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| The Potteries? | |
|  | | The old-style potter - now more a thing of the past |
| | It's a good question. The North Staffordshire area might be called The Potteries - but there are fewer and fewer of them.
However, at least the heritage of the potters of old is in good hands...
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::Pottery-related pages | Potteries
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| | The pride of Potters is in the skill and craftmanship of their ancient industry.
The downside is the traditionally low wages and often terrible conditions - which led to all sorts of industrial diseases.
But while the main players (Doulton, Wedgwood) may not be the giants they were years ago, the tradition is as strong as ever.
So, the Potteries is a strange mix of pride and investment in the area's history, the battling small art & craft companies, and the declining main industry.
History
There are of course some magnificent collections of pottery still in the area.
The Gladstone Pottery Museum is a living heritage site complete with "actors" in Victorian garb and real old bottle ovens
The newly-opened Ceramica remembers the startling achievements of modernist potters like Clarice Cliffe as well as the historical circumstances in which the industry arose.
And the Stoke on Trent City Museum has one of the finest collections of pottery (including cream-jugs!) in the world as well as running a valuation service.
Due to its efforts the invaluable Minton Collection has been largely saved.
The innovations by leading potters over the last two centuries - such as Susie Cooper - have given the local industry world-wide renown
Local historians - such as Fred Hughes - revel in the fact that each excavation in the Stoke area unearths yet more discoveries - like the Wades finds he makes almost daily.
And Staffordshire University academics not only make sure the skills are being preserved in the future in the institution's Art School, but also contribute to research in to the conditions of yesteryear
Main industry of today
Companies like Wedgwood who maintain a wonderful Visitor Centre and Spode, whose Factory Shop is one of the best in the area, still loom large in influence... but they are under pressure.
The Wedgwood Job Losses of 2003 only seemed to spell out what was obvious, while Doulton's announcement that it is to close its last factory in the UK (see story) was yet one more nail in the coffin - perhaps?
Many local MPs found the problem a crucial one (see story).
Certainly on the Pottery Job losses messageboardyou spilled out your fears and stated the problems - and the solutions - in the industry. More comments welcome
Art today
So... is the future then with the smaller, arts-potteries whose ware is often so collectable?
Moorcroft are one company in this vein - who still seek fresh talent to make it even more innovative - even searching for new talent.
And, if you know of art potteries in the area who are bucking the trend - please tell us and we'll spread the good news! | | | |
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