Josiah Wedgwood was an artist whose innovations revolutionized the industry of ceramics in the 18th century. English potters had not known such renown until Wedgwood found success and it was thanks to him that English ceramics became not only a work of art but a commodity. His achievements may have been due to his talent in marketing; he was adept at developing new products and had creative ways of increasing sales. He played a major role in the Industrial Revolution and accumulated great wealth through business, technological and scientific advancements.
The Beginning of an Empire
The youngest child of Thomas Wedgwood and the fourth generation of his family to carry on the tradition of being a potter, Josiah Wedgwood worked with another Staffordshire potter, Thomas Whieldon, until 1759, which allowed him to make many improvements on quality and design to conventional English pottery. When the partnership ended, he opened his own pottery called the Ivy House Works in Burslem. Gradually, Wedgwood began to break away from the traditions of Thomas Whieldon and develop his own style, expanding his business to the larger Brick House.
Around this same time, Wedgwood so impressed the Queen of England that permission was given to name his new earthenware Queen’s Ware, which was extremely popular throughout Europe. In addition, he also developed ceramic wares Black Basalt in 1768 and Jasper in 1774. The development of Jasper Ware, the traditional and easily recognizable blue wares with white decor often depicting mythological scenes of Greece, Egypt or Rome, required thousands of experiments before Wedgwood was successful.
In 1764, Wedgwood married his distant cousin Sarah and received enough funds to purchase Etruria, a large factory complete with houses, a church and a school for the workers. From 1768 to 1774, a partnership with businessman Thomas Bentley led to two showrooms in London, where new products were continually introduced to adapt to the ever-changing interests of the consumers. His interests in the rest of Europe were promoted through English ambassadors and, after 1773, through catalogues in many European languages.
Wedgwood on the International Stage
The promotion of his interests throughout Europe led to much acclaim for Wedgwood. Empress Catherine II of Russia, more commonly known as Catherine the Great, was quite pleased with Wedgwood ceramics and purchased extensive dinner services from factories across the continent. She even commissioned a special service, bearing the green frog emblem of her estate La Grenouillère, depicting famous homes and scenic views in England.
However, not only did Wedgwood influence the world with his pottery, but the world did its part in influencing him. Teaware imported from China was very popular in high society, but import was costly due to the long journey, so the end of the 18th century saw many Staffordshire potters attempting to imitate Chinese porcelain. Bone china was invented and, in 1812, Wedgwood produced its own version. Although not initially commercially popular, it eventually found its own niche among the many products of the company.
Scientific and Technological Advancements
Josiah Wedgwood was the grandfather of Charles Darwin, natural scientist who made famous the theory of evolution. Darwin’s other grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a close friend of Josiah Wedgwood and it was he who invented a horizontal windmill that powered machinery at the Etruria Pottery. Wedgwood also developed special ceramics for use in laboratories of contemporary scientists.
Into the 20th century, Etruria continued to produce ceramics using gas- and oil-fired tunnel kilns as opposed to the more common tall conical kilns. However, by the early part of the century, the factory was suffering from wear and damage caused by coal mining. Eventually, a new factory was built in the village of Barlaston and Etruria was finally closed down in 1950.
The most advanced factory of pottery Britain has ever known, the factory in Barlaston was electrically powered and all firing was done in electric ovens. The factory itself also provided many comforts to the workers, including housing, a theatre, a cinema and a museum.
In 1967, the Wedgwood Company registered as a public company. Subsequently, the Wedgwood Group was purchased by Waterford Glass and Waterford Wedgwood was formed.
Sources
- The Royal Ontario Museum
Alison Lam - I have published in literary reviews and given papers on authors such as Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly and Guy de Maupassant in ...
Join the Conversation