTED IN ALL THINGS DIAMANTE, DON'T MISS THE SLIDESHOW TAB CALLED "CROWN JEWELS" ABOUT THE HISTORIC ROYAL TIARAS, GORGEOUS PHOTOS, ALMOST LIKE BEING RIGHT IN THE TOWER!

ROYALTY COMMEMORATIVES ENJOY POPULARITY

2011-04-25T21:51:00.007-05:00

As a person involved in many things British, I am frequently asked about Royalty Souvenir items, especially, obviously, ceramics. If you check out our other blog posts, you will see some articles about the current flurry of new Royal Wedding commemoratives. There are many collectors around the world, especially in the Commonwealth countries, for all things Royal. We normally say that any time there is a change in the Royal Family, interest in royalty souvenir china spikes up. The current Royal Wedding craze is no different. We therefore are highlighting some of our royal items in inventory, and will be bringing out more in the next day or so. The thimble pictured here came out in 1983, when Diana was pregnant with Prince Harry. It is styled Charles & Diana Royal Birth Thimble. Additionally we have a great plate featuring the Duke of Windsor as Edward 8th, his face shown from the right side. This plate is well executed, with thick enamel paint, but most importantly not only rare because much of the Edward VIIIth items were broken and discarded, but because The Duke disliked his own right side profile thus seldom allowed items with these images. We also have available a Keith Murray Queensware tankard featuring The Duke of Windsor as King and a very nice tricolour jasper Trojan upright rope-handled jug featuring Prince Charles & Lady Diana at the time of their marriage. Also from the era of Charles & Diana's wedding, 30 years ago now, we have a Richard Guyatt design Queensware plate featuring Diana, Charles and the Prince of Wales feathers. Click the links for a good selection of royalty commemorative items. And watch those royal happenings to see the upswing in availability and popularity of Royal Commemorative ceramics, a great time for collectors!

WEDGWOOD ON TV

2011-04-22T12:07:00.002-05:00

I have always loved the PBS program "Upstairs, Downstairs" so was delighted to learn a new version is now airing. On a recent episode the staff is below stairs eating sweets and listening to the wireless, an orchestral concert at the Palm Court. My mind goes directly to the Palm Court room at the London Ritz, a gorgeous place to find oneself. Someone comments that a background sound is probably the tinkling of china cups and saucers as refreshments are served during the concert; Rose says it is probably glass, and the butler, in his infinite wisdom, says, "Bone china makes a very fine sound and it would be bone china at an establishment like that, Wedgwood possibly, or even Spode". I loved the reference. If one watches these episodes one will see that at least one of the family's fine bone china patterns is 'Colonnade Black' by Wedgwood...I've seen it in the first two episodes. I believe the next episode is this coming Sunday evening, Easter Sunday. Enjoy!

ROYAL WEDDING CAN'T BE IGNORED - HELPING CERAMIC INDUSTRY

2011-04-22T09:28:00.012-05:00

Click this post title for an informative article from UK Sentinel letting us know various ways in which many Brits are celebrating the upcoming wedding. Lots of fun activities are planned. I haven't been keeping track of what folks are doing on this side of the pond, but I have bought my fascinator to wear with my pj's as I drink tea with the ladies of Daughters of the British Empire at a 5am Wedding Watch party here in St. Louis.

On another note it appears that the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding pottery areas is on the upswing. Some of this success is being attributed to the healthy sales of Royal Wedding wares. Wedgwood & Sons has produced a plate, mug, covered box and megabuck commemorative urn for the occasion. The other potteries are also producing beautiful wares. The Wedgwood Museum [see older post below] commissioned a mug which, while not made by Wedgwood, was made in Stoke and the backstamp bears this out. You can go here to see a short video and read an article about the subject of increasing profits, something we all want to hear about! You might have to wait a few seconds for the right video to be visible at the top but the text is located right below the video screen. And you can always go to www.wedgwood.com to see Royal Wedding, Mothers Day and regular wedding merchandise. They have a set of 3 top banners, if you want the Royal Wedding just wait a few seconds until it shows up at the top of the page.

The Royal Wedding Collection design is based on the Wedgwood bone china pattern Renaissance Gold. If you scroll through the entries on the right side of our blog, you'll see Piers, Lord Wedgwood, standing on a rug also inspired by this same china pattern. Take a look!

20th CENTURY SALE OF OLD WEDGWOOD MEDALLIONS

2011-04-08T16:48:00.016-05:00

From our good friend Tony in Scotland, who is particularly fond of Wedgwood's antique Portrait Medallions, comes some recent research on his part. An interesting article which brings up some interesting questions; if you know the answer to the questions posed, please use the comment utility to fill us in! THANK YOU Tony for sharing your research with our readers!

A sale took place in the Collectors' Room at Marshall Field & Company, probably around the middle of the 20th century. The precise date is not known at present as there appear to be no records surviving at the store. The catalogue gives an interesting glimpse into the collecting methods of an early 20th century collector, David Davis, and the prices asked just sixty years or so ago.

A good example is number 450 in the catalogue, a pair of Wedgwood & Bentley medallions of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in fancy ormolu frames which, as the catalogue entry states, were purchased in October 1919 from the Wedgwood Museum at Etruria. The entry continues that only two of these trial portraits were made, the other pair still being in the hands of the Wedgwood family. Price $850 the pair. What would any modern day collector give to be able to visit the Wedgwood Museum and purchase pieces from the collection? [We may get the chance if the current legal issues aren't solved properly!]

Other choice pieces include a Dr Henry Pemberton formerly owned by Erasmus Darwin for $300 and a 10.5 inch x 8 inch Dr Joseph Priestley for $450. The catalogue says of the latter that only eight subjects were modeled in this large size and "of these large plaques there do not exist more than a dozen altogether, several of them being destroyed in a fire at the Alexandra Palace". The Alexandra Palace was destroyed by fire in 1873, only sixteen days after it opened.
In all, the sale consisted of 177 portrait medallions, all 18th century and ranging in price from a Wedgwood & Bentley medallion of an unknown subject for $25 to a tray of nine Wedgwood & Bentley medallions for $450.

The catalogue is accompanied by a booklet, also undated, describing pieces in the collection reproduced from "The Quest of The Antique" written by Mrs Willoughby Hodgson and published in England in 1924. Mrs Hodgson wrote extensively on ceramics in the early 20th century but who she was is yet to be discovered. Will collectors fifty years hence look on the prices paid for 20th century portrait medallions with the same degree of envy that these prices of fifty years ago invoke now?

In the Catalog of the Wedgwood Museum at Etruria, Staffordshire, published in 1909 we find on page 73 the following: "101 Square frame containing 14 early "trial" portraits. In cane colour, white relief. Washington (2) Franklin (2) Linnaeus (3) Voltaire and Rev. C. Wyvill (2) Miss Edgworth, black ground, white relief, and another, all white; Henry IV,. blue and white; a Roman Philosopher waxen jasper; a blank field, and 11 small portraits for rings, in cameo and intaglio. Thirteen of the portraits are incised on back with Wedgwood's formula for the body. One (Washington) solid blue body, cane colored field, has:
I-M I-C I-No.1559 I-D flint in {wash}
The small portraits have various memoranda as:- 3037 A T. B. O.&c. Ten are marked Wedgwood & Bentley." This catalogue entry is 10 years earlier than Mr. Davis' purchase of a Washington and Franklin pair of medallions from the Etruria Museum. Could they be the same? Check pages 3 & 4 of the Catalogue using the links below! Here is the photo of the medallion of Benjamin Franklin listed as #101 in the Museum Catalogue, likely one of those purchased in 1919 by Mr. Davis.

Please click these links to see photos of the catalogue, booklet and drawing of the Alexandra Palace during the fire. And you can click the post title to read a LOT about Alexandra Palace! And go here for a great Virtual Tour of Etruria courtesy of the Wedgwood Museum. Addenda: Tony has graciously scanned all pages of the Sale Catalogue for us. Please click the following links for the actual pages.
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Lord Wedgwood Charity shines in Birmingham, AL

2011-04-05T18:22:00.006-05:00

Our friend Piers, Lord Wedgwood started a charity some time back and it is currently in the news. Click the title of this Post to see what it's all about. And while we're on the topic of Birmingham, be sure to remember to try to fit a trip to that beautiful city into your travel itinerary; the largest collection of Wedgwood in our hemisphere is now located there at the Birmingham Museum of Art. There is a lot to see and do there, so check out Vulcan and the Wedgwood! Update, click here to see a more recent article about the wonderful good Lord Wedgwood's Charity has accomplished for Birmingham and the whole state of Alabama!

BURSLEM IN THE POTTERIES

2011-03-23T00:58:00.011-05:00

In roaming around the internet I stumbled upon some interesting pictures on a flickr site by Futurilla and I thought I'd share the photos. You can go here to see Futurilla's Photostream or simply enjoy these images. Since I posted this more photos have been added to Futurilla's Photostream, so you'll need to scroll thru more pix to find all the Wedgwood related shots, but it's worth the few moments it takes, several great pictures of Wedgwood sites.

The is the doorway to the now shuttered Wedgwood Institute; you'll find more about it in an older post.

This is Burslem from Grange, a spectacular view of this very old town so much connected with the Potteries. This is the town where Josiah I was baptized.

The Backway to Burslem, what a lovely ride!
Thank you to Futurilla for making these photos available to those of us who wish we were there!

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM NEWS AND KEITH MURRAY

2011-03-22T15:59:00.004-05:00

I have just learned from my good buddy Adele of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, D.C., that the court date for the Wedgwood Museum Trust pension fiasco is now looking like this coming fall or later. Talk about dragging one's feet! It appears to this observer that if it was important to settle the issue, which MANY of us believe it is, action would be moved along. Apparently someone somewhere does not WANT this problem solved; or perhaps they just have NO clue how to solve it so are ignoring it, hoping it will disappear. Among the world's stupidity, this is at the top of my list, which grows longer with every passing day.

On a brighter note, click the title of this post to view an 'Annular' shape coffee cup by famed Wedgwood designer Keith Murray. I take issue with the writer's calling what Murray designed for Wedgwood "glassware"...a misnomer for sure! The Los Angeles County Museum of Art does hold wonderful treasures, but "glassware" by Keith Murray, NOT!

WEDGWOOD SOCIETY CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARIES

2011-03-17T21:23:00.009-05:00

One of the several Wedgwood organizations to which I belong is the Wedgwood Society of New South Wales. I have been privileged to meet some of the members 'in person' over the years, and sometimes send contributions to their newsletter The Medallion. In 2011 the Society celebrates 35 years since they were formed as a chapter of the Wedgwood Society of Australia, and 25 years since they incorporated as The Wedgwood Society of New South Wales, Inc. They offer an interesting newsletter which gives a bit of a 'down under' spin on varying Wedgwood subjects. Often one can get a good idea of what's what in the Wedgwood world in the southern hemisphere, and it's fun to see how it's different than our world here in the USA. The WSNSW is a 'sister society' to the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC, and thus shares members and information on a regular basis. Check the LINKS tab on our website to go to the website of both. This month's newsletter is as always very interesting, but the most fun thing I found is a link to a radio show featuring "The Drama of the Young Josiah Wedgwood as given over 175 radio stations from coast to coast during the week of January 5th, 1947, as part of the series Adventures in Research [sponsored by Westinghouse radio stations]..." A review of meetings of the Wedgwood Club of Boston found in Old Wedgwood, is the source of the information. Please realize that this is a fancifull script, not always the accurate actual facts as known and recorded, and in some cases, the order of events is a bit incorrect. It runs 15 minutes and you can access it right here. When you get to the site, scroll down to #38, Beauty in Clay, and be sure your volume is at max level. ENJOY! And thank you to Paul Thomas, editor of The Medallion, for bringing this piece of history to light. Paul is often the source of wonderful pearls of Wedgwood wisdom and this is no exception. WSNSW Member Judy Jones has contributed to this blog in the past too, check older posts to see her much appreciated contributions. To learn more about The Wedgwood Society of New South Wales, click the title of this post to go to their website. They are always looking for new members, they have interesting meetings and other activities and are a great group of people. Besides all that, they often start their emails with a happy 'G'day' which always brings a smile to my face! Happy Anniversary WSNSW!!

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM PRODUCES WEDDING MUG

2011-03-15T00:48:00.006-05:00

We all know how the British love to commemorate important royal 'happenings' and they don't get much better than the upcoming marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. The Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston has announced the production of a good-looking mug with a design heritage harking back to Richard Guyatt, a well-known and admired Wedgwood designer. The Museum has a wonderful website, you'll find a link to it here on our blog, or you can Google the Wedgwood Museum Barlaston and you'll find it. We haven't yet tried to order ours (and are not sure they are available via mail order from the Museum Shop), but it seems like the perfect thing for drinking my tea when I attend a party at 5AM on 4/29 to watch the wedding with my fellow Daughters of the British Empire members. We're supposed to wear our jammies & a fascinator! I think I feel a blogpost in the making, but it's still awhile away! Click the title of this post to read all about the new mug and its talented designer. There is a link in the article to the Museum's site.

Here is a GREAT article all about the subject of Royal Souvenirs, it's long so get a cuppa (preferably a royal souvenir mug or cup) and relax and enjoy!

ALEXIS ANTIQUES BRANCHES OUT PAST WEDGWOOD

2011-03-13T12:50:00.004-05:00

Alexis Antiques has been in the business of selling Wedgwood and related products for 16 years now. Our websites have always been geared toward our Wedgwood products with a few historical china items added in. It has become difficult to add in merchandise that isn't Wedgwood, so we created a new store within a store we might call it, naming it Alexis Antiques Annex. We're pointing this out at this time because we are preparing to add quite a bit of merchandise to the Annex. We have some lovely dinnerware, beautiful collectible tea cups, and other vintage and antique items we want to bring to the marketplace. Additionally we have a great stock of genealogy books listed for sale. Click the title of this post to go the Alexis Antiques Annex segment of Alexis Antiques website. There won't be any Wedgwood in the Annex, but lots of great "stuff" new to the internet and our site. Enjoy and be sure to let us know if you have any questions! We'll be adding new items frequently in the coming weeks to both Alexis Antiques and Alexis Antiques Annex, and there is always something new at www.collegeplates.com too!

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART DISPLAYS SWANS

2011-03-10T09:53:00.004-06:00

Click the title of this post to see a gorgeous large Wedgwood majolica vase sporting beautiful swans. It's not a piece we haven't seen before, it's a gorgeous photo of one of the two held by The Met. I'm surprised at their description, it's really not "pottery" but earthenware and there is no mention of the word Majolica. Certainly The Met ceramic curatorial staff knows these terms. Seems odd to me that they aren't used! If there is something to pine for in the ceramic world, this would rank high on our list of desires! Enjoy!

Go here to see the Met's other Wedgwood holdings, pretty wonderful!

DARWIN'S INTERESTING BLUNDER AT GLEN ROY

2011-02-25T22:33:00.005-06:00

My charming friend Tony in Scotland lives very close to Glen Roy, "I live right at the entrance to the glen and this is my 'backyard.'"
What a lucky guy he is! I can see him sipping tea with a Wedgwood book on his lap in front of the fire with a big window behind him sporting this beautiful view!
Click the title of this post to learn about Darwin's visit to and study of the area and its geologically interesting landforms. Tony says there is additional interesting information on the subject on Wikipedia under Glen Roy. We Wedgwoodians seem to have a far-reaching spectrum of interests haven't we? For me, that's the greater part of Wedgwood's charm ~ the huge variety of pots, people, places, perplexities and pleasures we can stumble upon in the study of our favorite pots! Thanks again Tony, a true renaissance man, one with many interests and talents. We'll end with today's treat, his description of the mundane chore of dusting, "turning the dust over onto a clean side" - he makes the chore actually sound fun!

WEDGWOOD & BRITISH HUMOR

2011-02-23T10:24:00.004-06:00

Ever take the Tube around London? You can't help but see the classic British humor on the advertising signs around the top of the interior sides of the buses. In an early morning sales email from Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton, this image popped up at me! I immediately recognized that certain, je ne sais quoi, smile on a young British ad agency bloke's face as he put the final touches on this image for their email ad campaign. Maybe it's an in-house ad person doing the graphics for their sales campaigns, doesn't matter, it's classic British understatement. ENJOY!

Wedgwood Peerage & Trains Redux

2011-02-22T21:18:00.003-06:00

Please scroll down to older posts and reread the Wedgwood Peerage & Trains post if you are interested in this subject, our friend in Scotland has sent more photos which have been added to illustrate the story of the train 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' for your viewing pleasure. Anyone out there ever ridden one of these two Wedgwood trains?

HUMPHREY TAYLOR & CO., LONDON 1770

2011-02-22T20:18:00.004-06:00

If you own Mike Herman's great Wedgwood book Wedgwood Jasper Ware, A Shape Book and Collectors Guide, check out the Liqueur Bottle, maybe known as a flask, on page 10. If you click the title of this post you'll find an article with all sorts of historic information about Humphrey Taylor & Co. from the Chelsea Society Magazine dated May 2010. The premises were in the
news on Feb 19 2011 as they have been bought for £12.3 million cash! The buyers are Nigella Lawson, culinary goddess, i.e. TV cook, and her husband Charles Saachi, advertising millionaire and art collector. This information and the article were sent to me by my friend in Scotland Mr. Pulford, THANKS Tony! Tony owns a similar flask which he recently rescued from a storage bin where he forgot he had put it, cleaned it up and did the research. Just the way it's supposed to be done Tony! It's always so nice when one shares his research with the rest of us. Tony's flask is a bit of a different shape from the one in Mike's book, but the mark is the same. The flask in the book is dated c1910 and should now be in Birmingham as it was in the Buten Collection. Tony's liqueur bottle is now on display with the rest of his lovely Wedgwood collection.

GREAT WEDGWOOD & DARWIN INTEREST WEBSITE TO EXPLORE

2011-02-17T00:45:00.005-06:00

Charles Darwin image from American Heritage Archives

With all the recent publicity on all things Darwin, I somehow missed a real treat. Click the title of this post to discover a great website, by and about the beautiful Emma Darwin, a young mother, successful author, and great great grand-daughter of Charles & Emma Wedgwood Darwin. She is a beautiful girl, and her story and stories are worth investigating. Her two historical novels sound thrilling, I think I'll check them both out. It's a very well done website cum blog so I think a lot of us Wedgwoodians will enjoy it! The caption that goes with this photo found at American Heritage Archives reads: "'He is the most transparent man I ever saw,' said Emma Wedgwood of the cousin she was to marry. Water colors painted in 1840 by the popular portraitist George Richmond show how alike Emma and Charles were in looks. Their similarity in temperament made their marriage a most happy one." Credit: Courtesy of George P. Darwin and the Royal College of Surgeons.

202 YEARS LATER DARWIN STILL INTERESTING

2011-02-13T10:23:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday, February 12, to Charles Darwin. It seems that the interest in all things Charles Darwin hasn't waned since its peak in 2009, the occasion of his two hundredth birthday. Click this post title to see an article of yesterday, the anniversary of his birth. The story of the Wedgwoods and Darwins is an interesting one from so many viewpoints. And also of interest is the passion with which the subject is being examined and reexamined in our time.

WEDGWOOD past CEO Sir Arthur Bryan dies today

2011-02-11T17:20:00.005-06:00

The news just arrived that Sir Arthur Bryan, former head of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, has died in England today. More information will be posted when it becomes available. May he rest in peace. 2/15 - please click the title of this post for an article about Sir Arthur's death.
3/19 - Here is yet another article about Sir Bryan's funeral.

WEDGWOOD PEDIGREES A BOOK REVIEW

2011-02-10T12:57:00.004-06:00

Here follows a book review from a crumbling, yellowed newspaper article from ‘The Staffordshire Sentinel’ dated March 30, 1926 [the book was published in 1925] which was found by me in an old Wedgwood-related book. The typeface is very small, requiring some reading, especially in the fold-lines, by magnifier! I always love it when my passions for Wedgwood and genealogy collide!

“Wedgwood Pedigrees. Being an account of the complete family reconstructed from contemporary records. By the Right Hon. Josiah C. Wedgwood and Joshua G. E. Wedgwood, is published by Titus Wilson, 21s. net. The “Times” Literary Supplement gives the following delightful review of the book:

No man is entirely individual. He is the product of his line through past ages. Much of his character is born of incident in some past century to some perhaps forgotten forebear. Environment may modify or develop, but it does not replace in one or two generations the characteristics of ancestry, and much in the behaviour of the living may be explained by a history of the dead. Thus genealogy has a special importance quite apart from the natural pride in illustrious descent. And undertaken in the proper spirit the construction of a family pedigree may be accounted a virtue and a public service. In the United States much progress has been made in scientific genealogical research; and apart from those who endeavour to link themselves with the great ones of the past there are many who have spent much time and money in the preparation of pedigrees both honest and accurate. England has lagged behind in recent years but in this volume of Wedgwood pedigrees there is proof that some at least have both the skill and the patience to undertake such work.

The authors’ task has been simplified by the relative rarity of the name. There is only one Wedgwood in England, and it is a fairly safe presumption that all bearing the name of Wedgwood came from the farm of Wedgwood, near Tunstall. Thus the search was narrowed in its earliest stages to an examination of all records which dealt with Wedgwood and the surrounding area of country. The farm was one of the frank-pledges of the Manor of Tunstall held after the Conquest by the Audleys. The first Wedgwood known to history was, as the authors note with some glee, a rebel, one Richard, who was given a safe conduct to come to the King’s Court in June 1266. But his fate is covered by the mists of the past.

When first the authors began their researches into the family history they relied in the main on the Tunstall Court records, and with some aid from other documents constructed a skeleton pedigree of Wedgwoods from 1299 to 1589. The references to the family were not many, and all were short. Much had to be presumed, and there was no definite proof that the persons in the pedigree had been linked correctly until at a recent date the Horton Court Rolls were discovered and gave evidence that the deductions had been correct. At first it was a family of small but respectable farmers-despite one or two murderers, who appear to break the monotony. As the years passed so did the circumstances of one branch, that of Heracles, improve, until in the sixteenth century it rose to the squirearchy, coat armour, and a place in the county. Marriages helped, but some credit must be given to the character of the race. The Heracles branch ended in the male line in 1757, and their wealth left the family.

But by this time another branch of the family was well on the road to fame. In the seventeenth century Wedgwoods had settled in Burslem, and about 1650 Thomas of that name began operations as a potter. Josiah Wedgwood, whose name is now a household word, was a descendant of this Thomas, and in 1767 he settled at Etruria, where he built the still famous works. He was a man of strong opinions, a Radical Dissenter, and a believer in Parliamentary reform. His character survives, according to the authors, in the family today. They say:-

“Wedgwoods do not mix. They are not happy talking to outsiders-not superior, but shy with the shyness of men who have a complete world of their own...Seven generations brought up upon Miss Austen and Macaulay cannot acclimatize themselves to the sort of people who know whether pheasants do or do not eat mangle wurzels and are aware that the Grand National is not a flat race. They never made a bet in their lives, not because they would not have done so with pleasure if it would have broken down the barrier between themselves and mankind, but because they did not know how the operation was performed. If a Wedgwood or a Darwin ever got drunk, it must have been in the pursuit either of scientific knowledge or of an illusive camaraderie with those who really liked that sort of thing.”

A pleasant picture is given of the relations between masters and men of the Wedgwood’s high conception of an employer’s responsibility. “Paternal” care was carried, one might think, a little far on occasion. “After the midday meal was over, or in the evenings, my father read aloud to the ‘hands’-read Macaulay and Mill. ‘Hands’ that will stand that will stand most things.” But that affection of high order exists between the Wedgwoods and their employees is obvious.

One Wedgwood of this line died a Guards Colonel, and, as an ensign in the Scots Fusilier Guards, was with his company in Hougomont throughout the day at Waterloo. Another Wedgwood (Josiah 1768-1843) paid an annuity to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A branch of the family emigrated to America in 1630 and descendants still exist, as the long lists given in the book prove. Other branches settled in Warwickshire, Cumberland and Yorkshire. All these are included in the authors’ task. Their work has been well done. Few family genealogies have been constructed with such care rendered to history. There are 120 pages of indices containing sufficient material to permit of the reader testing for himself the accuracy of the authors’ deductions."

We love sharing Wedgwood family information knowing there are MANY Wedgwood descendants around the globe. Hopefully in our musings sometimes we might find a snippet that not all the family members know. Watch for another article soon from a member of the "American branch" of the Wedgwood family. And be sure to browse our book category on the website, we have some Wedgwood family history books for sale. Click the title of this post to see a spectacular old leatherbound volume of one family history, and from there you can click the category name to see all our books.

WIS 2011 - WEDGWOOD IN CHICAGO

2011-02-08T10:19:00.005-06:00

The 56th annual Wedgwood Seminar, sponsored by Wedgwood International Seminar, will take place this year in Chicago. For all the details please click the title of this post for the Press Release just out today. The Seminars are a great way to network with other collectors, dealers and experts, always in the midst of a beautiful venue adding to the overal enjoyment of the experience.

WEDGWOOD FROG SERVICE TREAT

2011-02-03T11:20:00.009-06:00

The Wedgwood Queen's Ware dinner and dessert service for Catherine the Great of Russia is a popular subject of study for many Wedgwood collectors around the world. From one of our Wedgwood friends comes this wonderful photo of the
Chesme Chapel, thanks so much Kay for sharing this lovely image! Click this blog post title to see a couple of Frog Service items we have in stock at present.

A WEDGWOOD VALENTINE

2011-02-01T00:30:00.006-06:00

A Wedgwood Valentine from Alexis Antiques
(Click the title of this post to go to some heart shaped inventory which might work as a gift for YOUR Valentine!)

Eldred Hubbard lived from 1856 until his death, with his wife, on the Lusitania in 1915. If you do not know anything about this prolific writer, entrepreneur, publisher, editor and philosopher, or his Roycrofter Corporation, you might want to Google his name or go to www.roycrofter.com for some background information.

Among the vast output of this company’s volumes were 182 booklets called “Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great” written over a period of 14 years. Inspirational stories of successful people, they include such categories as philosophers, scientists and artists. They were later issued in a set of Memorial Editions, hardbound books encompassing all individual “Little Journey” booklets in a given category. In a 1924 ad in another publication, “The Mentor”, we find that the Memorial Editions, originally published in 1916, were being sold as a set, and in fact I have recently seen a full set for sale here in St. Louis. The hardbound compilations were a memorial to Hubbard “…to bring together in one beautiful set those unforgettable gems, recognized as Hubbard’s masterpieces, that take us among the men and women of shining achievement in many fields.”

And what has this to do with Valentines? One of the “Little Journeys to Homes of Great Lovers” is a factual but naïve in style overview of the great love between Josiah & Sarah Wedgwood. The memorial edition combines 12 love stories published in 1906. Among them another that might interest Wedgwoodians is that of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. Tender stories in a simple and forthright, if a bit flowery, style give us insight into the romantic side of these famous people. The 1906 “Little Journeys” are paperback pamphlets, simple brown paper but most pages embellished with stylistic arts & crafts designs. We are also in possession of another copy of the single “Little Journeys” printed on a gray cardstock and very similar, minus some ads in the brown one, but there is no date or other publication or “reprint” information. The memorial edition (hardbound book) has tipped in a print of a line drawing of Josiah – interesting that this is their love story and Sally’s image is absent! To quote Mr. Hubbard regarding Josiah & Sally, in his introduction to the Volume VIII Great Lovers, “Here is a love so great that in its beneficent results we are all yet partakers.” (1916 and still true today!)

Our Valentine to you from Josiah (written to his friend Lord Gower after Josiah & Sarah had been married for 22 years):

I never had a great plan that I did not submit to my wife. She knew all the details of the business, and it was her love for the beautiful that first prompted and inspired me to take up Grecian and Roman Art, and in degree, reproduce the Classic for the world. I worked for her approval, and without her high faith in me I realize that my physical misfortunes would have overcome my will, and failure would have been written large where England has carved the word Success.

Above is the leatherbound cover of the Memorial Edition of 1916 containing all 12 of the "Great Lovers" essays.

Visit the Wedgwood Zoo

2011-01-30T00:29:00.008-06:00

Here is some nice information about a Wedgwood artist whose work is not too well known except to those who specifically collect his works. This is from The End of History Shop's (NYC) blog: John Skeaping was born in Essex in l90l and studied at Blackheath School of Art. Eventually he became a scholar at the Royal Academy School and in l924 he won the Prix de Rome. On his return to England in l926 he was introduced to Frank Wedgwood, wherein Skeaping was commissioned to model a series of animal studies for the venerable Wedgwood company. Among the designs, the "Sleeping Monkeys" figurine seen here. Made in 1927, glaze is a subtle celadon green & measures 7" X 7".

Click the title of this post to see the gorgeous photo that accompanies this entry. Or you can go here to see a beautiful creamware deer by Skeaping right on our site.
You can go HERE to see the listing on our site for this great Kruger National Park plate. We have lots of items with lions, just Browse Inventory using the word LION to see what else we have in stock. Or use the word DEER for some other things.

PRESS ONCE AGAIN ABUZZ WITH WEDGWOOD MUSEUM MESS

2011-01-24T23:39:00.007-06:00

Tonight's press is full of new articles about the folly the British Government is trying to foment against the award winning, historically critical Wedgwood Museum. Click this post title for another well-written article by Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke Central. He is excellent at articulating the situation and the ramifications of an incorrect decision. Go to http://www.savewedgwood.org/ to make yur voice heard on the subject!

(1/27/80) Here is a quote from the UK Telegraph on the Museum situation: "Threat to Wedgwood

SIR – I am fully aware of the Wedgwood Museum’s unfortunate situation (report, January 22) and recognise the implications for the people of Stoke-on-Trent, the Wedgwood family and part of the nation’s heritage.

My department has given full assistance to the museum, including grants of over £275,000 and ongoing expert advice. I have also written to the new owners of the Wedgwood company to stress the national importance of the museum’s collection.

Like all concerned, I must now await the outcome of the court case to establish whether the museum may be liable to pay Wedgwood’s pension debt. If the courts decide against the museum, I will do all I can to bring the cultural sector together to attempt to secure the collection for the nation."

Ed Vaizey MP (Con)
Culture Minister, London SW1

WEDGWOOD PORTRAIT MEDALLIONS

2011-01-21T23:34:00.008-06:00

In the course of preparing an appraisal on a gorgeous old portrait medallion of Erasmus Darwin, I was sent an interesting article about portrait medallions of members of the Royal Society. If you go here you can read the article and see some examples of old Wedgwood portrait medallions. If you click the title of this post, you'll see what we have in stock, which isn't a great deal right now. The portrait medallions are highly sought after by certain collectors who select a particular occupation or other category to collect. We have sold many over the years and the buyers are nearly always enthusiastic about their hobby as well as interested in some particular subject that the medallions represent. They can be a fun sub-category of Wedgwood collecting.
This Beethoven medallion is one of my favorites, even with the rather busy frame, which I normally don't like, but this one is very regal. The rust color is velvet, the gold is wood. You can go here and here to see another article about Portrait Medallions, this one specifically about royalty medallions. Enjoy!

WEDGWOOD AND WORLD WAR II

2011-01-20T11:50:00.006-06:00

Some of you know I am a magazine addict, especially magazines with Wedgwood articles, ads and photos. I have collected a few issues of The Magazine Antiques from the World War II era which contain Wedgwood articles or references. One day it occured to me that the world was a black place in the months in which these issues, all sporting gorgeous covers, were published. It also occured to me to wonder how the world, those not directly fighting in or running the war, could go so blythely about their business, studying Wedgwood pots for heaven's sake, during such a time! I'd considered the question before, but the reality of the magazine covers struck some sort of chord that I couldn't ignore. One particular article, 'Sources of Wedgwood's Child Motifs', in the September, 1944 issue was written by the late Elizabeth Chellis who was an important contributor to Wedgwood scholarship for many years; her library is now held in the Birmingham (AL) Museum of Art, a vast and valuable resource for collectors, and her legacy to scholars for generations to come. I began to write a review of the article for the newsletter of the Wedgwood Society of Boston, in which Elizabeth and her family were and are active members, but couldn't get past the War; couldn't seem to get interested in reviewing the content of the article. I realized the title itself would tell collectors what the article contained, thus my musings became my article, trying to make sense of the context of the magazine in the world around my parents and grandparents, and all those others who were indelibly affected by the situation of the home front in September of 1944. The review was written nearly five years ago and in the interim I have begun transcribing my paternal grandfather's life-long diaries. I've been working on the World War II years for ages, I keep finding information, photos, cards, internet sites and other things to illustrate grandpa's world. In going through a magazine box recently I rediscovered these 1940s Antiques magazines, and now they are more relevant to me than ever. I am indeed transcribing the detailed minutiae of my grandparents' lives, set against the backdrop of The War. And the same musings keep falling into my brain! How could grandpa record the fact of my uncle's being with Bradley in France in 1945 in the same paragraph as saying that the refrigerator repairman failed to appear as appointed? Lives had to go on, life had to go on, war production and support efforts certainly occupied many minds and hands, but then there were the rest of the hours of the day and night. The Magazine Antiques certainly continued to forge ahead, announcing all the regular antiques shows, running the regular dealers' ads, and presenting great articles on varying subjects of interest to antiques aficionados. I am going to use some of the covers to illustrate the diary entries, perhaps others will let musings along these lines pop into their brains too! Here is the article I wrote, and I highly recommend if you are interested, try collecting some of these back issues from the 1940s! The covers are gorgeous and the early take on the antiques world is interesting too!

CLARE LEIGHTON ON WEDGWOOD GETTING MORE ATTENTION

2011-01-15T08:53:00.012-06:00

Clare Leighton's New England Industries plates have been receiving quite a bit of press recently, perhaps because The Yale Center for British Art, in New Haven, CT, does such a great job of letting the world know about its holdings. Long a center for things British, as their name suggests, The Yale Center now contains the extensive archive of her prepatory work for the N E Industries series of Queen's Ware plates. There are many drawings for each scene, all of which characterize the various activities and enterprises undertaken in New England such as farming, grist milling, tobacco growing (who knew tobacco was grown in CT and VT?) and of course sugaring and others. This month's The Magazine Antiques, now in the mailboxes of subscribers, offers a very well illustrated and informative article on the subject of Clare's plates which begins on page 184. For Wedgwood collectors and Leighton fans, the article is well worth the price of the magazine on the stands if one doesn't subscribe. As an added bonus, the magazine also contains a splendid article on transfer printed wares, also well illustrated. On the back cover is a Jeff Bridgman ad for a splendid Civil War Flag and an ad from Stephen Score for a hand pieced appliqued cotton quilt called the Freedom Quilt, c1880. It is a magnificent quilt whose message is as vibrant today as when it was made! Both of these ads include gorgeous full color pictures of the items described. Enjoy this issue and learn so much about Clare and her prints & plates. I have received an inquiry from a lady who has a set of New England Industries plates for sale, just email me!
Here is a website if you can't wait to learn about Clare or don't have access to the magazine.

WEDGWOOD PEERAGE & TRAINS

2010-12-29T11:47:00.011-06:00

If your Wedgwood collecting activities include learning about the family of Josiah Wedgwood, you will perhaps be interested in a new posting on Wikipedia. Click the title of this post to see the news of the new Baronet of Etruria, Sir Ralph Wedgwood, who inherited the baronetcy from his late father, well known Wedgwood family member, historian and active Wedgwoodian, Sir Martin, and his lovely wife Sandy. The rules of inheritance are complicated, and you will note that the son of the second baronet, who is much older than Sir Ralph, is only heir presumptive. Suffice it to say, Sir Martin is much missed in the Wedgwood community and it is nice to know who has inherited his title. Meanwhile our good friend Piers, Lord Wedgwood, yet another lineage with its own set of inheritance 'rules', is having health problems and not traveling for awhile. He's very much missed on the Wedgwood circuit here in USA as well as around the world. We send all our very best wishes for his recovery and return to the china departments of the world!

While researching for this article, I came to learn that there was a famous train engine named the 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' which was attacked in an air raid by the Germans on 29 April 1942. You can learn about it here. The train was named for the 1st Sir Ralph Wedgwood and we learn a bit more from Wikipedia:

"Sir Ralph Lewis Wedgwood, 1st Baronet CB CMG (2 March 1874 – 5 September 1956) was the Chief Officer of the London & North Eastern Railway for 16 years from its inauguration in 1923. Also chairman of the wartime Railway Executive Committee from September 1939 to August 1941. Knighted in 1924 and created a baronet in 1942. [1]

Wedgwood was the son of Clement Wedgwood and his wife Emily, daughter of the engineer James Meadows Rendel. His elder brother was Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood. He married Iris Veronica Pawson, daughter of Albert Henry Pawson on 24 October 1906 at St. Margaret's, Westminster. They had two children who survived to adulthood; John Hamilton Wedgwood (1907-1989), second baronet and Cicely Veronica Wedgwood (1910-1997), historian.

He was educated at Clifton College and Trinity College, Cambridge,[2] where he became a member of the Cambridge Apostles[3]. He was close friends there with his second cousin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who later dedicated two of his works to him, "In the Fen Country" and "A Sea Symphony".[4] Ralph Wedgwood was an executor of Joseph Conrad's will in 1924.[5]

An A4 Class locomotive, 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood, was named after him but it was destroyed by bombing during World War 2. His name was later given to A4 Class 4466."

Thanks to Tony again, we have additional photos of the Sir Ralph Wedgwood. Above was taken at Ferryhill Locomotive shed, Aberdeen, 17 Jul 1965.
We have recently made friends with a Wedgwood collector in Scotland who is also a train buff. Thanks to Tony we have learned more information about the 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' and he has piqued our interest in another train, the 'Josiah Wedgwood'.

Regarding the 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' #4469: "...the destruction in June, 1942 was not the end of the story. In January, 1944, the name was transferred to [engine] # 4466, previously named 'Herring Gull', which ran until withdrawn in 1965....There is a plaque at the National Railway Museum in York marking the spot where #4469 was standing when it was destroyed [on 4/29/42]." "The tender from the original 'Sir Ralph' which lasted until 1960 was coupled to 'Highland Chieftain'. The National Railway Museum at York is the original locomotive depot and the scene of the bombing in 1942."

This photo above is the Sir Ralph at Peterborough about 1952.

To quote Tony further, and to see where our interest in the 'Josiah Wedgwood' began, "The naming tradition was carried out even more recently as a Class 86, 4040 horsepower electric locomotive, built in 1966, was named 'Josiah Wedgwood MASTER POTTER 1736-1795' at Stoke on Trent. I used to see it regularly working London to Scotland trains when I lived in Preston."

In working on something else, I found a great photo and article from Wedgwood Review, the company employee newsletter published in the 1960s to 1980s. We see there how the 'Josiah Wedgwood' looked when brand new compared to the one taken at Wolverhampton, when it had some age on it!

Following the careers of various Wedgwoods who did not spend their lives associated with the Potteries can be as interesting and rewarding as studying about Josiah I's products. A wonderful collection could be made of knowledge about the Wedgwood family almost as large as a collection of Wedgwood pots! Check the Links on our website for a couple of interesting family articles.

WONDERFUL RETROSPECTIVE OF WEDGWOOD & NORMAN WILSON BY HIS SON

2010-12-14T13:14:00.005-06:00

Norman Wilson (1902-88) was a master potter and inventor who was Works Manager at the early Wedgwood Etruria factory and later deeply involved in the design of and planning for the new factory at Barlaston. Wilson's matt (matte) glazes (Moonstone & Ravenstone) were perfect for Keith Murray and John Skeaping wares while his Alpine Pink bone china body, Globe shape coffee sets, the Leigh shape for bone china, the Barlaston shape for Queen's Ware and his own original glazes, known as Norman Wilson Unique ware, are all well-known and highly collectible today. Famed Wedgwood scholar Robin Reilly sums up Wilson's value to Wedgwood thusly in his Wedgwood Dictionary: "Norman Wilson's achievement was threefold: he exercised a strong & beneficial influence on the design of Wedgwood tableware shapes; as an inventor & technician he raised Wedgwood to a pre-eminence in production standards and efficiency unknown since the 18th century; and as Production Director he selected and trained a team of young and talented managers who would build upon the secure foundations he had laid." High praise indeed. Please go here to read a wonderful article, from 2009 but very timely, written about Norman Wilson by his son. The article is beautifully illustrated and full of interesting information from a more personal viewpoint than the public normally enjoys. Clicking the title of this post will take you to our website where we have a piece of Norman Wilson Unique Ware for sale.

Christmas Greetings 1970 style

2010-12-12T13:04:00.004-06:00

In working on some inventory items today I found the December, 1970 issue of Wedgwood Review, the Josiah Wedgwood & Sons employee publication of the 1960s and 1970s. Herewith the Christmas Greeting from the Wedgwood USA corporate folks to the factory in England, alas, a factory which is oh so quiet these days, most manufacturing having been sent off-shore. I wonder if they still exchange greetings! Click the title of this post to see our in-stock and ready to ship CHRISTMAS ITEMS.

Wedgwood, Barlaston, England
We'll deck the halls with boughs of holly for 'tis the season to be jolly.
But before we do, we just want to say how glad we are to have you there working on our Wedgwood ware.
If it weren't for you and the work that you do, our days in the US soon would be through.
So, the warmest Christmas greetings from all of us here
and a wish for a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Wedgwood, U.S.A.

Wedgwood Museum Controversy update

2010-11-30T16:50:00.006-06:00

Click the title of this post to see the dialogue in a recent House of Lords session regarding the upcoming court decision on the fate of the Wedgwood Museum.
Better yet, go here to hear and see the session itself!

ROYAL SOUVENIRS - AN OVERVIEW

2010-11-20T09:00:00.003-06:00

I'm often asked about the 'value' of royalty souvenirs. There are royalty collectors the world over, and the British Royalty items stand at the top of the list of those collectibles. In our years of selling, and we mostly have carried the ceramic items, we find that the number of collectors is down from a generation or two ago. We know the Wedgwood Ravilious items are still popular and we have a list of WANTS for the earlier items from Queen Victoria backward.

Edward VIII who abdicated is an interesting historical persona and the story of his abdication is interesting, so his items interest me personally. There are two schools of thought, one, that since he abdicated and was never King, his commemorative wares are worthless; the other that since he abdicated his items are more interesting, therefore more valuable, because they were produced ahead of an event that never happened! It is true that once his abdication was known many of the pre-coronation items were literally thrown away or given to company employees to take home -. those are the bulk of what survives. So are they more or less valuable? There is no way anyone can tell YOU what you should collect! Collect for your own enjoyment, education and pleasure, not for a hope that in the future it will make you wealthy. Souvenir items are at the height of their value when the event is current and interest is high. Later on, there will have been something else to take its place in the world's eye. Or, perhaps it will be valuable well beyond your lifetime. Like Victoria's bloomers, whodda ever thunk it? Click the post title to see an article from the UK Sentinel on this subject. And check our older posts for a commentary on the PRE EVENT SOUVENIRS, of all things, for the 2012 London Olympics. Meanwhile, here's a collector's tip for you: The future Edward VIII didn't like being photographed from his right side, didn't like the way he looked. Check out a very interesting plate we have in stock, bought exactly for this reason, we knew the right side profile items are very rare, thus more collectible.

So the short answer is, well, not a short answer! Royalty souvenirs give pleasure while being collected, but if they are produced in huge quantities, and are not of premium quality, they won't increase in value during your lifetime, so collect what you like! Here's another collectors' tip - when Diana died interest in her items rose for a few short weeks. She was back in the news, deeply mourned and those who never got a Diana souvenir suddenly wanted one. I predict that when something else happens in the Royal Family interest will again increase. When (if?) Charles becomes King, watch and see what happens. His Prince of Wales items may well rise in value...afterall, they are older (& likely a better quality product) than the new kitsch that will be produced and they are dwindling in availability due to their age, breakage, etc., and they represent a time gone by that won't be back again. Likely if Charles is King, William will be elevated to Prince of Wales, but he won't serve in that slot as long as Charles has...so there could be a rash of souvenirs in a short amount of time. Pick your choices carefully with an eye to what you may want to add in the future because in the next 20 to 25 years, there should be quite a few royal events to spur souvenir production. And do check out the Pre Event souvenir items for the London Olympics, it's a whole new category. These are souvenirs of the road leading up to the Olympics, not Olympics souvenirs! Should be interesting to see how they fare on the market. Cheerio!

Wedgwood Institute, Burslem

2010-11-15T09:27:00.007-06:00

I've seen many references to the Wedgwood Institute in my Wedgwood wanderings over the years but never delved into its story. Today an article which popped up on the internet got me to wondering again. Due to the high cost of rehabilitation to accomodate proper fire escapes, and probably handicap requirements, the building sits nearly empty. It is a fabulous example of 1860s architecture, having taken 6 years to build (by the father of Rudyard Kipling), and with its statue of Josiah, and location where the Brick House Works once stood, an important building which deserves to be bustling once again. There is controversy over public versus private use, ownership and rights. There is always a problem with financing the work needing to be accomplished for its renaissance. Click this post title to see an article about its history and more photos. Wouldn't it be a wonderful school once again! Or a fabulous condominium building. We Americans could be expats in the Potteries with our own little condo-on-the-common right in the hub of Stoke! Here is another article about the current controversy over the reuse of older architecture, a blog on the topic.

Another blog I have discovered contains gorgeous photos of the Wedgwood Institute, with good factual information also. Go here to see it.

The Wedgwood Room at Catherine Palace, an Adam Masterpiece

2010-11-10T11:16:00.007-06:00

Receiving my recent newsletter of the Wedgwood Society of Boston brought a smile to my face recently. Therein was a lovely photo of the Wedgwood Room at the Catherine Palace. I've seen many photos of it over the years, and none much better than this. When I inquired as to who had written the rather funny caption, I was told it "came from the Internet"...well so what's new? The photo in the newsletter is in black and white but Ron, the Editor, favored me with the original color version which is certainly stunning. Herewith the rather odd caption, doubtless written by someone smitten with the look of the room but not a Wedgwood or architecture scholar, which is OKAY, not everyone can be a scholar on the huge subject of Wedgwood and all its nuances.

“In Catherine Palace in Russia, there was a room designed by the guy behind Wedgwood Pottery, commissioned by the family who lived in the palace at the time. Imagining having such an amazing designer come and put his stamp on one of your many rooms in such an elaborate and unique way made me feel like a princess. I suppose you would have had afternoon tea in there or it would simply sit there as a statement or work of art. It was great, like a tea cup had spread itself all over the walls. Very nice decor.”

What do we think the Adam family would say to this review? I love finding inane, entertaining ditties on the Internet!

Cape Cod Museum shows Clare Leighton's Wedgwood

2010-11-05T08:16:00.005-05:00

Here is an article from the internet this morning. Being of New England ancestry, these are a favorite subject of mine. Pictured is the plate depicting the grist mill so well known in New England history.

CAPE COD — New England Industries, a series of 12 plates depicting wood engravings by Clare Leighton, is on exhibit at Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis. The plates, made in 1949 - 1950 by Wedgwood in England, are a gift of the late Brewster, MA sculptor Yvonne Backus.

In 1950, Leighton was asked by Wedgwood to create a set of 12 engravings depicting industries that formed the foundation of the New England heritage. Leighton created her beautiful tributes through a process called transfer printing.

Leighton’s prints are in the permanent collections of London’s British Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina; and the Boston Museum of Fine Art among numerous others.

JANE AUSTEN, "EMMA" & WEDGWOOD

2010-10-30T08:54:00.006-05:00

On this beautiful fall morning here in the midwest we find the Internet abuzz with the news of the December 16th (appropriately the anniversary of Austen's birth) auction at Sotheby's London of a first edition of Jane Austen's novel "Emma" given to her fellow author Maria Edgeworth and a wonderful set of Wedgwood bone china dinnerware from the Austen family. It is apparently rare that Austen memorabilia and artifacts come to market, and isn't it nice that there is a Wedgwood connection! Jane wrote to her sister Cassandra of the visit to "Wedgwood's" to pick out the china. Given how poorly the china market is doing it will be interesting to see how much the sale of the china realizes; surely it will be bought for its Austen connection, not because some young wealthy entrepreneur wants to buy china! I'm sure he wouldn't get it at a bargain at Sotheby's but don't forget, all bone china at Alexis Antiques right now is 25% off, so there are bargains to be had! Click this post title to go to one article about the sale with more details.

Here is a link to an interesting blog about Jane Austen and if you go to the links to the blogger's other articles, especially the link nearest the bottom of the page, you'll learn more about the Wedgwood china and this blogger's commentary on Wedgwood & Sons. This blogger has great insight into the subject of Jane Austen, and the Wedgwood connection adds interest for those of us who treasure every pearl of Wedgwoodiana we can spot!

CHEROKEE CLAY

2010-10-21T09:13:00.003-05:00

Not being an expert on this subject, I cannot say this article is 100% accurate, but from what I do know it appears to be a nice short introduction to the subject of clay used by Josiah which was dug in North Carolina and shipped to him in Stoke-on-Trent, a long way to go to obtain clay! There is one mis-spelling, and no excuse for it since it's a Wedgwood article! And the author needs to learn how to punctuate properly, as most of his references to articles and books are incorrectly stated, however, as said, it's a nice article of local interest and I didn't spot any glaring errors. Enjoy!

WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE MUSEUM MADNESS

2010-10-20T00:03:00.006-05:00

The madness surrounding the Wedgwood Museum Trust and the Pension Fund is becoming more and more annoying. According to our sources, the probable court date is now pushed out to March or April. Check this interview with Alison Wedgwood in the new video by clicking the title of this post. As a Museum donor, I'm wondering if we will be allowed to request that our donations be returned to us, rather than being sold. Wouldn't that make this idiot government look stupid!? What a waste of valuable time and resources which could be accomplishing something GOOD for the world instead of such useless, destructive activity!!
Here is another article, with links to more, on the subject as a reaction to Alison Wedgwood's interview with BBC.

SIR MARTIN WEDGWOOD PASSES AWAY

2010-10-13T10:39:00.007-05:00

Sir Martin Wedgwood was an Honorary Board Member of the Wedgwood International Seminar, a valued member of the Wedgwood family still active in all things "Wedgwood" and a wonderful Englishman. He and Lady Sandra's home in Surrey is a beautiful place indeed, characteristically British with gardens, lovely antiques and stunning Wedgwood of course. Being in their home [in 2003 not 2005 as typed on the document] was an American girl's fantasy come true. Sir Martin has passed away as you can read in this note to the WIS President from Sir Martin's brother Julian:

Wednesday afternoon - 13th October 2010. A dull grey day over London.

Dear Lovely people;
Yesterday very early in the new day [10/12/10] (0110hrs) my brother Martin died as a direct result of prostate cancer discovered a year ago. He was taken into the East Surrey Hospital last Wednesday when a very large cist/growth was discovered beneath his lung. The cancer had progressed at great speed to his lungs. He died very peacefully in his sleep. Please contact those who would like to know. Many thanks to all. Julian.

Go here to read Sir Martin's obituary in the UK Telegraph. May you rest in peace Martin and know you are missed.

Taking Tea - a quick overview of the history

2010-10-09T10:09:00.002-05:00

Here is a recent article on an old subject, the history of tea drinking in Great Britain. The author of this article comes on as if she has discovered some new history about tea and tea drinking, but I don't see any new information. However it is a nice, concise overview of the history and illustrated is a gorgeous Wedgwood Rosso Antico silver overlay teapot - perhaps worth the time to click the post title to read the article from this morning's UK Daily Mail.

Adele's At it Again

2010-10-05T15:33:00.007-05:00

dele Barnett, founder of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC and my good galpal, has written an excellent article on Wedgwood collecting. Even if the article was terrible, her photos are spectacular! Of course, her writing is never terrible!! In fact she frequently writes on Wedgwood subjects and remains as the Editor of The Capitol Wedgwoodian, the excellent communication tool of the WSWDC, even though her stellar term as President of WSWDC has ended. Click the title of this post to read Adele's recent article and enjoy the lovely color photos! Adele has a way of putting our Wedgwood collecting disease in such good light, our hats are off to you! It takes a moment or two to download as it's a large pdf file, so be patient, Josiah will greet you shortly!

10-10-10 LONDON'S REVAMPED SAVOY HOTEL OPENS WITH NEW WEDGWOOD

2010-10-05T08:40:00.005-05:00

"In truth, the new Savoy was never going to be cutting edge, as it was in 1930 when the chairman, Rupert D’Oyly Carte, said the hotel “is always up-to-date and, if possible, a little ahead”. But it is, once again, genuinely grand, and it’s hard not to be impressed by a hotel that has 51,000 pieces of china specially made by Wedgwood to exactly match the paint on the walls." [Celadon is the new color scheme in the dinnerware and for some of the decorating.]

Click the title of this post to read the full article about the upcoming reopening of the fabulous Savoy Hotel in London, one of my personal favorite hotels. It sounds absolutely fantastic and for us Wedgwoodians, a new china pattern to explore! I am not sure I'll like it as well as the most recent pattern, Royal Barge! But it does make me wonder where all the "old" china went, if you know, please do COMMENT and let us know!

Above is a quick glimpse of the new Wedgwood for the Savoy, 146 shape sugar bowl and Peony shape cups - it can't be all bad! What better combination than Wedgwood, high tea and The Savoy!
Below is the old pattern, I have some that I've bought as souvenirs of London trips, I guess now I'll hold on to it! 'Royal Barge' was designed by Lady Robertson in 1939.

A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A WEDGWOOD ROSE

2010-10-05T08:11:00.006-05:00

IF YOU ARE A ROSE GARDENER AND A WEDGWOOD FAN, START PLANNING YOUR SPRING GARDEN NOW WITH THIS LOVELY NEW ROSE. CLICK THE POST TITLE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THIS NEW DAVID AUSTIN ROSE AND HOW TO BUY IT. WEDGWOOD & SONS DIDN'T INTRODUCE PINK JASPER UNTIL THE EARLY 1980'S BUT OF COURSE PINK HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COLORWAYS OF MANY DINNERWARE PATTERNS OVER MANY YEARS. EVEN THOUGH WE USUALLY THINK OF WEDGWOOD BLUE, THERE IS WEDGWOOD PINK - THESE ROSES IN A PINK JASPER VASE WOULD BE DELICIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL!

"Rosa ‘The Wedgwood Rose’ (Ausjosiah) – Approximately 70 petals. Repeat-flowering. A charming old rose-style beauty with medium to large blooms and soft rose pink petals that have a delicate, gossamer-like quality. The flowers have a lovely fruity fragrance on the outer petals, with a clove-like scent at the center. Its ample foliage is dark green and glossy. This rose particularly excels when trained as a climber but is also lovely as a flowering shrub. The bush is exceptionally robust with luxuriant, healthy foliage, sending up plentiful shoots from the base to form a large arching shrub that trains readily on trellises and arches to climb upright or in arching or fanned positions. Named for the famous English pottery company founded by Josiah Wedgwood in 1759. Grows to approximately 5 feet x 5 feet. Will grow to 10 feet high as a climber. Hardy in USDA zones 5 – 9."

WEDGWOOD MAJOLICA & SHELLS STILL ROCK

2010-10-02T08:54:00.005-05:00

Click the title of this post to see the results of yesterday's Kadison collection auction at Skinner, Inc. in Boston. This blog addresses only the Majolica, which sold for handsome prices, proving that the Majolica 'fad' is not yet waning! The blog also shows some gorgeous pink pearlware seashell dessert service pieces and others like those we have for sale. Scroll down the majolica blog for great photos and let us know if we can help you with any of the shell items in our inventory.

WEDGWOOD GEOGRAPHY

2010-09-30T09:06:00.006-05:00

Leith Hill, Surrey, is another pin on the map of Wedgwood sites in Great Britain. Click the title of this post to read about a lovely excursion opportunity for those in the UK, but also a bit of history about one of the Wedgwood family homes. You can learn about yet another Wedgwood home, Caverswall Castle, in an Older Post ~ just scroll down to the Older Posts link.

WEDGWOOD & GERMAN MUSTARD - Who Knew?

2010-09-12T18:26:00.008-05:00

Who knew indeed that there was a German food manufacturer and distributor selling its wares in London, neatly packed in at least one case, the German Mustard, in wonderful Wedgwood mustard jars?

Our good friends Judy & Colin Jones of Australia recently visited well-known Wedgwood dealer Alan Landis and found this treasure amongst his other offerings and snapped it up. I thought Coeln was the name of a city since the rest is '& Dusseldorf' but I can't find a translation that tells us this is another spelling for Cologne or another city...however I found "..cittie of Collin in Germany", so I believe Coeln is the name of a city in which Bedbur's was also sold, along with Dusseldorf. I did find a city called New Coeln in Wisconsin, outside Milwaukee. That tells me that indeed Coeln was or is still another city in Germany where Bedbur's was sold. It has been suggested to me that Coeln is another spelling of Cologne, so perhaps that solves the mystery!

Here is Judy's research: The piece is date-marked for 1861. Approximately 40 German companies set up retail shops selling foodstuffs under their own brands in London in the late 19th Century. W. Bedbur was one such company and they had a Delicatessen in Portland Street (of all streets!!). Herr Bedbur described his business as a “German mustard factory, delicatessen and wine factory”. He sold a wide range of products including 7 types of sausages, 3 of which originated from Frankfurt. Other delicacies included Westfalen and Brunswick ham and Hamburg smoked meat, pickles including Mainz Sauerkraut and Saxon salt, vinegar, pepper and mustard gherkins. [Also a 'truffle & garlic sausage', probably a pate, as well as Pomeranian goose breast.] The Firm offered free delivery to all parts of London. A series of fairly large German food companies became established in London in the years leading up to WW1 but disappeared during the Germanophobic hysteria. [from Migration & Transfer from Germany to Britain 1660-1914] Judy and I surmise that the Wedgwood mustard jars were probably supplied from the factory to Bedburs for filling in London at their shop, rather than thinking that Wedgwood was shipping quantities of the jars to Germany, just to be packed and reshipped to London.

Additionally I found in The Shopkeeper's Guide, published in London, 1853, a listing for Winand Bedbur, 45 Greek Street, Soho listed in the section of Mustard Manufacturers. Also listed was the famous Colmans Mustard Company. And we see in Schmidt's Directory of the City and County of Manitowoc, Wisconsin 1909-1910, the listing -Bedbur, W, Route 2, Two Rivers, Manitowoc County.

Lots of interesting history in this fun mustard jar! Thank you so much to Judy Jones for reporting in on their new Wedgwood treasure, and for doing the research to tell us about it!

WEDGWOOD WAR HERO MEMORIALIZED AT MUSEUM

2010-09-12T10:11:00.004-05:00

Many Wedgwood collectors are also interested in the Wedgwood family, especially some of its more illustrious members. Major Cecil Wedgwood is one of those, having lost his life at the early age of 53 in the World War I Battle of the Somme. Read this nice article to see how the Wedgwood Museum is memorializng Major Cecil. The exhibit is entitled A WONDERFUL ENGLISHMAN and is one event presented to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the City of Stoke. On another note, Major Cecil grew up at Caverswall Castle, a castle with several Wedgwood connections. See our earlier post about this castle. Click the title of this post to read about Major Cecil and note many clickable links in that article to others of interest. Go to OLDER POSTS below for our article about the Castle.

Amazng news about Wedgwood dealer & author Wolf Mankowitz

2010-08-26T09:01:00.007-05:00

This morning brought to my inbox an astonishing bit of news from Great Britain. I have known of Wolf Mankowitz through his Wedgwood connection for many years, read his books and recently made contact with one of his sons - much to my delight. This lovely pre-Fall morning in the mid-west USA brings an amazing bit of news across the international 'email wire' - click the title of this post to learn more about Mr. Mankowitz ~ I for one had NO idea he was a screen writer for James Bond stories, and certainly not the suspicion that he was a Russian spy!! His story appears a bit like a movie script itself -- years after WWII generally unsuspected folks being accused of having been spies...surely some based upon fact, but as surely many not. The greater Wedgwood community never ceases to amaze me! Wedgwood is thought of by the unsuspecting world as so many dainty floral teacups or 'that blue & white stuff'~ it is easy to understand why the subject of Wedgwood has commanded so much of my attention and study during my 62 1/2 years, since the summer after 8th grade- it seems to be a never-ending saga, no matter from what angle one examines it! Be sure to click this post title for the full article.

Darwin's Family Tree Rediscovered

2010-08-25T07:50:00.003-05:00

News is bursting on the 'net this morning of a discovery of a 1932 Galton-Darwin-Wedgwood family tree, oddly enough a copy of early Darwin family photos and other information right here in Missouri. The same article appeared on several scientific sites, so I've just copied it for sharing here among the Wedgwood line of Darwin fans:

A poster of the Galton-Darwin-Wedgwood pedigree was prepared by Harry Hamilton Laughlin, Director of the Eugenics Record Office of the Carnegie Institute, and exhibited at the Third International Congress of Eugenics in 1932 at the American Museum of Natural History.

A photograph of this poster has been discovered in the archives of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri alongside a photograph of a poster of a collection of rare Darwin family photographs, assembled by Leonard Darwin. The original posters have not been located.

Professor Tim Berra FLS, The Ohio State University, has made this information and associated images available to Darwin scholars world-wide in a paper in volume 101, Issue 1, September 2010 of The Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Professor Berra said 'The newly available pedigree and photographs open a window into the family life of Charles Darwin, the man. He was a husband, brother, father and grandfather, and, along the way, he also had the greatest idea ever had by the human mind.'

The Galton-Darwin-Wedgwood family is descended from the prominent 18th century doctor Erasmus Darwin; Josiah Wedgwood, founder of the pottery firm Josiah Wedgwood and Sons and Samuel John Galton, an arms manufacturer. The family contains at least ten Fellows of the Royal Society, several artists and poets and of course Charles Darwin who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution and transformed the way we think about the natural world and our place in it.

WEDGWOOD - WOOD FAMILY BIBLE UP FOR AUCTION

2010-08-20T09:38:00.006-05:00

UNFORTUNATELY THE BIBLE WAS PASSED IN AS NO ONE CAME FORTH WITH THE OPENING BID OF $10,000 - ITS FUTURE IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME!

Next weekend, 8/28, a Wedgwood and Enoch Wood family Bible will be offered at auction in Maine. Click the post title to learn about the auction and see photos of the treasure for sale. What a shame its owner didn't just donate it to the City Museum in Stoke....if anything could ever be considered a National Treasure, this is one. Hopefully the winning bidder will be the Museum or someone whose plans are to donate it. Enoch Wood Sr. and Jr. were pivitol players in the potteries development, and the Bible originally belonged to Thomas Wedgwood...loads of history there! You can GO HERE to read about the Bible in more detail.

Did Ben Franklin invent Transferware?

2010-08-06T08:53:00.002-05:00

As I age and read more and more history, and study genealogy, I find more and more questions about Ben Franklin. As an Adams descendant not all I find sheds a postive light on good ol' Ben, however, the Transferware Collectors Club has published an interesting article on the subject of the origins of the transfer printing process. Ben claims to have had the idea first, and approached a reluctant Josiah Wedgwood about the subject. Click on this post title to read the article, and be sure to check out TCC, a virtual treasure trove of information on transfer printed wares. Their annual meetings and newsletters are well worth our consideration. Their website is www.transcollectorsclub.org and I highly recommend it!

Harrods Revamps Wedgwood Rooms

2010-07-28T15:15:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately the article telling about the opening of Harrods' beautifully revamped Wedgwood rooms has an incorrect title (see end of this post), but the pictures of the space are lovely. Certainly more welcoming than when we were last there, but an awful lot of space devoted to one tablescape! Click the post title to see the poorly-titled article from down under! Well well well, I sent a comment to the Inside Retailing site and lo and behold, they corrected their article...THANKS folks!

SO who KNEW?

2010-07-25T09:47:00.006-05:00

that the 100th anniversary of the formation of Stoke on Trent from six pottery towns was yesterday? Well, perhaps not, as I google around I find that the actual date was in March apparently. Last night there was an event which was part of the 100th anniversary celebrations, click this post's title for that article. Perhaps there was an anticipatory souvenir (see post below for explanation) for this event? If there had been I think I'd want one! Wedgwood & Sons didn't have any such in their promo emails which I receive...maybe anticipatory souvenir is something newly created for the 2012 Olympics and it's NOT really a real category! Real category or not, I've had an interesting Sunday morning on the internet roaming around about my favorite ceramics! Here is one more article, from February, touting the Citizen of the Century in Stoke. Check out how many have something to do with Wedgwood! Who would YOU vote for?
See the article here.

UK Telegraph OLYMPICS 2012 feature article features WEDGWOOD

2010-07-25T09:15:00.007-05:00

I enjoyed reading a UK point of view regarding the 2 year ramp up to the 2012 Olympics which begins today. But mostly I loved seeing that the writer used the Pre-Event souvenir (a new concept to this life-long souvenir collector) Wedgwood Mug as a starting point for his discussion.
Personally I can't imagine the splendor of London being subjected to hordes of sports enthusiasts from 'round the world in large groups. Londoners will be unable to carry on with their lives, but read the article, pessimism is NOT allowed! Large groups will be welcome ~ in fact, I guess that's the whole idea isn't it?

Googling around to find a photo of the London Olympics 2012 mug, I learned another heretofore unknown term, anticipatory souvenir! This opens up a whole new collecting field does it not?

Check out Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organizing Committee, with Josiah!

MEETING THIS WEEK REGARDING WEDGWOOD MUSEUM

2010-07-12T17:01:00.003-05:00

From our friends in UK:

Dear All,

Thank you for your continued support.

I am writing to let you know that Hon. Dr Tristram Hunt (MP for Stoke Central), will be meeting Rt. Hon. Ed Vaizey Minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport this week to discuss the situation with the Wedgwood Museum.

Mr Vaizey has received many letters now from supporters but the more that he receives the more pressure will be applied - so please write to him and the Pensions Minister Steve Webb if you haven’t yet done so.

Full contact details, together with document and e-mail templates are available at: www.savewedgwood.org

Best wishes, The "Save the Wedgwood Museum" Campaign Team

AMIDST CHAOS GAYE BLAKE-ROBERTS FINDS SATISFACTION

2010-07-08T19:13:00.004-05:00

Gaye Blake-Roberts has led the Wedgwood Museum for thirty years ~ through success and tribulations, through construction, blue prints, fund-raising and hair-raising she has presided over the treasures left to posterity by so many who have gone before us. Now, Keele University has bestowed upon her an Honorary Doctorate degree, a well deserved feather in a cap of many feathers. Congratulations Gaye from your many USA admirers and friends. May the error of their ways sink those who are trying to undo all your efforts! May you and Josiah and the new Museum prevail! Congratulations on a well-deserved honour. [click this post title to read Gaye's kudos.]

FINE BONE CHINA may be making a comeback!

2010-07-06T12:41:00.004-05:00

Check out this article (CLICK POST TITLE) for insight into the current bone china market. Unfortunately we haven't raised a generation of "kids" who are buying fine china, but perhaps there is hope? WE hope you will go to our bone china category on the website - click the Feature of the Week which takes you to one item, then click WEDGWOOD BONE CHINA in upper right of that display to reach our full inventory of bone china, ALL ON SALE AT 25% OFF RIGHT NOW.

Little Journeys to the homes of GREAT LOVERS

2010-07-05T10:58:00.004-05:00

What a pleasant find I've had this morning. At www.readprint.com one can find many books, poems, and short stories to read and print out if desired - all legal. The site encourages sharing of its content and link. The story of the love between Sarah and Josiah Wedgwood is indeed a great one. Her meeting Josiah as a child and seeing his smallpox-marked face and lame leg was the beginning of her life-long love for him and his for her. Elbert Hubbard does a great job of telling the story, with an intro that tells of Thomas Carlyle. I love this quote from Hubbard:
"Love demands opposition and obstacle. It is the intermittent or obstructed current that gives power." Click the title of this post to read Vol. 13 of Hubbard's book. I own two different editions of this book and it makes me smile just to see it on the shelf, let alone read it. If you don't know much about Josiah and Sarah, this is a great introduction to the story of their lives together and influences upon one another, more of which can be found in many of the books about the family. Scroll up to the black & white picture of Josiah on the right and click on it to go to a great book about the family that we have for sale. Happy Reading!

"CREATION" out on DVD 6-29-10

2010-06-30T07:43:00.002-05:00

Click the post title for a review of the movie "Creation", the story of Emma Wedgwood Darwin and Charles Darwin. Good reviews of the movie have not been forth-coming in our experience nor does this one make me want to run out and buy the DVD. But it IS an interesting story with far-reaching ramifications, so perhaps learning more about the couple is better than ignoring the movie. Let us know what YOU think after having seen the movie or this new DVD!

WEDGWOOD JASPER INSERTS ON HISTORIC SWORD HILT

2010-06-25T10:30:00.005-05:00

Click on the post title to see an interesting internet posting about an historic dress sword in the reserve collection of the Victoria & Albert which apparently sports two small Wedgwood jasper cameos. The author's description of the cameos' colors leaves a bit to be desired - however the tag names Matthew Boulton, so apparently he was the crafter of the hilt, and we know he used cameos supplied by Wedgwood & Sons so they probably ARE really Wedgwood cameos. Upon further research I find that there is an excellent article about sword hilts mounted with Wedgwood cameos on page 132 & 133 of the hardbound edition of The Dwight and Lucille Beeson Wedgwood Collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The hilts there are very much like this one in style and shape. Check it out! There is a softbound edition of the book too, perhaps found at your local library. If you are a collector, you should have this book. Additionally the catalogue of the 250th Wedgwood Anniversary Exhibition at the DAR Museum which closed in February, 2010, illustrates a sword hilt very similar to this photo. It is held by the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. It too was made by Matthew Boulton, leading manufacturer of decorative metalwork in the 18th century. The 5 illustrated cameos in this hilt are dark blue with white sprigged relief. We do still have a couple of the exhibit catalogues for sale, check our website or contact us.

WEDGWOOD TIDBIT Top Antique Treasures of the Year 2007

2010-06-20T15:11:00.003-05:00

In looking for a document just now on my computer, I found this tidbit of information I had saved from a 2007 issue of Art & Antiques Magazine, one of my favorites:

Last March as Alan Darr, curator of European sculpture and decorative arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts, led patrons and high-level museum personnel through the crowded Maastricht art fair (TEFAF), he discovered what he calls a "masterpiece of French Directoire and pre-Empire furniture." For years, Darr had been looking for an important example of such furniture, typical of the late 18th century, and what he and his colleagues found at the booth of the Zurich dealer Richard Redding is, says Darr, "one of the great pieces of European furniture to come up in the market in many years." One of the specialists on the trip with Darr made the pronouncement that no other American institution had anything like this mahogany pier table with a sphinx monopod, designed by a virtual consortium of period master artisans. The masterful demi-lune Parisian pier table, or console, is characterized by reddish-brown mahogany veneers, gilt bronzes, Wedgwood medallions, a blue marble top and a winged sphinx. As Darr explains, the Greek version of the Egyptian sphinx features wings. He would not disclose the purchase price except to say, "It is worth well above $500,000." —D.M.
Art & Antiques 2007 ~100 top Treasures of the year

Our Friend Piers, Lord Wedgwood makes a Statement at English Speaking Union Bash

2010-06-17T08:47:00.005-05:00

Here is Piers, with lovely wife Jean, attending a party and fund-raiser to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Birthday at the English Speaking Union in Philadelphia. In the second pic they are in the background, but scroll down for a close up shot of our friend Piers smiling and schmoozing, what he does SO very well!

WEDGWOOD DESIGNER DIES IN APRIL

2010-06-04T08:50:00.004-05:00

Norman Makinson 1923-2010 has died. Click the title of this post to go to his obituary. Makinson designed the well-known and popular mug commemorating the Festival of Britain in 1951 and the tableware pattern Partridge in a Pear Tree on the Coupe/Savoy shape. He was a designer and artist for Wedgwood, served in the Royal Marines in World War II and later taught design. Another of the Wedgwood 'old timers' leaves behind a great legacy.

Australian Commentary on new Wedgwood Style Campaign

2010-05-18T08:27:00.002-05:00

Here from an Australian website is the statement of Wedgwood's current style philosophy, targeting the creative styles of younger women in today's market. Click the Post title to go straight there.

INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE

2010-05-13T09:54:00.006-05:00

WE HAVE RECENTLY MOVED ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE AND WE FIND THE NEW SPACE NOT QUITE AS BIG AS WE PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED. TO MAKE OUR SPACE MORE CONDUCIVE TO GOOD BUSINESS, WE ARE REDUCING INVENTORY - ALL ITEMS IN OUR BONE CHINA CATEGORY (ITEMS WITH PRODUCT #S IN THE 600 SERIES) ARE 25% OFF. PLEASE SEND US ANY INQUIRIES THROUGH WEB COMMENTS, OR SIMPLY PUT ITEMS IN YOUR CART AND ASK A QUESTION, OR PLACE AN ORDER, THE PRICES YOU NOW SEE IN THIS CATEGORY ARE ALREADY REDUCED 25%. IF YOU MIX AND MATCH CATEGORIES THE REDUCED PRICES WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REFLECTED.
THANKS FOR VISITING! CLICK THE TITLE OF THIS POST TO GO DIRECTLY TO OUR BONE CHINA CATEGORY.

Fairyland Lustre

2010-05-13T09:32:00.003-05:00

Click on the Title to go to a nice, short article on Fairyland Lustre. The photos are beautiful. I normally don't refer to other websites/blogs of this sort because they contain so much misinformation, but this one is a lovely overview and a delight to the eyes! Yesterday I found one that said that Josiah loved black so much he called his black EARTHENWARE black basalt.... if you are just learning about Wedgwood, please get some good books and curl up and read them, perhaps with a nice glass of vino. Don't do all your research on-line because there is just so much that is untrue, even ridiculous, on unvetted blogs and websites!