Royal Worcester

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Worcester

logo
legal form Limited
founding 1751
Seat Worcester
Branch Hardware and hardware wholesale
Website www.royalworcester.co.uk

Letterhead of an old invoice
View of part of the Royal Worcester Manufactory (1990)
Street Front on Severn Street (2006)
Royal Worcester bone china plate
Side of a teapot modeled as a female figure, design: RW Binns, execution: James Hadley (1881). Royal Worcester Porcelain Works, marked 1882.

Royal Worcester is a traditional English porcelain brand from Worcester and supplier to the royal court .

history

In 1751, the first porcelain factory in Warmstry, near Worcester, was founded by Dr. Wall († 1776) and 14 other partners. Three years later the first showroom was opened in Aldersgate Street in London. Robert Hancock invented porcelain printing in Worcester in 1756 . In 1767 a large showroom was opened in Spring Gardens , Charing Cross.

In 1770 the first royal evening service was made for the Duke of Gloucester , King George III's brother. In 1774 the founder, Dr. Wall retired from the business for reasons of age, his successor as general manager was William Davis. In 1783 Thomas Flight bought the factory for his two sons Joseph and John. In 1783, Robert Chamberlain founded a factory on Severn Street in Worcester, which became a competitor to the original factory. On the occasion of the visit to the Worcester Music Festival (forerunner of the Three Choirs Festival ) in 1788, King George III. and Queen Charlotte paid a visit to the Flight factory. On the advice of the King, Flight opened another store that same year at the prestigious address Coventry Street 1, near Piccadilly Circus . Due to the high quality of the products, King George III. In 1789 the Worcester Manufactory was given the title of purveyor to the court , with permission to use the royal coat of arms with the designation "Manufacturers to their Majesties" in public. The title of purveyor to the court was the first of many titles that followed throughout history.

In 1792 Martin Barr became a partner of Thomas Flight, in 1804 the manufacture belonged to Martin Barr Sr., Joseph Flight and Martin Barr jun. The ownership changed again in 1813, when Joseph Flight, Martin Barr jun. and George Barr became owners.

In 1802, Admiral Nelson and Emma Hamilton visited Chamberlain's rival manufactory and ordered a large service. In 1811 Chamberlain published a book with 400 drafts in honor of the Prince Regent. 1820 Chamberlain experimented with the production of bone porcelain ( bone china ).

In 1830 the Manufactory of Flight, Barr & Barr provided the coronation service for King William IV. In 1840, the former competitors Chamberlain and Flight & Barr finally merged to form a joint Worcester porcelain manufacturer, the Barr family retained a share of the shares. In 1851 Richard William Binns and William Henry Kerr were managing directors. In 1851–1887 the number of factory employees grew from 70 to 700 employees. Production mainly focused on small figures and vases and introduced 2,500 decorative items.

Prince Consort Albert appreciated Worcester email and ordered a dessert service for Queen Victoria, which was painted by Thomas Bott. In 1862, the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company was formed under the leadership of Edward Phillips as the main shareholder in a corporation. Since then the company has been known as Royal Worcester .

At the end of the 19th century the company flourished. In 1878 Royal Worcester took part in the World's Fair in Paris and presented the Potter's vases. In 1880 Octar Copson painted the first copy of the Royal Worcester fruits . In 1884 the Prince and Princess of Wales paid a visit to Royal Worcester. In 1889, Royal Worcester bought Grainger & Co. and in 1905 Hadley & Sons.

In 1891 Charles William Dyson Perrins became director of Royal Worcester. At the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, George Owen perfected stamped porcelain .

In 1902 the Granger factory closed and the employees were taken over at Royal Worcester. In 1905 Hadley & Sons was bought by Royal Worcester. With the outbreak of World War I, Royal Worcester produced porcelain for hospitals, laboratories and schools at the request of the British government.

In 1927, CW Dyson Perrins bought the museum collection. In 1930 Harrison, Robinson & Col. Clive bought Royal Worcester, which in turn was bought in 1934 by CW Dyson Perrins. In 1931 a new collection of bone china was presented at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London . In the same year, porcelain production was revolutionized with the introduction of refractory porcelain .

In 1934 Charles Dyson Perrins bought the company and became chairman of the board. In 1935 the first limited-edition figures of King George V and Queen Mary were made. A year later, the first figures of American birds were introduced by Dorothy Doughty, the first in a longer series.

During the Second World War, Royal Worcester manufactured spark plugs and resistors .

In 1946 the Dyson Perrins Museum Trust was established to maintain the museum collection. In 1951, Princess Elisabeth visited the factory and opened the new museum.

In 1954, The Worcester Royal Porcelain Co. was converted to a public company. In 1958, an umbrella company was formed with Owning Palissy Pottery Ltd., Worcester Royal Porcelain Co. Ltd., Worcester Royal Porcelain Co. Canada and Royal Worcester Porcelain Inc. USA. In 1962, the Evesham pattern was designed by Professor Robert Baker, Ronald van Ruyckevelt and others on the team. Ronald van Ruyckevelt also designed two large white doves for the silver wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1972.

In 1976 Royal Worcester Ltd merged with Carborundum Co. from Niagara Falls to form Royal Worcester Spode Ltd. Part of the group was Spode Inc. , Spode Canada Ltd , Hammersley China Ltd and Barthmann Cristall GmbH . Royal Worcester expanded and acquired Crystalate Ltd in 1983 . In the 1980s the ownership changed several times: in 1984 Royal Worcester belonged to London International , 1988 Derby International , 1993 Exeter International (a subsidiary of Derby International ) and 2000 Royal Worcester and Spode .

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid a visit to the factory in 2001 to mark its 250th anniversary.

Due to the increasing competition that could mass-produce cheaper porcelain, Royal Worcester was forced to gradually cut staff in order to save costs. In 2006, after more than 250 years, production in Worcester was completely stopped. In November 2008, Royal Worcester went bankrupt. April 2009 Portmeirion Pottery bought the naming rights to Royal Worcester and Spode for £ 3.2 million.

Porcelain museum

The Worcester Porcelain Museum on Severn Street (2006)

The Worcester Porcelain Museum is home to the world's largest collection of Worcester porcelain. The pottery collections, archives, and factory production records are the primary source for any study of Worcester porcelain and its history. The museum is located next to the former china factory on Severn Street in Worcester.

See also

literature

  • Henry Sandon. The Illustrated Guide to Worcester Porcelain 1751-1793 . Praeger, New York. 1969.
  • Lawrence Branyan, Neal French, John Sandon. Worcester Blue & White Porcelain 1751-1790 . Vintage / Ebury (A Division of Random House Group). 1981. ISBN 978-0-09-144060-2
  • Gerald Coke. In Search of James Giles . Micawber. Saint Paul. 1983.
  • Simon Spero. Worcester Porcelain: The Klepser Collection . Alan Wofsy Fine Arts. ISBN 978-0-8390-0342-7 .
  • Franklin Allen Barrett. Worcester Porcelain & Lund's Bristol . Faber & Faber. 1966.
  • Geoffrey A. Godden. Caughley & Worcester Porcelains 1775-1800 . Barrie & Jenkins, 1969. ISBN 978-0-257-65022-7 .
  • F. Severne Mackenna. Worcester Porcelain, The Wall Period and its Antecedents . F. Lewis, 1950.
  • H. Rissik Marshall. Colored Worcester Porcelain of the First Period 1751–1783 . Ceramic Book Company, 1954.
  • Dinah Reynolds. Worcester Porcelain: Marshall Collection (Ashmolean Handbooks) . Ashmolean Museum, 2006. ISBN 978-1-85444-127-0
  • Simon Spero, John Sandon. Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790, The Zorensky Collection . Antique Collectors Club Dist A / C, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85149-228-2
  • Geoffrey A. Godden. Chamberlain-Worcester Porcelain: 1788-1852 . First Glance Books, 1996. ISBN 978-1-85422-303-6
  • Henry Sandon. Flight and Barr Worcester Porcelain 1783-1840 . ACC Distribution, 1993. ISBN 978-0-902028-75-3
  • Peter Woodger. James Hadley & Sons Artist Potters Worcester . Woodger-Great Britain, 2003. ISBN 978-0-9546058-0-3
  • Henry Sandon, John Sandon. Grainger's Worcester Porcelain . David & Charles, 1990. ISBN 978-0-7126-2052-9
  • Harris & Willis. An Exhibition of Porcelain Manufactured by E. Locke & Co. Worcester . 1989.
  • Henry Sandon. Royal Worcester Porcelain 1862 to the Present Day . Clarkson N. Potter, 1973.
  • HJ, David Sandon. The Sandon guide to Royal Worcester figures: 1900-1970 . Alderman Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0-946619-18-4
  • Richard William Binns. Worcester China: A Record of the Work of Forty-five Years, 1852-1897 . Adamant Media Corporation, 1897. ISBN 978-1-4021-6005-9
  • Derek Shirley. A Guide to the Dating of Royal Worcester - Porcelain Marks from 1862. Mid Wales Litho Ltd., Griffithstown, 1987.
  • John Edwards. The Charlton Standard Catalog of Royal Worcester Figurines . The Charlton Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-88968-271-9
  • Harry Frost. Royal Worcester Porcelain and the Dyson Perrins Collection . Pitkin, 1993. ISBN 978-0-85372-553-4
  • Aileen Dawson. The Art of Worcester Porcelain, 1751–1788: Masterpieces from the British Museum Collection . UPNE, 2009. ISBN 978-1-58465-752-1
  • Ray Jones. Porcelain in Worcester 1751-1951, An Illustrated Social History . Parkbarn, 1993. ISBN 978-1-898097-00-6
  • S. Fisher. Worcester Porcelain . 1968.
  • Richard William Binns. A Century of Potting in the City of Worcester 1751-1851 . Bernard Quaritch, 1877.
  • Tony Horsley. Distinguished Extinguishers . 1999.
  • Bernard Watney. English Blue & White Porcelain of the 18th Century . Thomas Yoseloff, 1964.
  • Geoffrey A. Godden. The Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks . Hervert Jenkins, 1964.
  • John Twitchett, Henry Sandon. Landscapes on Derby and Worcester Porcelain . Apollo Books, 1988. ISBN 978-0-9506549-5-9
  • 18th Century English Transfer Printed Porcelain & Enamels . Mulberry Press, 1991.
  • Michael Berthoud. A Compendium of British Cups . Micawber Publications, 1991. ISBN 978-0-9507103-5-8
  • Philip Miller, Michael Berthoud. A Anthology of British Teapots . Micawber Publications, 1985. ISBN 978-0-9507103-4-1
  • Robin Emmerson. British Teapots and Tea Drinking . Stationery Office Books, 1992. ISBN 978-0-11-701224-0
  • Paul Atterbury. The Parian Phenomenon, A Survey of Victorian Parian Porcelain Statuary and Busts . Richard Dennis Publications Dist, 2006. ISBN 978-0-903685-22-1

Web links

Commons : Royal Worcester  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  • Key dates in history. (PDF; 16 kB) Worcester Porcelain Museum, March 2, 2010, accessed on March 2, 2010 (English).
  1. ↑ China firm quits after 250 years. BBC News UK, September 30, 2006, accessed March 3, 2010 : "Fine porcelain maker Royal Worcester has ended production in a city that has been its home for more than 250 years."
  2. ↑ Royal Worcester sale worth £ 3.2m. BBC News UK, April 24, 2009, accessed March 3, 2010 : "The Stoke-on-Trent-based Portmeirion Group has acquired certain assets of pottery firm Royal Worcester and Spode, which went into administration."
  3. ↑ China firm's pre-tax profits rise. BBC News UK, August 10, 2009, accessed March 3, 2010 : "A pottery firm's pre-tax profits have risen by a third during the first half of the year, figures show."