WILLIAM MOORCROFT, POTTER: INDIVIDUALITY BY DESIGN

This book is a fitting tribute to William Moorcroft (1872–1945), one of the most successful artist potters of his time. Best known for making vases decorated in his distinctive tube-lining technique, Moorcroft placed value on the handmade, individual quality of each piece. Yet he also believed in making beautiful objects that were affordable to a wider public. To achieve this, Moorcroft trained a loyal team of throwers and decorators.

Jonathan Mallinson takes an engaging journey through Moorcroft’s working life. First, he covers 1897 to 1913, when Moorcroft established his name at James Macintyre & Co in Burslem. Moorcroft joined in 1897 and was appointed art department manager a year later. In 1898 he also designed his iconic ‘Florian ware’, inspired by nature and featuring poppies, cornflowers and butterflies. By 1900 Moorcroft’s art pottery had become a commercial triumph at home and abroad.

Yet tensions began to grow, and in 1912 Macintyre’s closed the art studio. Moorcroft’s new company was under his own name, with financial backing from Liberty & Co. This provided opportunities for increased creativity and control. However, the period was fraught with political upheavals and economic crises, as well as shifting aesthetic tastes. Moorcroft’s ability to keep his business afloat was testament to his ingenuity and belief in his product. He refused to alter his production methods or lower his staff’s wages to cut costs.

Mallinson draws on extensive primary sources to give a fascinating insight into running a small pottery in early 20th-century Britain. Authorship, recognition and reputation are recurring themes presented through contemporary reviews. Moorcroft’s project is also placed in context with debates in art and design and the work of other makers. There is a strong impression of Moorcroft’s pioneering spirit, yet the visual impression of his work is woefully lacking, with a limited number of small, grainy images. Luckily the book is available to read and download for free online, and this is not such a problem in the digital version.

Jonathan Mallinson, Open Book Publishers, 2023, hb £44.95, pb £33.95, open access

Condensed from a review by Florence Tyler in DAS Newsletter No. 130