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The Doulton Story |
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John Doulton (1793-1873) was a journeyman potter having served
his apprenticeship as a thrower in a pottery at Fulham,
south east At the age of 22 in 1815, he invested his life savings to become a partner in the firm owned by the widow, Martha Jones, together with John Watts, who was a foreman at the same pottery. Following Martha's retirement in 1820, the new company was trading by 1826 as Doulton & Watts from premises in the High Street, Lambeth. Doulton & Watts followed the practice of many local potteries at that time in manufacturing salt-glazed stoneware storage and drinking vessels. Many of these containers are still available with their familiar sand colour, some embellished with relief figures and often with an embossed mark on the base. As the company developed and expanded it diversified into the manufacture of architectural terracotta wares such as chimney pots, roof tiles and garden ornaments. It also manufactured acid-resistant stoneware chemical vessels for the chemical industry. John Doulton had eight children, but it was his second son, Henry Doulton (1820-97), who became the driving force in the family business and is widely credited for bringing the company to pre-eminence. Five brothers worked in the company, but it was Henry's driving force through experimentation with glazing techniques that resulted in their greatest achievements. Henry Doulton served an apprenticeship and learned all aspects of the pottery trade. As with many Victorians he studied chemistry and physics in his spare time and this stood him in good stead for developing new glazes for the Lambeth pottery. The most notable at the time was a cream,
opaque glaze particularly for kitchenware which was copied from the
Tip: Most antique dealers will be able to show some of these items and it should be possible to find good articles with no damage at reasonable prices. The better jugs may have a hallmarked silver rim to facilitate more precise dating. Population growth during the 19th century coupled with the lack of efficient sanitation caused outbreaks of disease throughout all levels of the population. Reformers around the middle of the century advocated the use of glazed stoneware pipes for sewerage and house drains. Much of these probably exist to this day. The ever enterprising Henry persuaded his
father and a younger brother to invest in a separate company in 1846 to
produce these items and so Henry Doulton and
Company started trading in Such was the demand for these products that
further pipe factories were opened in The first major display of Doulton wares was at the Great Exhibition in Henry Doulton used the exhibition to display his salt-glazed stoneware pipes and drainage components, The impact of the display and the awards received was such that Henry was invited to become a member of the Society of Arts (now known as the Royal Society of Arts). This was to signal the start of a change in direction for the Doulton Companies. John Watts retired in 1853 and Henry Doulton & Company merged with Doulton
and Friends of Henry had been trying to persuade him to move into decorative pottery production at Lambeth without success. The Principal of the recently founded Lambeth School of Art, John Sparkes,
was eventually successful in getting Henry to join the management committee
of the One of the students working on the project
was George Tinworth (1843-1913) who became the
first of about 400 artists from the Tip: Fortunately for posterity, the Doulton Lambeth items, mainly vases, jugs, bowls and tankards are well marked on the base and documented. In addition to the pottery mark there are usually to be found model references, artists initials and often date clues. Most dealers will have some of these items available and prices are rising as a result of their popularity with collectors. George Tinworth items are now becoming increasingly rare to find and the prices are reflected accordingly. Another of the artists who has attained international acclaim is Hannah Barlow (1851-1916). She also happened to be the first woman employed by Henry Doulton and she was to remain with the company for 42 years. Hannah's particular specialisation was the depiction of animals often to be found in a farmland setting. New art studios and showrooms were started in 1873 on the Lambeth Embankment which were financed by the profits from drainpipes and other sanitary ware. Many new materials, decorative styles and techniques were developed at this time and examples include Silicon, Chine, Natural Foliage and Faience. The future of the Doulton
Ware was assured when Queen Henry Doulton was driven by boundless energy to embark on new ventures and his new challenge in 1877 was to form a partnership with a company in Burslem in the homeland of the Staffordshire potteries. The partnership with Pinder, Bourne and Company did not last for long and Henry took over the sole running of the company to be joined later by his son. The company was renamed Doulton & Company and with his investment and entrepreneurial skills he set out to challenge the major Staffordshire potteries of Minton, Spode and Wedgwood. Doulton was regarded by the established Staffordshire
potters as an intruder from the south with little knowledge of the pottery
business. This attitude spurred Henry into a determination to make his
John Slater was employed as Art Director having been trained at the Minton factory. However, although the Burslem factory succeeded in sanitary ware and insulators it could not match the quality and delicacy of the fine, translucent bone china produced by other British and Continental potteries. By 1884, John Slater with the young Works
Manager, John Cuthbert Bailey, had developed a new,
strong, white translucent china that could be used for the more expensive
items from the Skilled staff were recruited from Minton and Worcester factories and staff numbers increased from 160 in 1877 to about 500 by 1884. The work produced at Doulton Burslem soon gained a reputation for both quality and style. Henry Doulton was
knighted by Queen Sir Henry Doulton died in 1897 at the age of seventy seven a wealthy man. A commentator at the time described him as a man who "made a fortune out of drainpipes, but spent it on art." There is no doubt that he has left a legacy for many collectors and others to enjoy for many years to come. 20th Century Royal Doulton The Lambeth factory moved into a period of recession at the beginning of the 20th century. There was a reduction in demand for architectural and industrial ceramics and art tastes changed coinciding with the advent of the Art Nouveau fashion style involving less heavy and sombre adornments. The general public became more cost conscious and less expensive to produce items were more in demand. The new style involved more floral and foliage decoration. During the First World War the factory was
devoted to the manufacture of laboratory and technical porcelain. By 1925 the
Lambeth art studio employed just twenty-five
artists. The manufacture of sanitary ware, pipes, insulators and other stone
ware was transferred to modern factories in the Art ware was again halted during the Second World War and in spite of a slight post war resurgence, the Lambeth factory never really recovered and was eventually closed in 1956 being unable to compete with the more inexpensive china that was being mass produced in Staffordshire. The Burslem factory proved to be far more resilient in the early 20th century. Charles Noke succeeded John Slater as Art Director in 1914 having worked with others since 1901 in developing the deep red flambé glaze. This was developed by Doulton which had the original concept of incorporating black printed and painted landscapes beneath the rouge glaze. Tip: Doulton Flambé is often found as small animals and figures as well as the more obvious vases, bowls, ashtrays, etc. It is becoming more difficult to find and is highly collectable, hence prices are rising. During the early 1930's, Noke produced some of what has become known as Nurseryware which includes figures and tableware
such as the Bunnykins range. These have
continued to the present day although since this year none of these are
manufactured in the 1934 saw the revival by Doulton of the Toby jug although in their manifestation it became a finely modelled and brightly coloured head and shoulders with a handle. These are known as Character Jugs and should not be confused with the normal Toby jug which consists of a full figure seated body normally with an ale pot in hand. Tip: Character Jugs come in a range of sizes and are all well documented. They are now all discontinued (retired in collector terminology) and are available widely in the range £50-£100. The value will depend on the number of years in production and hence the number produced. The "uglier" subjects were generally in production for the least time and hence have a higher value. Leslie Harradine submitted designs to the
The figures produced should all have an HN
pattern number on the base together with the Royal Doulton
mark. These are the initials of Harry Nixon who was the artist in charge of
the figure painting department followed by the model number. HN1 is a Charles
Vyse designed model called Bedtime depicting
a little boy in his nightgown, but was re-christened as Darling
following a visit by Hing George V and Queen Mary
to the Doulton continued manufacture at Burslem for many years producing moderately priced, mass produced items. During the 1960s and '70s it divested its interests in drainpipes and sanitary ware and by a series of acquisitions and mergers it became a conglomerate of brands including Minton, Royal Albert, Paragon and others. It became a public limited company in 1993 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. This piece represents only a brief history of the Doulton story and many books are available that go into considerably more detail than is possible here.
Please note that the above items are shown as examples of Doulton work and are not necessarily available for sale in the Peartree Antiques and Collectables showcases.
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Piece of Doulton & Watts drain- pipe
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Jug
George Tinworth flagon c 1880
Edith Beard Vase
Doulton-Slater Chine Vase
Natural foliage Vase
Sea Shanty Jug
Printed landscape flambé dish
Fox in hunting pink jacket HN100 c1930s
Royal Doulton Character Jug "Athos"
Royal Doulton Figure "The Doctor"
Balloon Lady Seller
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