A little inspiration to collect Doulton’s famous Victorian Lady figure! With over 15 known versions to collect and an unknown number of unrecorded colourways! Get collecting now!
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Monthly Archives: April 2014
A short video to advertise my book Reflection – Royal Doulton figures as a reflection of their times
Follow this link for a sample of pages and a brief explanation of the book!
Reflections – London Cries
In our book Reflections – Doulton figures as a reflection of their times, Jocelyn and I cover many inspirations behind some of the most famous of Doulton’s figures in the HN collection. Unfortunately space wasn’t on our side, so I can reveal here some of the illustrations we couldn’t include back then!
Here is one of Wheatley’s London Cries pictures together with its Doulton counterpart!
Key Burslem Dates Part II
Part II : 1900-1929
1900 Cuthert Bailey, a Chemist joined Doulton & Co.
Ivory Body introduced
Hyperion and Morrisian wares introduced
1901 Gibson Girl designs introduced
1902 Lion and Crown Backstamp used for Royal Doulton
1904 Flambé – experimental wares begun
1905 Mandarin and Crested wares introduced, together with Christmas miniatures
1906 Seriesware introduced
1907 Crystalline introduced
1908 Flambé aninals first seen and Dickensware introduced
1911 First attempts at a new figure range begun
1913 Famous visit to Burslem by King George and Queen Mary to Doulton at Nile St.
HN Figures and animals launched
1914 John Slater Art Director at Burselm retires. Charles J. Noke takes up the reins
1915 Titanian wares introduced
1916 Reco Capey lustre and flambé designs introduced
1919 John Slater purchases the Slater Collection
1920 Barbotine, Chinese Jade and Sung launched
1924 Shagreen and Maori wares introduced
1925 Chang launched
1929 Classic Doulton figure ‘Old Balloon Seller’ introduced
An early view of the Doulton studio ca. 1910
An unusual colourway of Puff and Powder
Here are some pictures of an unusual Puff and Powder I once came across from Seaway China. She is decorated in the Bakst style like several of Harradine’s early figures of the 1920’s. Leon Bakst’s designs for the Ballet Russe were distinctive because of the use of contrasting fabrics placed together; something you can clearly see from this figure. Interestingly the piece is taken from a Raphael Tuck picture by Stanislaus Longley, an artist whose work Harradine regularly used as inspiration for figures but who is only credited with inspiring a handful of figures from the mid to late 1930’s rather than the 1920’s.
Here are the pictures to enjoy!
The beauty of Doulton flambé
Just a quick post to share some of a Paul Webster Antiques photos. Here is a super 8″ vase hand painted with a Venetian scene ca. 1920. Enjoy!
Doulton artist profile – Arthur Perrins
Arthur at work in 1953
Arthur Perrins had a typically long association with Doulton & Co for his genreration; he began in the early 1940’s remaining with them until finally retiring in 1993. He was used to advertise Royal Doulton’s artistry over decades at some of the most prestigious stores in England including at the Doulton store at Harrods in London. Here are some pictures of Arthur at work, including a figure painting demonstration at Harrods in the early 1950’s. He is survived by his widow.
Arthur explaining the process involved in painting a Top o’ the hill ca. 1954
A Harrods display with Arthur demonstrating figure painting, again on a Top o’ the hill
Here is a link to some further pictures of Arthur at work on John Twigg’s excellent site about Doulton artists:
http://www.royaldoultonartists.com/Arthur%20Perrins.htm
Part 2 of my celebration of 100 Years of Doulton’s HN Collection for Seaway China
Here is another link, this time to part 2 of my account of the first 100 years of Doulton’s HN collection of figures, published naturally by Seaway China.
Doulton’s Nursery Rhyme figures
A page from a Doulton leaflet advertising their new Nursery Rhymes series in 1949
Some of Doulton’s earliest introductions to the HN range are inspired by lines from nursery rhymes. Consider Tittensor’s The Land of Nod HN56 or The Little Land HN63 also by Tittensor. In addition we have the very distinctive child models supplied to Doulton by Perugini in 1916, including Upon her Cheeks she Wept HN59, named after a line from Herrick’s “Upon Electra’s Tears” from the 17th Century.
Some of Doulton’s most popular nursery rhyme figures were created by Leslie Harradine and Peggy Davies. They are of course exquisitely modelled, as we would expect and are testament to the skill of all the Doulton artists involved in their production.
Here are some extracts from the same Doulton leaflet from 1949 advertising this new range of figures.
Leslie Harradine’s Once upon a time HN 2047 (above and below)
Peggy Davies’ Curly Locks HN2049 (above and below)
One final figure we can now add to this collection of Nursery Rhymes figures is this charming prototype for Miss Muffet, that no doubt did not go into production due to the success of Harradine’s earlier Miss Muffet HN1936 and HN1937.
The idea of Nursey Rhyme inspired figures has continued into recent times with a new collection by Adrian Hughes from the 1980’s.
A collection of these Nursery Rhymes figures makes an eye catching display and evokes all those pleasant memories of childhood as we recollect those charming lines from our favourite nursery rhymes.
Dickens Doultonised
Some early Doulton advertising booklets for Dickensware ca. 1912 – the Centenary of Dickens’ birth, together with 2 seriesware trays a calendar with a Dickens figure and an early Tony Weller
When it comes to the works of Dickens, Charles Noke, Doulton’s art director at Burslem was blatantly a fan if not obsessed by all things Dickens.
A facsimile of a letter from Dickens’ son to Doulton & Co. expressing his pleasure at their Dickens range
From the early 20th century and throughout his time as art director and even after, Doulton have produced a wide variety of wares to commemorate Dickens’ works.
Three of Leslie Harradine’s original models for the miniature Doulton Dickens figures
The lengthy of time these many wares were produced mean that there is something for every collector, old and new and something for every pocket size too!
Another of Harradine’s Prototypes, this time the full size Dickens figures, together with an early Mr Pickwick HN556
Here is a glimpse at the sheer variety of wares produced by Doulton, the majority under the direction of Noke himself!
Two sterling silver trays mounted with Dickens miniatures.
Three sizes of character jugs (L, M & S) and a derivative ash bowl
Three Doulton Dickens tinies including Charles Dickens himself
This is but the tip of the so-called iceberg and there are many collectors throughout the world who share Noke’s enthusiasm for all things Dickens. I have been lucky enough to see two huge collections outside the UK, but why not share any unusual finds to our facebooks page? Search for:
Doulton Collectors Club
See you there!
Christopher
doultoncollectorsclub 