To appreciate the true workmanship and design of Leeds Pottery products it is important to understand a little about its history. John Green and Joshua Green, who were not related, in partnership founded LEEDS POTTERY in Leeds in 1770 with Richard Humble. Success soon came with the production of household goods in a variety of ceramic bodies with the most popular being CREAMWARE, a type of earthenware made by several companies from white Cornish Clay with a translucent glaze, producing the pale cream colour from which it took its name.
The industrial revolution was already well in place and with the new found wealth of the middle class came almost the start of the consumer society as everyone wanted some style in the home. In an age when the rediscovery of Rome's classic past brought a new elegance to design and ornament, pottery from Leeds, with its fine embossing and intricately pierced openwork decoration, such as the Leeds Pottery Teasware, reached a peak of perfection. By 1781 William Hartley had added his design and business expertise to the Green brothers' production skills and under the name Hartley Greens & Co, the company flourished expanding its trade across Europe and into Russia. Such was its success that from then on Creamware would also be known as Leedsware.
In the 19th century after the death of its founders the different tastes of the Victorian era brought a gradual decline in business and the company name became Wainwright & Co, then Stephen & James Chappell, then Warburton & Britton and lastly Richard Britton & Sons. The company eventually closed down in 1881 and the buildings were demolished. Despite the later demolition of the kilns and buildings, surviving moulds and clues from pattern books together with fine examples of Leeds pieces in local museums enabled production of Creamware to the original designs to continue. James Wraith Senior restarted production of Leedsware in 1888 - he had worked at Leeds Pottery in his youth and the business continued through his sons until finally closing in 1957. The Leeds Pottery Giftware & Ornaments section shows a number of designs based on these original moulds.
In 1983 Leeds City Council reintroduced Leeds Pottery patterns and started with a workshop for the disabled where the pottery manufactured reproductions patterned on pieces from the museum collections both locally in Temple Newsam and nationally. When funding dried up the Council was obliged to sell the business into the private sector and production was ultimately moved to the Leeds Pottery factory in Stoke-on-Trent, where the long history of pottery manufacture meant that the best raw materials and a suitable highly skilled workforce were available. The company passed into its present ownership in 1992 when it once again adopted the name Hartley Greens & Co latterly adopting Leeds Pottery. Look at the every so elegant Leeds Pottery Dinnerware to see just why it was so important to continue these classic designs
MODERN technology is now used to ensure that the pottery is consistently produced and fired to the highest standard, whilst jolleying, piercing and assembly are still carried out by hand, giving each piece a freshness and character of its own. See the Leeds Pottery Decorative Accessories shelf for wonderful design pieces including the very popular Ewer and Basin. The wide range created from the original moulds is now being extended to include new items inspired by 18th century pattern books such as the Openwork pieces dotted around a number of different areas including Dinnerware and Bowls and Dishes and Anthony Quinn designs included within Leeds Pottery Designer Touches. While older pieces of Leedsware take pride of place in numerous museums, today Hartley Greens & Co Leeds Pottery continues to bring pottery from the most elegant period in English history to a new generation of admirers who truly appreciate the pieces and place them in their homes often displayed as works of art which surely they are. Buy Leeds Pottery Online today. Whether it’s Jugs, Vases, Teasware, Hunslet or Shell Edge you are sure to find a piece you will love and admire for ever.