Spode and a Victorian Christmas Pattern

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

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

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

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

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

Copeland small plate, Christmas design, pattern number D5208 c1868

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

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

'Cartoon' detail - perhaps a bit scary?

Dancing 'cartoon' detail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pattern number handpainted in red

Happy New Year!

Spode, Christmas Tree and New Information

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

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

Plate, Christmas Tree, pattern number S2133 1939

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Backstamp on a Christmas Tree plate dated 1940 or 1941

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

Detail of Christmas Tree pattern with Santa, toys & baubles

Spode Pattern 329 & a bit about Pattern Numbers

Coffee cup, Bute shape pattern number 329 c1803

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pattern Books in the Pattern Safe at Spode 2007

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

That's a lot of patterns.

For one company.

Think how many existed for the whole industry...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Pattern Books in the Pattern Safe at Spode 2007

Spode and Audubon Birds

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

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

5 different Spode part dessert services c1800-1828

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

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

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

Handpainted backstamp on cream/sugar tureen stand, pattern 1979

Icepail, Lady Staffords shape, pattern 2114 c1820

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

Spode catalogue page, Audubon Birds 1959

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frontispiece from Lehigh University Special Collections

Red-shouldered Hawk

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

Spode catalogue page Rhododendron pattern 1959

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

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

Spode catalogue page, Audubon Birds 1961

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

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

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

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

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

Backstamp for the soup saucer above, early 1970s

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

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

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

Plates - 10 inch and 9.5 inch

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

Teacup, Coffee Cup, Soup Cup

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

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

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

Plate 6.5 inch, Coffee saucer, Tea saucer

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

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

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

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

Spode and India

 Plate, India pattern c1815

Spode is famous for the perfection of the ceramic technique of underglaze transfer printing in blue in the late 18th century. The fashion for this type of ware blossomed and was a huge success for the company. Many patterns were produced in different styles and exported all over the world initially aimed at the well-to-do customer.

One of these patterns was India.

India pattern, detail of centre of design

The pattern dates from about 1815.  Although it has the name India, it reproduces a Chinese porcelain design from the K'ang Hsi period (1700-1722). In the early 1800s the name 'India' was often used to describe Oriental style and this is the source of this early 19th century pattern name. The style continued to go in and out of fashion throughout the 19th century. Some of Spode's product range was always in oriental style right up to the 1990s. 

It is a lovely pattern and I particularly like the border design. India was produced on a fine earthenware known as pearlware. Spode's earthenwares were thinly potted and so were beautifully lightweight and elegant. The lead glaze gave them a smooth silky feel.

Some pieces of ware in India pattern had an elaborate backstamp. Something of a curator's dream! To turn over a plate of this period and find something on it is a bonus - not everything was marked by pottery manufacturers in the early 1800s. To find a whole story in print on the reverse is wonderful. 

Backstamp on a soup plate, India pattern 1816

The mark reads:

'This BLUE-WARE is printed from the CALX of British COBALT, produced from Wheal Sparnon Mine in the County of Cornwall August 1816.'

So what does this backstamp tell us?

It uses the contemporary phrase Blue-Ware. This, then, is what Spode II was calling this type of ware when it was made. It is now usually referred to as transfer printed ware, blue printed ware, underglaze blue, and, in the US, transferware.

Calx is a metal oxide, in this case, cobalt.

As well as a Master Potter, Spode II was also a master of marketing. Here he is finding a British supply of cobalt, instead of importing from Europe. He is using the emphasis on this British supply of an important raw material to market 'Buy British' at a time of turmoil in Europe. 

In other versions of the backstamp the word 'Wheal' has been removed as it also means mine.

At the bottom of the map is Sparnon, near Redruth

Wheal Sparnon was near Redruth in Cornwall and the vein of cobalt was discovered there in 1807. I understand that initially cobalt was regarded simply as by-product of tin mining. Wheal Sparnon was leased by a group of Staffordshire potters of whom Spode II was one. It was the only mine dedicated to producing solely cobalt in the whole of Cornwall.

Some versions of India pattern were hand painted over the blue print. In the Spode pattern books in the Spode archive, the earliest known design like this has pattern number 2489 first recorded in 1816. It is handpainted in colours over the blue. A version with red painted over the border has pattern number 2612 which dates from about 1818.

Plate (detail) India pattern 2612 c1818

Saucer, India pattern, backstamp

There are 6 backstamps on the saucer illustrated here. Printed in blue is the Spode name and the mark of the printer or printing team; painted in red is the pattern number 2612 with a workman's mark below; another workman's mark can be seen also painted in red; an impressed mark in the centre, probably another workman's mark, completes the 6.

In the 20th century India was used as the source for a pattern called Chinese Rose which was to become hugely commercially successful for the company. You can find more out about Chinese Rose on my Spode ABC on the C page.

Catalogue page for Chinese Rose pattern 1938

Spode and Kate Bruce

Kate Bruce 

Kate Bruce was a paintress employed by Spode for a long time. My research has found she started during the period when the company was known as Copeland & Garrett (1833-1847) and continued on during the ownership of W. T. Copeland from 1847 and was still working in the early 1900s.

Like most employees of the Spode company little information exists about individuals whether the famous 'premier' artists and designers who were men, apprentice boy painters training to work in the style of the premier artists or women working as anonymous paintresses.

There are signed pieces painted by Kate Bruce in the Spode museum object collection and they are not uncommon amongst private collectors either. A quick search on the web and you can find her signed pieces for sale. She seems to have been prolific! Pieces are known to be painted by her because, very, very unusually for a woman at Spode, she was allowed to sign her work. Most of what she painted uses designs of small cornflowers.

Soup bowl/bouillon cup & saucer from Worthpoint

Backstamps on soup cup & saucer

The backstamps on the soup cup & saucer include Kate's painted inscription, the company mark (blurred) & pattern number R2079. This pattern number was first recorded in about 1904

A report of a Royal Visit to the factory on January 6th 1897 by the 'Princess of Wales and other members of the Trentham party' (Trentham was the seat of the Duke of Sutherland and is not far from Stoke) says that:

'...The royal visitors were met at the showroom entrance by Mr. R. P. Copeland, the head of the firm, and Mr. W. F. M Copeland. They were first shown some artists engaged in decorating articles of pottery, one being the venerable and respected Mrs. Bruce, who after 53 years of service with the firm, still skilfully handles the camel-hair pencil and was engaged in applying a cornflower to some plates...' Pencil is the pottery industry term for a paintbrush.

Dessert plate, Gadroon shape painted by Kate, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

It would seem from the above report that Kate began work at the factory in 1844. Conversations with Robert Copeland led me to believe she may have been a favourite of the Copeland family and this is why she was allowed to sign her work as well as demonstrate her skills before royalty and other important visitors to the factory.

Although unusual for a woman to sign work at Spode it was not unusual to work for the company for many years, well past what would now be thought of as retirement age.

Sometimes, together with her name on the pieces, will be her age and an example is known (from a private collection) with the inscription 'painted by Mrs Bruce aged 74 1900'. This, together with the inscription on the piece above would make her date of birth 1826/7 and, if the royal visit report is correct, starting to work for the company at about the age of 18 although I would expect earlier, for she would have had to complete a seven-year apprenticeship either at Spode or another manufacturer.

Mrs Bruce featured in at W. T. Copeland souvenir booklet c1902

Spode and Showing Off

One of the important parts of the Spode business, not often mentioned, is that of the showroom. It was no use making beautiful things to sell if there was nowhere to display the wares to prospective customers.

3 of the 9 sizes of 'Beaded New Shape Jar', bone china, pattern 1166 c1808

From its earliest days the Spode company had a showroom both at the factory in Stoke and, after 1778, also in London. Eventually the company had showrooms not just in the UK but all over the world...

Spode's first London showroom was in Fore Street

Whilst Spode I remained in Stoke running the business at the factory end, Spode II left with his wife and little children, to set up the London business in Fore Street in 1778. The property included a showroom and accommodation and this is where the sales and marketing part of the business began. Sadly Spode II's young wife died in 1782 and was buried in St Giles Church, Cripplegate which you can see in the picture of Fore Street.

The London showroom, Portugal Street

In 1794 the London business moved premises to Portugal Street. At the front of this converted theatre are interesting bits and pieces to do with the running of a pottery warehouse. I found that in the 18th century the word warehouse was regarded as more dignified word for shop; and Spode II's warehouse would have included an elegant showroom, storage for stock and again accommodation.

Look at the Portugal Street image and note the barrels in which ware was packed in straw for transport from the Stoke factory to London and then on all over the world to Spode's customers.

To the right a workman carries a large foot bath through the door. A wagon is parked below a hoist and workmen on the left struggle with a willow crate where pottery is again packed in straw. Cratemaking was a specialist trade. You can see some images of crates here>.

Wedgwood & Byerley warehouse, London c1809

The inside of the Spode warehouse may well have looked something like the interior of Wedgwood's London warehouse. All sorts of well-to-do customers would visit the London showrooms. Find out about HM Queen Charlotte's visit to Spode's in 1817 here>.

Back in Stoke, in 1806, the Spode manufactory was visited by HRH the Prince of Wales, (later to become Prince Regent and, later still, HM King George IV). On this exciting occasion Spode II was appointed 'Potter & English Porcelain Manufacturer to His Royal Highness'.

Universal Magazine report of Royal visit to the factory 1806

Later Spode II became Potter to the King

The factory showroom is described as 'a room of 117 feet in length... fitted up with a splendid assemblage of goods'. In an ode written in the early 1800s in praise of Henry Daniel, an expert in ceramic decoration, there are the lines which mention 'a small but neat showroom'. In the 'pattern room' wares are displayed 'suspended on lathy strings... some on steppy shelves' which conjures up a wonderful image of quite a modern sounding display of wares.

Cups suspended on 'lathy strings' (somewhere) in 2013

Why mention this? Because Henry Daniel and Spode II worked closely together. Daniel was responsible for decorating Spode's ware from about 1805 until 1822 and the fascinating thing is that Daniel's business operated on the same site as the Spode factory. Amongst other things he rented his workshops from Spode II. So, put simply, Spode II was responsible for making his pots to a high standard and then the responsibility for painting the pieces to the Spode order went to Henry Daniel, such as in pattern 1166 shown at the top of this post.

The ode goes on to describe the Spode wares further:

'Numerous Tea Sets spread the bench below;
The centre table forms still richer glow,
While spangling orders all the ground bestrew;
With mathematic marks each piece is grac'd'

The 'mathematic marks' refer to the pattern numbers applied to the wares. This unique number identified the pattern and enabled orders to be repeated successfully. Sometimes the Spode name accompanied it, other times just the number was applied; often there would be a workman's mark or cipher too.

'Mathematic mark', now referred to as a pattern number, 889 c1806

Pattern number 2169 and workman's mark c1815

Coffee cup, bone china, pattern 2169 c1815

The advent of photography in the late 19th century, and an interest in this new-fangled technique by members of the Copeland family, led to various aspects of the factory being photographed and later published in a souvenir booklet of 1902.

The showroom at the Spode factory 1902

In the image of the showroom at the Spode factory in 1902 are many very grand pieces made under the Copeland ownership - elaborate vases, fine dessert wares and parian figures. Some of these pieces are in the Spode museum's object collection.

Monumental urn, cover & stand. Spot it at the back of the showroom on the high shelf.

In the same but palm-bedecked showroom, you can see a gentleman believed to Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner with his entourage and, I think, a Copeland or two as well as the monumental urn again.

Wealthy customers from all over the world came to visit the showroom in Stoke

The Spode company, under all its various ownerships, exported all over the world. The rich and famous would come to visit the showrooms and tour the factory. As well as royalty this included included celebrities such as the author Charles Dickens. You can find out much more about his visit to the Spode factory here>.

Detail of Dickens on a Spode commemorative plate 1970

The style of the factory showroom changed with the fashions and from high Victorian moved to stylish minimalist 20th century versions. But sometimes the company seemed to lose its nerve with the minimalist style, in both brochures and showroom, as some of the following images show. This was often driven by marketing needs.

Naran pattern in a Chinese-influenced setting in the Earthenware Brochure 1938

1950

Blue printed ware fitting the revival for traditional pine furniture perfectly in the 1990s