Gray's Pottery

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]

Gray's Pottery
Private
IndustryPottery
FateAcquired
SuccessorPortmeirion Pottery
Founded1907 (1907)
FounderAE Gray
Defunct1961 (1961)
Headquarters
Stoke-upon-Trent
,
England

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 Miss 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 Ravillious and Victor Skellern as well as Susie Cooper.[10]

References
  1. Grant, Tina. International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 88. St. James Press, 2007, p. 309.
  2. Victoria and Albert Museum. British art and design, 1900-1960: a collection in the making. 1984, p. 98.
  3. Stoke and Hanley Rate books 1907-1916
  4. The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review, September 1933 p.1124
  5. Conway, Hazel (1987). Design History: A Students' Handbook. Harper Collins. p. 35.
  6. Josiah Wedgwood V writing to Sir Cecil Weir in September 1941
  7. British Industries Fair. The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review: Jun 1915, Jun 1916 p.388, Mar 1917 p.262, Apr 1918 p.309, Apr 1919 p.356, Apr 1920 p.475, Apr 1921 p.596-7, Apr 1922 p.560, Apr 1923 p.656, Jun 1924 p.1016, Apr 1926 p.602-3, Apr 1927 p.632, Apr 1928 p.624, Apr 1929 p.606, Apr 1930 p.606, Apr 1931 p.542, Apr 1932 p.492, Feb 1933 p.203, Feb 1934 p.222, Feb 1935 p.231, Feb 1936 p.248, Feb 1937 p.250, Feb 1938 p.248, Feb 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, Jun 1950 p.852, Jun 1951 p.738.
  8. Rodgers, Don (7 April 2012). "What's in a name? DON RODGERS Bargain Hunter.(Features)". Western Mail (Wales). Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  9. "Obituaries: Susie Cooper". The Independent. 1 August 1995. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  10. Pottery and Glass Record, Dec 1937 p.320

Further reading
  • Niblett, Kathy, ed. (1992). Hand-painted Gray's pottery : made in Stoke-on-Trent, England (4th ed.). ISBN 1874414-00-9.
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