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05 April 2020

Spode and April

It is April 2020 and the world is in the middle of a terrible pandemic of a coronavirus known as COVID-19.

But I am still blogging about Spode and will try to do a short post each month.

So, for the month of April what better than to choose April shape?

This was a fairly short-lived shape design. It was introduced in about 1964 and probably discontinued in the early 1970s or even before that.
Plate, Hamilton pattern c1964
Hamilton pattern is one of the best known on April shape. It has pattern number S3379 and was first introduced in 1964. It is on a two-tone earthenware made from the English Lavender and Imperial (ivory) bodies. The pattern was printed in black and coloured underglaze in blue and purple.
Cup, saucer & plate, Hamilton pattern
Backstamp on saucer
Backstamp on plate
April shape was developed from two other existing shapes: Gerrard shape flatware and Tean shape hollow ware.
Catalogue page, English Lavender, showing Gerrard & Tean shapes 1959
Teasets in Hamilton pattern were promoted as 'premium gifts' by the UK manufacturer of the washing-up liquid called Ola. The pattern has registered number 915427 which registered the design with the British Patent Office on 3rd March 1964. It is registered as a design for Colgate-Palmolive.

(There was also another pattern called Hamilton in the 1920s which was different from the 1964 version).
Barbecue pattern, Tricorn shape, pattern S3244 c1957
April shape sometimes replaced the modern looking Tricorn shape which sold well in the UK but not overseas. This happened, for example, in the more traditional Australian and New Zealand markets. The example shown here is for Barbecue pattern but on another round shape called Coupe shape.
Barbecue pattern on a round shape (sorry, black & white photo)