The label “Blue Children” refers to the popularity among collectors for pieces of this seriesware featuring children. They in fact re- christened it Blue Children!
Royal Doulton’s extensive seriesware patterns offer huge scope for collectors, although many manage to keep to a collecting theme such as miniatures or one particular pattern.
Produced between 1898 and 1939, Kingsware was again the brain child of Charles Noke, and totally unique to Doulton and a technique that no other factory has managed to replicate ever since.
An early development of Noke’s was the revival of the once popular tradition of Staffordshire figure production.
After firmly establishing Doulton’s Lambeth Art Department, Henry Doulton sought to cement the name of Doulton in the ceramic world by launching himself in the heart of the Potteries, buying an interest in the earthenware pottery firm of Pinder, Bourne & Co based in Nile St. Burslem in 1877.
Simeon’s versatility can be seen when one looks at the sheer variety of Lambeth wares he produced. Naturally there were many hand designed vases, but there were also late edition vases made between 1910 and 1925, as well as endearing Toby wares that he modelled and introduced in 1925.
With the success of Doulton’s stoneware, Doulton introduced other types of wares and decorations including Faience, which was introduced in 1873 and remained in production until the outbreak of World War I.
Whilst collectors today are most familiar with Doulton wares that are readily found, other art wares for reproduction were designed by equally great artists as Tinworth and Barlow.
George Tinworth is acknowledged as being the first and greatest Doulton artist, a mantle he carried for over 40 years. In George Tinworth a promising talent was seen; something that was of course Bourne out quickly.
Hannah had already been working at Doulton for two years in the lead up to this exhibition and was soon joined by more young ladies who were allocated a small room in the factory that was then designated ‘The Art Department’.