INTERESTING TAKE ON THE WEDGWOOD MUSEUM FIASCO

I am sorry, I lost the URL from which I obtained this, but think it is an excellent capsulized look at the overall situation, which is still not resolved, much later than was originally promised.  The visual image of that brutally split Portland Vase really brings home the situation in one visual punch!

WEDGWOOD BIRTHDAY SALUTE TO LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

 WEDGWOOD BIRTHDAY SALUTE TO LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Produced by Wedgwood in 1970 for the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, this black basalt portrait medallion of the musical genius is a fine tribute to the work of Wedgwood modeller Eric Owen, well known for his busts of several famous historic figures.  Frequently we remove portrait medallions from their frames but this one is so beautiful we have left it just as we found it. HAPPY 243rd BIRTHDAY to a man who has brought musical magic to so many for so long!  Click the link to see this item in our inventory. FREE SHIPPING IF HE IS PURCHASED MONDAY DECEMBER 16th, let him celebrate with a fine new home!

Photo courtesy of www.americanbeethovensociety.org

Wedgwood "BIG HOUSE" endangered in Stoke on Trent

It appears the 1751 Wedgwood family home known as The Big House is deteriorating and the damage and its possible repair are involved in an insurance claim.  Go here to see an article on the situation.  What a shame it would be to lose this historic building!

 

WEDGWOOD FOR CHRISTMAS IN STOCK & READY TO SHIP!

WEDGWOOD FOR CHRISTMAS IN STOCK and READY TO SHIP!  The Christmas shopping season is upon us.  We have a nice variety of Christmas themed items in stock in addition to our other 2,000 line items of Wedgwood and related products, and those vintage and antique items at Alexis Antiques Annex.  We have more ornaments to add to inventory, so if you collect a particular series, let us know and we'll see if we have it.  Be sure to see great merchandise for sale in our 25% off bone china sale. Many items in our inventory are now listed with USA shipping included.  We ship until the very last possible minute for Christmas delivery, so be sure to let us know if you're ordering as a gift and need quick shipping later in the month.  In many cases we can giftwrap and include a card at no extra charge, just ask!

WEDGWOOD BLUE FRIDAY & SMALL BUSINESS MONDAY SPECIAL

In the spirit of the season, Alexis Antiques and Collegeplates.com
are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders between Friday morning and Monday evening.  Check out our websites for lots of good ideas for Christmas gifting for all those lucky enough to be on your shopping list!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Wishes to our Wedgwood Friends

We at Alexis Antiques are sending happiest of Thanksgiving wishes and blessings to all our friends and valued clients.  We wish you a bountiful day of giving thanks for all that is good and wonderful in our world.  Let us give thanks for those early immigrants who came to our shores, began a system of governance and toiled, suffered and died that we might be here this week to be so thankful for so much.  Remember the Brits and their penchant for commemorating special events, even those which ultimately represent the flight of many from that great country for beliefs they held dear.  Josiah Wedgwood is the favorite Brit of many, someone for whom we are very thankful!  I am ever-thankful for Josiah and his contemporaries toiling away in Staffordshire!  Enjoy your holiday! 

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY CORRESPONDENCE located in USA - including letter to THOMAS WEDGWOOD

Many Wedgwoodians the world over research a plethora of interesting Wedgwood-related topics.  I have been able to research a number of topics over the years using the files held in American universities, but was surprised to learn of some of the holdings of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.  If one looks at their finding aid, one will find a great deal of information about Dickinson alums, but the Priestley family papers were not something I'd have expected to find at Dickinson!  Check out this link to review how much is there.  The specific Thomas Wedgwood letter is located here.  In a quick review of the site, I see several things that might be of interest to a researcher of Joseph Priestley and his connection to Josiah Wedgwood, FRS.  They were scientists in an age of true science, their correspondence very enlightening.  I hope this connection will lead to the use of this information on the part of a researcher looking into this, yet another, Wedgwood related find.

The Roundhouse at Etruria, a bit of Wedgwood history

From our favorite UK newsmedia, The Sentinel, we bring you this interesting historical article.  The link to the original article is:  http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Way-roundhouse-Etruria/story-19890891-detail/story.html#axzz2hBwPQSGk but there is an annoying ad with sound.  You can click on the symbol in the lower left of the ad and it should shut off the sound.  The article below is from that link sans sound:
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Way We Were: The roundhouse at Etruria

Saturday, October 05, 2013

MADAM, – With reference to Micheal Pritchard's picture [above] of the Roundhouse at Etruria in The Way We Were on September 21.

This originally was one of a pair that flanked each side of the facade of the Etruria factory that Josiah Wedgwood completed in June 1769.

A simple sketch of these roundhouses by Josiah, along with other styles, was included in a letter he wrote to his business partner Thomas Bentley on Christmas Eve 1767.

One unusual feature of the old factory was that the facade faced the canal rather than the main road.

This was so that important visitors received by Josiah at Etruria Hall would have had a view of the factory before being shown around it.

The roundhouse that did not survive housed one of the ornamental ware glost ovens. However, the use to which the surviving one was put is less certain and suggestions include a hovel for another oven, a grinding mill and a stable.

By the 1850s plans were drawn up to have the building converted into a cottage and rented to one of the Wedgwood employees, although this never materialised.

Even before the 20th century the Wedgwood factory had suffered from subsidence due to the extensive mining in the area.

This caused problems with drains, the constant flooding of cellars during wet weather, and the sagging and buckling of the tracks of the newly installed tunnel kilns.

In addition to subsidence, air pollution was another problem.

Smoke from trains climbing the gradient of the loop line and iron filings drifting up from Shelton Bar were a constant cause of ware being speckled.

The question of finding a new location for the factory was first addressed at a meeting of the board of directors on November 26, 1935.

The proposal to relocate was announced to the workforce at a lunchtime meeting in the canteen on Friday May 14, 1936.

The news was broken by Josiah Wedgwood V, who confirmed that due to the severity of subsidence relocation was inevitable, and that the company had purchased an estate at Barlaston where the new factory would be built.

He spoke of the ideal working conditions that the new factory would offer, the sporting facilities and the estate of houses that would be built, painting a promising picture to the workforce.

The huge task of transferring the works from Etruria was accomplished in two halves.

Only the earthenware and Jasper departments moved to Barlaston in 1940.

China production remained at the old factory until 1947 and accounted for a large proportion of the workforce.

The majority of the old factory not used for china production was utilised for the storage of moulds and dismantled machinery. Certain areas had been leased out to other companies for storage premises and included the Dunlop Rubber Company and Shelton Bar.

From the beginning of the 50s the old Wedgwood factory had gone through several occupants, steadily becoming more dilapidated.

During the early 60s it suffered from vandalism. By this time the factory was in the hands of St Quentin Properties which planned to demolish those parts of the works not deemed by the Ministry of Housing as being of particular historic interest, and to use the land as a light industrial estate.

The original intention was to preserve the original office block of 1769, two bottle kilns behind the main building and the roundhouse immediately to one side of it.

Attempts to raise both sufficient interest and capital failed, however, and demolition of the Wedgwood factory took place during September 1965.

All was cleared away, the only building spared being the Roundhouse that still exists on the site today.

KEVIN SALT Longton

 

COLOURFUL WEDGWOOD, DAPPER AND DREAMY

Our friend Lord Wedgwood of Barlaston is on the road in his continuing crusade to inform the world of the beautiful new patterns of Wedgwood china.  Check out how handsome he looks amidst the beautiful china at Bloomingdales, Boca Raton!  Word has it that he's on his way back to HQ in Barlaston before long, so the folks in Florida should enjoy him while he's in this hemisphere!  You can go here to read all about his visit, and an interview with him about Wedgwood, its products, history and coming events!

INTERESTING CANALSIDE VIEW OF WEDGWOOD BARLASTON PLUS MORE - CANAL BOATS

Here is an interesting view of the Barlaston Wedgwood factory from the Trent & Mersey Canal, of course that's the waterway that Josiah created to help get his, and others', goods from Stoke to their markets in other parts of the world.  If you wander around this great blog you'll likely learn something new, I sure did.  I know about canals, and skinny boats, but did not know there is a whole narrow boat culture out there.  But for us Wedgwood fans there are a couple of great photos on this blog of scenes one doesn't normally get to photograph at the factory.  Do enjoy this blog and think how amazed Josiah would be if he could know what great things would float up and down "his" canal all these years later! 

TRAITOR BENEDICT ARNOLD, AFICIONADO OF WEDGWOOD - WHO KNEW?

Recently I won a book through Fieldstome Common History Radio, a web-based radio show all about genealogy and American History. The book I won is "Defiant Brides, the Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-era Women and the Radical Men They Married". This is the story of the parallels in time and place of Peggy Shippen Arnold, Mrs. Benedict, and Lucy Flucker Knox, Mrs. Henry. It is a well-written biography of two strong women who found themselves on the main stages of America's history during the American Revolutionary period.

 As we Wedgwoodians so often find, one just never knows where a Wedgwood reference will pop up. It happens to many of us frequently and we share our encounters with one another in many ways. This one is another on my long list of Wedgwood-in-totally-unexpected-places finds. On page 136 we learn:  "Superficially, the Arnolds' social success in London society in 1782 seemed ensured. Though not fabulously wealthy, the Arnolds lived luxuriously. Their townhouse was outfitted with fine mahogany furniture; their table handsomely appointed with fine silver, crystal, and Wedgwood..."  And on page 155 we find Benedict and Peggy back on the North American continent, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. "The Arnolds' clapboard home on the corner of King and Cross (now Canterbury) streets was less stately than their London townhouse but, by Saint John standards, still impressive. Two and a half stories high with a gambrel roof, it symbolized Arnold's status as a town father. Within it stood the family's London furnishings, blue-damask sofas, matching curtains, mahogany chairs cabinets and chests, Wedgwood dishes, giltware, and a globe."  Who knew someone so vilified in our history could have the good sense and good taste to own Wedgwood china? Perhaps we can't excuse his poor behaviour but we can at least give him a modicum of credit for his good sense in some of life's luxuries. 

For an interesting look into the personal lives of two important players on the Revolutionary stage, you might want to check out Nancy Rubin Stuart's book, Defiant Brides, published by Beacon Press, Boston, 2013, www.beacon.org.  And a big thank-you to Marian Pierre-Louis and her stellar programming on Fieldstone Common for running the give-away!  You can learn a lot of history and genealogy at www.blogtalkradio.com/FieldstoneCommon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSIAH WEDGWOOD -GOING STRONG AT 283!

Here is a nice post we found this morning which talks a lot about Josiah and why we are still telling him Happy Birthday 283 years later!  (I'm not sure the links work, but at the bottom are some excellent references.)  Be sure to see our website for lots of Josiah's company's wares and lots of INFORMATION about Wedgwood!  Remember to learn about what you collect, information is power!

Josiah Wedgwood Born 12 July 1730 Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Died 3 January 1795 (aged 64) Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Resting place Stoke-on-Trent, England Occupation potter Etruria Hall, the family home, built 1768–1771 by Joseph Pickford. It was restored as part of the 1986 Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival and is now part of a four-star hotel. Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family. He was the grandfather of Charles Darwin and Emma Darwin. Biography Early life Born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, the twelfth and last child of Thomas Wedgwood and Mary Wedgwood (née Stringer; d. 1766), Josiah was raised within a family of English Dissenters. He survived a childhood bout of smallpox to serve as an apprentice potter under his eldest brother Thomas Wedgwood IV. Smallpox left Josiah with a permanently weakened knee, which made him unable to work the foot pedal of a potter's wheel. As a result, he concentrated from an early age on designing pottery rather than making it. In his early twenties, Wedgwood began working with the most renowned English pottery-maker of his day, Thomas Whieldon. He began experimenting with a wide variety of pottery techniques, an experimentation that coincided with the burgeoning of the nearby industrial city of Manchester. Inspired, Wedgwood leased the Ivy Works in his home town of Burslem. Over the course of the next decade, his experimentation (and a considerable injection of capital from his marriage to a richly-endowed distant cousin) transformed the sleepy artisan works into the first true pottery factory. Marriage and children Wedgwood married Sarah Wedgwood (1734–1815), his third cousin, in January 1764. They had seven children: Susannah Wedgwood (1765–1817) (married Robert Darwin, parents of the English naturalist Charles Darwin) John Wedgwood (1766–1844) Josiah Wedgwood II (1769–1843) (father of Emma Darwin, cousin and wife of the English naturalist Charles Darwin) Thomas Wedgwood (1771–1805) (no children) Catherine Wedgwood (1774–1823) (no children) Sarah Wedgwood (1776–1856) (no children, very active in the slavery abolition movement[1]) Mary Anne Wedgwood (1778–86) (died as a child) Work 1780 Wedgwood dish Josiah worked in pottery, and his work was of very high quality. If he saw in his workshop an offending vessel that failed to meet with his standards, he would smash it with his stick, exclaiming, "This will not do for Josiah Wedgwood!"[citation needed] He was also keenly interested in the scientific advances of his day and it was this interest that underpinned his adoption of its approach and methods to revolutionize the quality of his pottery. His unique glazes began to distinguish his wares from anything else on the market. He was perhaps the most famous potter of all time. By 1763, he was receiving orders from the highest levels of the British nobility, including Queen Charlotte. Wedgwood convinced her to let him name the line of pottery she had purchased "Queen's Ware", and trumpeted the royal association in his paperwork and stationery. In 1774, Empress Catherine of Russia ordered the Green Frog Service from Wedgwood; it can still be seen in the Hermitage Museum.[2] An even earlier commission from Catherine was the Husk Service (1770), now on exhibit in Petergof. As a burgeoning industrialist, Wedgwood was a major backer of the Trent and Mersey Canal dug between the River Trent and River Mersey, during which time he became friends with Erasmus Darwin. Later that decade, his burgeoning business caused him to move from the smaller Ivy Works to the newly-built Etruria Works, which would run for 180 years. The factory was so-named after the Etruria district of Italy, where black porcelain dating to Etruscan times was being excavated. Wedgwood found this porcelain inspiring, and his first major commercial success was its duplication with what he called "Black Basalt". Bust of Minerva, Wedgwood and Bentley, c. 1795 Not long after the new works opened, continuing trouble with his smallpox-afflicted knee made necessary the amputation of his right leg. In 1780, his long-time business partner Thomas Bentley died, and Wedgwood turned to Darwin for help in running the business. As a result of the close association that grew up between the Wedgwood and Darwin families, Josiah's eldest daughter would later marry Erasmus' son. One of the children of that marriage, Charles Darwin, would also marry a Wedgwood — Emma, Josiah's granddaughter. This double-barreled inheritance of Wedgwood's money gave Charles Darwin the leisure time to formulate his theory of evolution. In the latter part of his life, Wedgwood's obsession was to duplicate the Portland Vase, a blue and white glass vase dating to the first century BC. For three years he worked on the project, eventually producing what he considered a satisfactory copy in 1789. After passing on his company to his sons, Wedgwood died at home, probably of cancer of the jaw, in 1795. He was buried three days later in the parish church of Stoke-on-Trent. Seven years later a marble memorial tablet commissioned by his sons was installed there. He belonged to the fourth generation of a family of potters whose traditional occupation continued through another five generations. Wedgwood's company is still a famous name in pottery today (as part of Waterford Wedgwood; see Waterford Crystal), and "Wedgwood China" is the commonly used term for his Jasperware, the blue (or sometimes green) china with overlaid white decoration, still common throughout the world. He was an active member of the Lunar Society often held at Erasmus Darwin House and is remembered on the Moonstones in Birmingham. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1783 for the development of a pyrometer. Wedgwood is credited as the inventor of modern marketing, specifically direct mail, money-back guarantees, traveling salesmen, self-service, free delivery, buy one get one free, and illustrated catalogues.[3] Am I Not A Man And A Brother? Am I Not a Man and a Brother? Design of the medallion created as part of anti-slavery campaign by Wedgwood, 1787 Wedgwood was a prominent slavery abolitionist. His friendship with Thomas Clarkson – abolitionist campaigner and the first historian of the British abolition movement – aroused his interest in slavery. Wedgwood mass produced cameos depicting the seal for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and had them widely distributed, which thereby became a popular and celebrated image. The Wedgwood medallion was the most famous image of a black person in all of 18th-century art.[4] The actual design of the cameo was probably done by either William Hackwood or Henry Webber who were modellers in his Stoke-on-Trent factory.[5] From 1787 until his death in 1795, Wedgwood actively participated in the abolition of Slavery cause, and his Slave Medallion, which brought the attention of the public to the horrors of the Slave trade, was very effective in bringing public attention to abolition. [6] Wedgwood reproduced the design in a cameo with the black figure against a white background and donated hundreds of these to the Society for distribution. Thomas Clarkson wrote; "ladies wore them in bracelets, and others had them fitted up in an ornamental manner as pins for their hair. At length the taste for wearing them became general, and thus fashion, which usually confines itself to worthless things, was seen for once in the honourable office of promoting the cause of justice, humanity and freedom".[7] The design on the medallion became popular and was used elsewhere: large-scale copies were painted to hang on walls[8] and it was used on clay tobacco pipes.[9] Locomotive A locomotive was named after Josiah Wedgwood and ran on the Churnet Valley Railway.[10] See also Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Erasmus Darwin House Erasmus Darwin Museum house and gardens References ^ Midgley, Clare (1992). Women Against Slavery. New York: Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 0203645316. ^ Pieces from the Green Frog Service. Josiah Wedgwood (1773–1774), Hermitage Museum ^ "They Broke It", New York Times, 9 January 2009 ^ "British History – Abolition of the Slave Trade 1807". BBC. Retrieved 2009-04-11. "The Wedgwood medallion was the most famous image of a black person in all of 18th-century art." ^ "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?", 1787 ^ Did you know? – Josiah WEDGWOOD was a keen advocate of the slavery abolition movement. Thepotteries.org. Retrieved on 2011-01-02. ^ "Wedgwood". Retrieved 2009-07-13. "Thomas Clarkson wrote; ladies wore them in bracelets, and others had them fitted up in an ornamental manner as pins for their hair. At length the taste for wearing them became general, and thus fashion, which usually confines itself to worthless things, was seen for once in the honourable office of promoting the cause of justice, humanity and freedom." ^ Scotland and the Slave Trade: 2007 Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, The Scottish Government, March 23, 2007 ^ A History of the World – Object : anti-slavery tobacco pipe. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-01-02. ^ A brief history of the CVR php. Churnet-valley-railway.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-01-02. Sources Dolan, Brian (2004). Wedgwood: The First Tycoon. Viking Adult. ISBN 0-670-03346-4. External links Wedgwood website Wedgwood collection at the Lady Lever Art Gallery Wedgwood Museum The Great Crash, Jenny Uglow, The Guardian, February 7, 2009 [1] This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. Link to this page: <a href="http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Wedgwood%2c+Josiah">Josiah Wedgwood</a> Please bookmark with social media, your votes are noticed and appreciated:

ERIC RAVILIOUS - WEDGWOOD ARTIST AND DESIGNER STILL A TOPIC OF INTEREST

Even after all these years since his tragic death off the coast of Iceland during World War II, Eric Ravilious' work is still commanding attention and landing positions in Wedgwood collections around the world!  Interest in his style and talent still commands print space on the internet, in Wedgwood and arts publications, and his wares are gaining popularity.  Check out this recent article to follow the current success of this designer and artist from a generation mostly now gone by.  There is an error in this article, if one does the math it'll quickly be seen that he wasn't born in 1927 as stated, but in 1903.  There is a fairly short but interesting entry about him on Wikipedia which begins: 
Eric William Ravilious (22 July 1903 – 2 September 1942) was an English painter, designer, book illustrator and wood engraver. He grew up in Sussex, and is particularly known for his watercolours of the South Downs. He served as a war artist, and died when the aircraft he was on was lost off Iceland.

One can Google his name and learn a lot about his life and work.

LATEST NEWS ON PLANS FOR THE WEDGWOOD BARLASTON CAMPUS

After not having seen any new information on this topic lately, I find this today which shows great promise that the Wedgwood Barlaston campus will likely have a great future.  What a shot in the arm for the Stoke area, Barlaston and Wedgwood if this development were to become reality in coming years!  Click here to see an artist's rendering and read the article. 

Transport - the subject of the day at WEDGWOOD Barlaston

Those of us who visit the Wedgwood factory in Barlaston don't think of the center courtyard full of omnibuses and vintage cars, but for one day each year for the past 11, that's just the scene which one would encounter at Wedgwood.  Enjoy seeing pictures from this year's POPS event and think of going perhaps next year for this fun event!  We just never know what adventures await at Wedgwood Barlaston!

WEDGWOOD HOME, LEITH HILL PLACE, DORKING OPENS TO THE PUBLIC

The composer Ralph Vaughn Williams donated his family home to the Heritage Trust in England in 1944, but until now it has not been open to the public.  This summer it will be open on a trial basis, so if you are lucky enough to be in the beautiful Surrey countryside, check it out!  Why would you, you ask?  Well of course because it is a former Wedgwood home, and Darwins were frequent visitors.  Sounds like there will be a lot to learn in the story of this historic house!  Go here to read today's article and let us know if you go!  We'd love to have a travelogue to post!

Wild Strawberry doing a new duty with Lord Wedgwood

From Wedgwood's Facebook Page today:

Lord Wedgwood enjoying a speciality cocktail in a Wedgwood Wild Strawberry teacup at the Britweek Red Carpet Launch Party! — in Los Angeles, CA.  GO HERE to see what we have in stock in this gorgeous, ever-popular pattern!

LORD WEDGWOOD NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE US

And today is no different.  See where Lord Wedgwood is this week, in Hollywood no less!  This article tells us of another good deed by Piers, Lord Wedgwood - the Design Icon Award.  Hollywood glitterati star in this article with a shot of His Lordship.  Unfortunately once again no one proof- read the article, as Wedgwood is mis-spelled...where have all the people who care about how they present themselves gone?  There seem to be no newspapers, TV producers, magazine writers or anyone else willing and/ or able to ensure the accuracy of what they publish. .....  a sad commentary among a lot of other sad commentaries on today's world...but Piers does show us that in a world of sloppiness, some people still try to shine and improve the world.  Congrats to Ian Callum for embodying the iconography Lord Wedgwood wants to celebrate!

YouTube VIDEO - GREAT WEDGWOOD HISTORY

The lucky Brits and Scots we know have been able to watch a great hour of the story of Josiah Wedgwood and his successes on British TV.  Luckily an enterprising soul has shared that broadcast on YouTube.  It is in four parts, 15 minutes each.  Go HERE and you will see parts 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4.  It is a well-done documentary with A. N. Wilson as narrator.  Several of us think Mr. Wilson did a much better job with this production than his recent book, which has not received good reviews from collectors.  I began reading it, and have set it aside.  If you go to YouTube.com and type in the search term WEDGWOOD you will find many interesting videos relating to the company, the products, the family, both current info and more importantly, great history and demonstrations of the potting process.  ENJOY!  And don't forget our bone china is all still on 25% off sale.  See us at www.alexisantiques.com and at eBay seller ID alexisantiques.com.

LORD WEDGWOOD CHARITY SHINES IN ALABAMA ONCE AGAIN

If you are in Alabama, check out this great opportunity to contribute to youth sports in the state of Alabama.  Check here for information about the upcoming event.  Remember the largest collection of Wedgwood in this hemisphere is located at the beautiful Birmingham Museum of Art!  A  haven for all Wedgwood collectors and  coming up an opportunity to contribute to a great cause!

World Class Ceramic Restoration Expert - Give her a try!

If you are in need of ceramic restorations or repairs, large or small, you might want to contact Gloria Hamlin, of Hamlins Restorations...find her at www.hamlinrestoration.com.  Here is an article in today's local paper in my area to learn a bit about her.  She and her firm have accomplished several repairs for myself, my friends and customers over a long span of years, and we give her a 100% excellent recommendation.  Check this out!  You will find she takes art commissions too, so you might think about a portrait or landscape of your home.  Go HERE to see the article.  And be sure to tell her Leslie sent you!  No, I don't get a kickback, just want folks to know she's here when you might need her!

POIGNANT ESSAY FROM 2009 ON THE WEDGWOOD DEMISE

Recently this essay was sent to me by my great Wedgwood pal Adele Barnett, power behind the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC.  It illustrates a very personal view of the modern era at Wedgwood & Sons by A. N. Wilson, the son of Norman Wilson, whom we have seen writing a novel more recently, and which you will see reviewed if you scroll down to older posts.  Luckily, Wedgwood has survived and seems to be growing, with new markets opening up all the time, recently in Lebanon, and growing markets in the Orient.  Please go here to read this heart-rending story of life in and around The Potteries from one who lived it for many years and eloquently retells the story of his life as it relates to pots, potting and potters.

WEDGWOOD CORPORATE AMBASSADORS

Here is a nice write-up on the three Wedgwood ambassadors at work these days globetrotting to advertise the Wedgwood Waterford Royal Doulton products.  Enjoy the interesting background information and current activities of these folks, to include our favorite Lord Wedgwood. 

SEATTLE'S WEDGWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT'S IN A NAME?

For a long time I've wondered why a lovely suburb of Seattle was named Wedgwood.  Recently I ran across an entry on the Internet which seemed to tell that story.  I've now found a great blog about the community and there is an article which explains the origins of the area and its name.  Please go here to read the story.  It's a bit long, but read down to the bottom and you'll find the explanation, and yes, it has to do with dishes made by You Know Who!  Enjoy this Wedgwood geography lesson, a great piece of trivia for your next trivia night or cocktail party banter.

WEDGWOOD COLLECTORS' FAVORITE, CLARICE CLIFF GOODS AT AUCTION

WOOLLEY & WALLIS Auctioneers will have 70 lots of Clarice Cliff works at auction later this month.  A peek here will show all the beautiful wares on offer -good luck!  If you want to see a modern reproduction special edition by Wedgwood of a Clarice Cliff trio dessert set, just take a look here.

WEDGWOOD DOCUMENTARY ON YOUTUBE ~ ANOTHER MUST SEE

My friend Lord Pulford, of the cold north of Scotland, told me some time ago about a TV series he saw about the British potteries but to my knowledge it did not come to USA television.  By accident I stumbled upon what I think is this series on YouTube tonight.  It is highly recommended for any collector of ceramics, and the segment, #2 The age of Wedgwood-Ceramics, is especially educational for all Wedgwood collectors, dealers and those just interested in English ceramics in general.  Once one has viewed it, the other segments of this excellent series on pottery can also be seen by clicking the various links on the YouTube site.  Produced by BBC in cooperation with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the hour-long show beautifully presents not only the history of Wedgwood and the story of the factory all the way up to the sending of much of the manufacturing overseas, but also tells the story of Stoke on Trent, the people and places, and the manufacturing process itself.  One will see how jasperware is thrown and ornamented, how the transfer process works, the pouring of the liquid slip into molds, the pots being unmolded and much more.  This is indeed a must-see to learn so much to help in collecting and buying and selling of Wedgwood and other fine English ceramic wares.  Gaye Blake-Roberts, Curator of the Wedgwood Museum, and Miranda Goodby of the Stoke on Trent Museum add their knowledge and there is a bit of A. N. Wilson speaking about growing up in the pottery itself, and the Potteries in general.  I can't fail to mention some segments by Lucy Worsley, the Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces such as the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace as well-known antiques commentator frequently seen on British TV. Be sure to view it in the full screen mode.  Not to be missed are some beautiful close-up shots of famous Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Minton examples that we don't often see!  Interviewed is Clarice Cliff herself, and old film footage, and present day interviews, of the "Bizarre Babes" as the paintresses were known locally. Grab a cuppa tea or a wee dram and sit back and enjoy an hour of beauty in many forms!  Click on the  bold link above to go right to the Wedgwood segment and to the other links to Alexis Antiques items that might be of interest.

WEDGWOOD EXHIBT IN MASSACHUSETTS - A MUST SEE

Our friends Ron Frazier and Dan O'Keefe of the Wedgwood Society of Boston are busy publicizing Wedgwood ceramics in the greater Boston, MA area.  Click here for information on Ron's exhibit at the Thayer Public Library in Braintree - an exhibit lasting from now thru February.  Featured in the exhibit will be outstanding examples of Wedgwood production from the company's inception in the mid 1700s up through 21st century wares.  The items in Dan's book will be on display "in the flesh" as we like to say, so make a trek over to Braintree and immerse yourself in a great visual feast of Wedgwood, and a day of learning too we're sure!  Likely there will be brochures available with information about the Wedgwood Society of Boston, if not be sure to ask someone, they all know Ron!

Here is one of the items to be seen in the exhibit, a beautiful scallop shell plate in Pearlware from a lucious dessert set made in the 1870s ~ we have two in stock,  CLICK HERE to see them.