Friends of the Spode Museum
The Museum contains five main collections:-
1. Porcelains (Early Bone China, later Felspar porcelains) and Other Ceramic Bodies Included in this collection are several large early tea and dessert services, featuring hand-painted floral, botanical, ornithological and Japanese subjects. There are also fine specimen pieces from numerous other services, pieces made for the Prince Regent, and vases and decorative items of all descriptions, some of which are extremely rare. Most of the exhibits date from the pre-1833 Spode period, but there are also many later items, including several spectacular items painted by C.F. Hurten, possibly the finest ceramic artist of his day. There are also numerous examples of wares in other ceramic bodies, such as stoneware, caneware, redware, basalt and stone china, and of rare pieces in Josiah Spode's early experimental porcelains.
Many of the items in this collection were collected by the Copeland family to form the Museum Collection in the 1920s, and the Collection has been extensively enlarged in the 1950s and the 1990s making it truly representative of the productions up to the present. There is a large reserve collection which is not displayed.
2. Blue and White Earthenwares This collection, presently housed in the Georgian "Blue Room", contains many of the earliest Blue and White earthenware pieces made by Spode, and also some of the earlier Chinese pieces from which the Spode patterns were inspired
1. Porcelains (Early Bone China, later Felspar porcelains) and Other Ceramic Bodies Included in this collection are several large early tea and dessert services, featuring hand-painted floral, botanical, ornithological and Japanese subjects. There are also fine specimen pieces from numerous other services, pieces made for the Prince Regent, and vases and decorative items of all descriptions, some of which are extremely rare. Most of the exhibits date from the pre-1833 Spode period, but there are also many later items, including several spectacular items painted by C.F. Hurten, possibly the finest ceramic artist of his day. There are also numerous examples of wares in other ceramic bodies, such as stoneware, caneware, redware, basalt and stone china, and of rare pieces in Josiah Spode's early experimental porcelains.
Many of the items in this collection were collected by the Copeland family to form the Museum Collection in the 1920s, and the Collection has been extensively enlarged in the 1950s and the 1990s making it truly representative of the productions up to the present. There is a large reserve collection which is not displayed.
2. Blue and White Earthenwares This collection, presently housed in the Georgian "Blue Room", contains many of the earliest Blue and White earthenware pieces made by Spode, and also some of the earlier Chinese pieces from which the Spode patterns were inspired
3. Pattern Books From around 1800, most of the patterns painted by Spode's artists were recorded in Pattern books. These books contain watercolour paintings of tens of thousands of patterns made between 1800 and the present day and are a unique historical document.
4. Copperplates This collection comprises some thousands of copperplates, engraved over 200 years, from which transfer prints were taken for printed ceramic wares. They include a wide variety of subjects and are fine examples of the engraver's art.
5. Other Archive Material This collection includes manuscripts, letters, invoices, and documents of all sorts relating not only to Spode but also to various other aspects of ceramic making in Staffordshire.4. Copperplates This collection comprises some thousands of copperplates, engraved over 200 years, from which transfer prints were taken for printed ceramic wares. They include a wide variety of subjects and are fine examples of the engraver's art.
The Spode Museum is presently located in historic buildings on the Spode factory site in Church Street, Stoke on Trent.
The site was purchased by Josiah Spode in 1776 and literally millions of fine ceramic pieces have been produced on it. Spode emulated his neighbour Josiah Wedgwood in concentrating on the production of ceramic wares of the finest quality. In the 1790s, Spode focused his attention on the manufacture of porcelain, a technically more difficult but much finer material than earthenware. In 1799 he introduced a new type of porcelain which later became known as Bone China. This new bone china outclassed other contemporary English porcelains in terms of its whiteness, strength, translucency and reliability of manufacture. It became the forerunner of all modern Fine Bone China.
The site was purchased by Josiah Spode in 1776 and literally millions of fine ceramic pieces have been produced on it. Spode emulated his neighbour Josiah Wedgwood in concentrating on the production of ceramic wares of the finest quality. In the 1790s, Spode focused his attention on the manufacture of porcelain, a technically more difficult but much finer material than earthenware. In 1799 he introduced a new type of porcelain which later became known as Bone China. This new bone china outclassed other contemporary English porcelains in terms of its whiteness, strength, translucency and reliability of manufacture. It became the forerunner of all modern Fine Bone China.
Josiah's son Josiah Spode II continued the business after his father's death in 1797, in partnership with William Copeland. Their productions were by no means confined to Bone China. Redwares, basalts stonewares, Stone China and in particular blue and white earthenwares were also made at the factory from the later years of the 18th century onwards and their quality was always the highest. Their two most famous blue and white patterns were Willow, introduced in the 1790s, and Italian, introduced in 1816.
After the death of Spode II, the Spode business eventually became owned by William Taylor Copeland, William Copeland's son, and it remained under the control of the Copeland family until 1966, its productions carrying the Copeland name (often coupled with the Spode name). From the 1950s Copeland was omitted and only Spode was used. The company name reverted to Spode Limited in 1970 and the company was later merged with Worcester to form Royal Worcester Spode Ltd.
After the death of Spode II, the Spode business eventually became owned by William Taylor Copeland, William Copeland's son, and it remained under the control of the Copeland family until 1966, its productions carrying the Copeland name (often coupled with the Spode name). From the 1950s Copeland was omitted and only Spode was used. The company name reverted to Spode Limited in 1970 and the company was later merged with Worcester to form Royal Worcester Spode Ltd.
A number of images of items in the collection may be seen in the Displays of Museum Contents section of this website.
The contents of the Museum are owned by the Spode Museum Trust, a registered charity, and are protected. The buildings in which they are housed are, however, under threat, and the immediate danger is that this collection, which is presently open to the public free of charge, will be dispersed to wherever space can be found to store it. The Friends of the Spode Museum are working, in the short term, to ensure that there are sufficient funds to keep the Museum open and, in the longer term, to secure a permanent home for it.
The contents of the Museum are owned by the Spode Museum Trust, a registered charity, and are protected. The buildings in which they are housed are, however, under threat, and the immediate danger is that this collection, which is presently open to the public free of charge, will be dispersed to wherever space can be found to store it. The Friends of the Spode Museum are working, in the short term, to ensure that there are sufficient funds to keep the Museum open and, in the longer term, to secure a permanent home for it.
The Spode Factory circa 1950s
A view across the Spode factory site to the early 19th century building where much of the museum's collection is housed. To the right is the remains of an early bottle oven which collapsed in 1972
President: Robert Copeland
The Blue Room, presently housing the Blue and White collection
THE SPODE MUSEUM IS IN DANGER; PLEASE HELP TO KEEP IT OPEN
©2010 Friends of the Spode Museum