All posts by doultonchristopher1

Doulton for Doulton’s sake!

With a book devoted specifically to this field of collecting and others by Jocelyn Lukins covering advertising wares made and Lambeth and Burslem also available via Paul Webster Antiques, I thought I would share some interesting pieces I have come across where Doulton have produced items for their own publicity.

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A pair of small Lambeth jugs early 20th Century

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A similar vase to the two jugs above, again early 20th Century

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An unusual jug produced as an example of Doulton’s stoneware

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A miniature tradesman’s sample of an early Doulton belfast sink

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A pot from the Lambeth Art Dept. that ‘escaped’ at some point!

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An interesting Burslem piece this time, for Sanitary ware and the London Showroom

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Carrara ware pieces occasionally turn up including the Mark Marshall Seahorse or Harradine’s Polar bear, but I have never seen this piece again. It is almost a scarab design. Whatever it might be it is certainly art nouveau in style.

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Doulton drainpipes this time; here we have an ashtray with a central pipe. We must all pay hommage to these simple drainpipes, as it was they and other utilitarian wares that funded the art department at Lambeth for so long!

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One of my favourite finds! An early sample of the conduit used in the London underground.

I am sure we would all love to hear from collectors with other unusual Doulton advertising wares, so join our facebook page ‘Doulton Collectors Club’ and post pictures for us all to see!!

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!

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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!

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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

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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!

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Doulton artist profile – Arthur Perrins

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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.

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Arthur explaining the process involved in painting a Top o’ the hill ca. 1954

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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.

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Click to access 2013-Summer-Catalog-cover-and-features.pdf

Doulton’s Nursery Rhyme figures

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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.

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Leslie Harradine’s Once upon a time HN 2047 (above and below)

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Peggy Davies’ Curly Locks HN2049 (above and below)

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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.

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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.