Cuddling Under the Mushroom

Leslie HarradineLeslie Harradine was one of Royal Doulton's most prolific figurine modelers from 1920 until the mid 1950s. He first joined the Doulton Lambeth studio as an apprentice in 1902 working under George Tinworth while studying at the Camberwell School of Arts. From there he went on to work in the Royal Doulton design department.

Despite his interest and skill in figure modeling, Leslie was required to design vases for the Lambeth Art Studios for most of his time--something he was not happy doing. Charles Noke offered Leslie a job as a figure designer at the Burslem works but he refused. He did, however agree to send Noke some samples of his models on a freelance basis. As a result, in 1920 the first of his Royal Doulton figures, 'Contentment' HN395, was released.

Harradine loved children and produced a series of "Child Studies" which were very popular with the buying public and stayed in production for many years as did his "Nursery Rhyme" series. Harradine continued to provide a regular supply of figures to Royal Doulton for almost forty years.

Margaret "Peggy" Davies Peggy Davies was born in Burslem only a stone's throw from the Royal Doulton Burslem works. She eventually became one of Doulton's foremost and most highly regarded figure modellers. Her creativity was a major feature of Royal Doulton sculptures for many years where she modelled more than 250 different figures.

Peggy's career with Royal Doulton began in 1939, when she took a position with Royal Doulton as assistant to Cecil Noke, son of the renowned Charles Noke, and simultaneously set up a small workshop at home. The Second World War interrupted her employment with Doulton when a bomb partly destroyed her home. She decided to join the war effort and became a nurse. After the war, she returned to her first love and set up a new workshop at home. From there she worked freelance under contract to Royal Doulton and produced a long stream of new figure models for the Doulton HN series.

The versatility of Peggy Davies has amazed collectors ever since her Doulton career began. Her figurines portray all periods of fashion from medieval to modern times. Among her best loved figurines are Southern Belle, Christmas Morn, Ninette and Victoria.

Adrian Hughes Adrian started working for Royal Doulton in 1980. He compares his creative process to reading, which moves the reader to imagine and visualize the scenes presented by the words. He prefers working with modeler's clay, rather than more modern materials such as wax, as it allows him to be more fluid in his approach. He is an ambitious modeler, inspired by the adventurous approach to figurative design currently encouraged by Royal Doulton and constantly striving for improvement to produce the finest ceramics possible. Adrian's recent works includes An Afternoon Stroll HN4957 and Glad Tidings Christmas Tableau HN5130.

Valerie Annand Valerie has developed a very particular style of Royal Doulton figures. Her ladies are a fantasy of frills and movement, attributes well-loved by many collectors. Unlike her formally trained colleagues, Glasgow-born Valerie is a self taught artist who came to figure modeling by way of designing greeting cards. Her flowing designs are found in both the standard collection and in various limited edition series such as The British Sporting Heritage, the 1996 Figure of the Year, Belle (HN3703) and Rose Garden (HN4559).

Alan Maslankowski Alan Maslankowski came to Royal Doulton as a trainee modeler in 1968. His first piece, The Owl, was launched as part of the flambé collection in 1970 and was re-issued in a small limited edition in early 2007. At age 15, recognizing his future potential, Royal Doulton sent him to art school for 5 years. Even during this period, Alan produced several animal models that were accepted for production. After leaving art school, Alan worked for a time at the John Beswick Studio. He then left to pursue a freelance career, but did not entirely sever his connections with Royal Doulton. In 1990, Alan returned to Doulton as a resident artist revealing the breadth and depth of his incredible skill by creating over 250 different sculptures. His work has ranged from historical pieces, child subjects, animals, the "Art is Life" collection and more stylized figures in the "Images" collections. His figures include The Wizard (HN2877), Napoleon at Waterloo (HN3429) and a number of child studies. Alan is particularly well known for his large Prestige sculptures such as The Charge of the Light Brigade (HN4486), Henry V at Agincourt (HN3947), St George (HN4371), Alexander the Great (HN4481) and Pony Express (HN4842/HN4896). Sadly, Royal Doulton lost a great talent when Alan died of a heart attack in September 2006.

Douglas V. Tootle Douglas Tootle joined Royal Doulton as a modeler in the late 1960s after completing his training at the Burslem School of Art. His first figures to be added to the HN collection were launched in 1973. Among these was the dramatic and different Masque (HN2554). Douglas left Royal Doulton in 1974 to pursue a freelance career. In the 1980s, however, Doulton issued a collection of figures modeled by Douglas but inspired by Leslie Harradine's figures of the 1930s. Douglas has also contributed figures for the "Images" and "Reflections" ranges, but his most spectacular models are the large scale Columbine (HN2738) and Harlequin (HN2737) figures, which were introduced in 1982 with an alternative colorway being issued in 1993.

Robert Tabbenor As a child Robert Tabbenor was always interested in painting and drawing and loved to play with modeling clay. Despite growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, he had no experience in the pottery industry before joining Royal Doulton. Still, the idea of sculpture fascinated him and he craved a career in art. Under the guidance of Eric Griffiths, his talent flourished and in 1982 his first figure, All Aboard (HN2940) was introduced. He later modeled several character figures as Royal Doulton International Collectors Club exclusives, as well as child studies and several figures from the "Images" collection. Robert has also worked on experimental projects at the factory and is currently Studio Head.

William K. Harper William Harper worked as a designer with a number of other ceramic companies before joining Royal Doulton as a freelance modeler in 1973. At Royal Doulton, character studies became his forté. A number of his figures followed on smoothly from the styles and themes set by Mary Nicholl, but are indisputably in William's own style. He is also responsible for the London series and portrait figures of Charlie Chaplin (HN2771) and Groucho Marx (HN2777). A friendly, charming man, William often attends Doulton Fairs and collectors meetings where he delights in talking to collectors about his figures and the stories behind them.