Gray's Pottery Explained
Gray's Pottery, also spelled as Grays Pottery and formally known as A.E. Gray Ltd. was a British pottery company based in Hanley, Staffordshire, later Stoke-upon-Trent, which existed until it was taken over by Portmeirion Pottery in 1960.[1]
The company was founded by, and named after, Albert Edward Gray (1871–1959).[2] Gray's business began in Stoke-upon-Trent (one of the six towns of the City of Stoke-on-Trent) in 1907 and became a production operation in Mayer Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent by 1912.[3] It returned to Stoke-upon-Trent in 1933[4] and ceased by 1962.[5] The company, which was noted particularly for the quality of its design in the 1920s and 1930s,[6] took part in every British Industries Fair that was held between 1915 and 1951.[7]
Notable employees of the company include Susie Cooper, who worked for Gray's in the 1920s.[8] She stayed with the company until her 27th birthday in 1929, when she left the company in order to set up her own business.[9]
Samuel (Clyde) Talbot succeeded Cooper as the company's Art Director around 1930, remaining until 1959. He gained national recognition on the National Register of Industrial Art Designers alongside other notable ceramic designers such as Reco Capey, Michael Cardew, Keith Murray, Eric Ravilious and Victor Skellern, as well as Susie Cooper.[10]
Further reading
- Book: Hand-painted Gray's pottery : made in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Kathy. Niblett. 1992. City Museum and Art Gallery . 4th. 1874414-00-9.
External links
- Gray's pottery website, including an archive of patterns, the history of backstamps used on Gray's pottery pieces, a chronology of Gray's pottery designers and a history of Gray's pottery exhibitions
Notes and References
- Grant, Tina. International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 88. St. James Press, 2007, p. 309.
- Victoria and Albert Museum. British art and design, 1900-1960: a collection in the making. 1984, p. 98.
- Stoke and Hanley Rate books 1907-1916
- The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review, September 1933 p.1124
- Book: Conway, Hazel. Design History: A Students' Handbook. Harper Collins. 1987. 35. 9780415084734.
- Josiah Wedgwood V writing to Sir Cecil Weir in September 1941
- British Industries Fair. The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review: June 1915, June 1916 p.388, March 1917 p.262, April 1918 p.309, April 1919 p.356, April 1920 p.475, April 1921 p.596-7, April 1922 p.560, April 1923 p.656, June 1924 p.1016, April 1926 p.602-3, April 1927 p.632, April 1928 p.624, April 1929 p.606, April 1930 p.606, April 1931 p.542, April 1932 p.492, February 1933 p.203, February 1934 p.222, February 1935 p.231, Feb 1936 p.248, February 1937 p.250, February 1938 p.248, February 1939 p.251. Pottery and Glass May 1947 p.47. The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review: May 1948 p.417, May 1949 p.504b, June 1950 p.852, June 1951 p.738.
- News: Rodgers. Don. What's in a name? DON RODGERS Bargain Hunter.(Features). Western Mail (Wales). 7 April 2012. 1 January 2013.
- Web site: Obituaries: Susie Cooper. The Independent. 1 August 1995. 14 April 2012.
- Pottery and Glass Record, December 1937 p.320
