Well we didn't exactly get a scorching summer did we?  However, luckily all but one of the fairs we were standing at went ahead and the public braved the sunshine and rain.  Unfortunately, Kedleston Hall in Derby had to cancel this September's fair as the site was water logged.

New Category Added - Susie Cooper

  Susie Cooper, born 29 October 1902, was a prolific English ceramic designer working in the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industries from the 1920s to the 1980s.

On leaving school she enrolled at the Burslem School of Art where she won a scholarship for full-time study.  The Superintendent of Art Education in the Potteries spotted her talent and advised her to work at A.E. Gray & Co. Ltd., which she did as a piecework paintress.  She quickly established herself and went on to designing and, indeed, was given the honour of having her name appear on the wares she had designed.

There is always much controversy as to whether a Gray's Pottery item was designed by Susie Cooper or not.  The biggest obstacle is that neither the pattern books, shape books nor catalogues of Gray's Pottery have been discovered therefore, no comprehensive proof exists to confirm the authorship of a shape or pattern.

During her eight years at Gray's, four backstamps were in use.  One of the backstamps, a ship printed in black, orange and green, has the words "DESIGNED BY SUSIE COOPER" and so we can assume these were her patterns.  However, this mark often appears in a shortened version that exclude the words, "DESIGNED BY SUSIE COOPER", therefore one cannot be absolutely certain that these wares can be attributed to her.

Susie Cooper left Gray's Pottery in 1929 and with £4000 capital from her family set up her own business with her brother-in-law, Jack Beeson, as a partner and was extremely successful.

During the 1930s she attained international acclaim with her designs being exhibited at trade fairs and design exhibitions, as well as in major department stores.  Her work was so popular and so highly sought after that by 1933 she employed over forty paintresses.  In 1940 she was awarded the accolade, "Royal Designer for Industry", the first time the award had been made solely for pottery design.

From the beginning, Susie Cooper identified a gap in the market between the expensive decorative fine bone china, traditionally called, "Sunday Best", and the cheaper end of the market.  She chose to work with earthenware that was less expensive than bone china, and created eye-catching designs that were hand-painted on to her wares.  However, in 1950, she began to produce her wares in bone china as earthenware was difficult to get in sufficient quantity and quality after the war and her earthenware production was entirely phased out in 1964.

Susie Cooper died on 28 July 1995, and her legacy to the world of pottery was immense.  Her work endured over the years to become some of the most collected wares of her period.

Moorcroft

   In 1898, William Moorcroft was made manager of the Ornamental Ware department at James Macintyre & Co. pottery in Burslem, Staffordshire, with, for the first time, his own dedicated staff and facilities.  The result was the successful and distinctive style of pottery that remains in production today, more than 100 years later and is as popular as ever.  It is also pleasing to note that, unlike so many of Moorcrofts former rivals, the pottery continues to be designed and produced in the United Kingdom.

The secondary market for Moorcroft continues to be very strong.  High prices are paid for early examples, such as Florian Ware, which can fetch four figure sums.  However, normally there is a clear correlation between age and value, but in the case of Moorcroft this is not happening with more recently produced pieces changing hands for much the same value as much older pieces.

Over the last twenty-five years, Moorcroft has produced a large number of low volume and limited edition designs.  Because of the relatively low numbers produced, collectors are willing to pay a little more for a piece to add to their collection.  There is also the fact that all Moorcroft has been steadily rising in value so I am sure many pieces are being bought as prospective investments.  Whatever the reason, there is one thing for sure, Moorcroft have produced some beautiful pottery that is a pleasure to own and they are continuing to do so.