Blue Spode Plates
The foundation
The business was founded by Josiah Spode, who earned well known in the ceramic company for perfecting the blue underglaze printing process in 1784 and for co-developing the formula for good bone china. He exposed a factory in Stoke-on-Trent in 1767 and in 1776 produced the current Spode factory. His business in creamware (a fine cream-coloured earthenware) and in pearlware (a good white-glazed earthenware) was quite effective.
Underglaze blue transfers
Josiah Spode I is credited with the rewards of underglaze blue exchange printing into Staffordshire, in 1781-84. Worcester and Bow had commenced exchange printing in 1756, and Wedgwood introduced a similar procedure to Staffordshire in blacks and reds using Liverpool engravers. Liverpool pottery also produced tiles by a variant transfer approach. William Adams of Cobridge followed with overglaze blue transfers. But it was by means of the engraver Thomas Lucas and printer James Richard of the Caughley factory, in the tradition there of Robert Hancock and Thomas Turner, who had produced transfers absorbing the Chinese character on the painted designs of Worcester pottery, that Spode launched the blue underglaze exchange to Staffordshire ‘in a bid for supremacy in utilitarian ware.’ Thomas Minton also developed transfers for Spode.
This method involved the engraving of a style on a copper plate, which was then printed onto gummed tissue. The colour paste was worked into the cut areas from the copper plate and wiped from the uncut surfaces, and then printed by passing through rollers. These designs, including edge-patterns which had to become manipulated in sections,were cut out making use of scissors and applied to the biscuit-fired ware (employing a white fabric), itself prepared having a gum solution. The tissue was then floated off in water, leaving the glaze pattern adhering towards plate. This was then dipped within the overglaze and returned for the kiln for the glost firing. Blue underglaze exchange became a standard feature of Staffordshire pottery. Spode also used on-glaze transfers for other wares. The well-known Spode blue-and-white dinner services with engraved sporting scenes and Italian views have been developed below Josiah Spode the younger, but ongoing being reproduced into much later times.
Later forms on the business
Messrs Spode were succeeded inside the same organization in c. 1833 by Copeland and Garrett, who frequently applied the name Spode in their marks. In distinct these are called ‘Late Spode’ and include things like productions from the so-called ‘Felspar porcelain’. They also created other kinds of bone china, earthenware, parian, etc. The partnership ongoing in this form until 1847. After 1847 the company ongoing until 1970 as W.T. Copeland and sons, and again the term ‘Spode’ or ‘Late Spode’ continued in use alongside the name of Copeland. Below the name ‘Spode Ltd’ the same factories and enterprise was continued after 1970.
In 2006, the enterprise merged with Royal Worcester. The merged firm entered administration on 6 November 2008. On 23 April 2009 Portmeirion Pottery bought the rival Royal Worcester and Spode brands, together with some with the stock, after their parent company had been placed into administration the previous November. The buy doesn’t include things like Royal Worcester and Spode’s manufacturing facilities.
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