13 February 2011

The Josiah Spodes: Pottery Pioneers

Thanks to everyone who came to the lecture 
12th February 2011 - a full house!

The Stoke-on-Trent Archives 3rd Annual Ceramic Lecture in February 2011 entitled
The Josiah Spodes: Pottery Pioneers

Thank you for kind comments received which include:
 
...Thanks for a very interesting talk at the library this morning - well up to your usual standard. As mentioned in the questions, I really enjoyed the photo of Robert Copeland trying out the foot-bath. I also noticed a distinct resemblance between Robert and his distant ancestor William Copeland. Regards, Phil

...many congratulations on your lecture yesterday...

...I really enjoyed your very professional presentation...

Pam Woolliscroft giving the inaugural
Stoke-on-Trent City Archive
Annual Ceramic Lecture, 2009
Precis of the lecture:
The father, Josiah Spode I, started from nothing to create a successful pottery business. The son, Josiah Spode II, took the business to new success and accolade. From humble beginnings this father and son team achieved worldwide success in just a few decades of the late 1700s/early 1800s.

This lecture looked at their important roles at the beginning of the Staffordshire Pottery Industry to become, arguably, the most successful 19th century pottery business in Stoke-on-Trent.

I brought together their inspiring story using well-known publications together with more recent independent research as well as my own observations.