Excursion to Dorset/ Poole Pottery factory visit

Left: Inside the cabinets owned by the amazing Just Collectables, UK at the Poole Factory, Delphis pieces for sale,
Right: The exterior of the factory, The building behind replaced the original factory

A few Delphis pieces inside cabinets at The Poole Museum, well worth a look,
They have a small but amazing collection of key pieces on the top floor

Left: Art Deco 1920's/ 30's Flora pieces, Right: Tiles in the Poole Museum 

Left: Racks of vintage Poole Pottery for sale, The Quay Factory store
Right: In the cabinet, Bird designed by Robert Jefferson, 1964, In display cabinet (NFS)

Left: The Cafe upstairs with some old photograph panels of Artists at work
Right: Close up of 1950's promotional platter on display at Poole Museum.

Left: Twin Tone Poole cups and saucers for sale at The Poole Factory
Right: At The Poole Museum, Carter and Company designed by Arthur Nickols, 1950's

Pieces I bought, Left to right: In Seagull, 1950's planter and posy vase,  Lime Yellow bud vase

Pieces I bought: Robert Jefferson Dagger, 1964, Poole Studio piece, 1960's,
Twin tone jug in a deep blue I have not seen before 

Pieces I bought: From Left to right: Carol Culter Delphis platter,
Lucullus range egg baker, 1962 by Robert Jefferson, small dish, Artist unknown 

Left: The Swan Inn still existing (Thank goodness) It is on the market currently but had been
boarded up for many years, Right: Older storefronts in Poole

Close up of The Swan Inn tiles, I believe they where made by Carter, Stabler and Adams

Left: The beautiful countryside you will encounter traveling into Dorset, just spectacular!
Right: The Poole Arms, The facade completely covered in beautiful green tiles, 

Left: Driving out of Poole, Dorset, after a long day on the road, Closeup of Delphis piece 

Left: Mural being installed as we were there from the 70's/ 80's, Right: Agean collection for sale 

Left: Tiles from original tearoom, about 1930, Carter & Co, designed by Edward Bawden
and a random selection of tiles from the 1940's/ 50's

Recently I took the journey of a lifetime, for me it was a big thing but I kept it low key, I quickly slipped into Poole, Dorset under the radar to finally visit a place I had dreamed of visiting most of my life. What better way than to spend it with my dearest school friend Kylie who full knows my passion for Poole Pottery and who is currently living in Cambridge with her husband Mike and their 2 kids Amelia and Rufus. When Kylie suggested a road trip south some time ago, we knew it was a mission we had to accomplish, even with a 4 year old in tow who promptly declared after arriving in Poole after being woken up her from a deep nap in the car that she did not want to go into the factory and stamped her feet declaring she “hated Poole Pottery” ; ) With lures of candy and painting a plaster butterfly, She however promptly felt at home.

I kept a hopeful and brave face as I walked into The Quay, what seemed almost a former part of The Poole Factory, I knew from my research that most of the existing structures covered in beautiful Poole tiled murals where gone, most recently one of the last structures by a bland unimpressive structure (nothing to do with the factory) on the water which seemed a shame. The current complex clearly in it's current state it is fair to say has become less an obvious factory but more like a discount department store selling random merchandise such as suitcases and sensible shoes. Apparently now catering for a “coach crowd” The Poole Factory as it is now seems has in general become more a haven for bargain shoppers than lovers of pottery it seems?

However I know as a Stylist and Creative you have to dig deeper if you want more from an experience and I was not disappointed for amongst the random selection of less desirable merchandise lay the jewel in the faded crown, At the back of the store on the lower floor was where the magic happened and my excitement rose as I spotted cabinets of vintage 20^th century Poole for sale and shelves of overstock from the 1950’s till now. The company Just Collectables operated by John Lejune has an amazing collection of vintage Poole on display to view and much for sale.

For most who know me Poole Pottery has been a passion ever since I was a teenager, I have to say know a bit but I certainly don’t know it all, There are many people very passionate about Poole Pottery and there are sites (As listed below, please check them out) of people who really do know there stuff. 

For people who do not know in a nutshell, Poole (Formerly Carter, Stabler & Adams amongst other names)  is an amazing company that produced an astounding array of very influential styles, silhouettes and artistry pottery and ceramics last century, they still continue to work with some amazing artists who you can witness still painting their newer pieces at the factory which is a refreshing site. With my first visit I was slightly overwhelmed, Actually visiting a place where you can breathe in the history can be enlivening and if you half squint and let you imagination go you can see the glory of the former years come alive. I can also see how Poole as a town and a place that captures people’s passion and hearts. 

I walked around the waterfront with Kylie and Amelia and through the town itself and fell in love with it, being half English on my mother’s side I always feel at home in the UK and things seem familiar and comforting. Poole has some amazing buildings still, I really hope all efforts are made to not tear these down. I have to say too the countryside driving in and out of Poole in Dorset is breathtaking and well worth the trip in itself. Also make a point if you go of visiting the Poole Museum with the top floor devoted to Poole Pottery. 

I bought some pieces quite randomly, choosing items that I felt a connection too, there was honestly so many and with a budget in mind, I had to be sensible, I am not sure that I came away with the most collectible and valuable pieces available, but they are pieces I did not have already and honestly my collection as a whole is piddly compared to serious collectors. 

I did however as a Creative in the design industry and a lover of company branding, I came away thinking of all the amazing things you could do with Poole Pottery, with the catalog of work and the history intact, I believe it has such amazing potential. The company had been in harder times, now owned by of Lifestyle Group Ltd, which also owns Royal Stafford Tableware, I hope their attention really shifts to build back up the brand. As a big fan of the Poole Pottery of the past, I know I certainly have many ideas, I am itching to see Poole Pottery reemerge and be a forerunner in the minds of lovers of ceramics and pottery, It needs to speak to a new generation that appreciates and are keen to learn about the legacy of the brand and a part of the English and International design world in general. 

Other great sources with a much more in-depth and researched angle on Poole are: 
http://www.robspoolepottery.co.uk
http://www.pooleimages.co.uk

Poole Pottery/ Freeform, 1950's

An example of Freeform vases by Poole Pottery, designed 1950's

Left: Promotional plate used as signage in stores for Freeform, Right: Freeform vases

Left: pattern Trail vases, Right: Totem pattern shallow bowl by Diane Holloway

Left: Artists at work in the Poole Factory, Dorset, England in the 1950's
Right: The Freeform collection of Poole expert John Clark

Left: Unusually shaped Freeform bowl, Right: Platter, owned by myself

Left: Freeform vase owned by myself, Right: Another design in the same silhouette 

Left: lamp bases designed in Freeform range, Right: platter

Left: Tiles designed by Poole in the same period to promote Dorset, Right: Freeform vase

Left: Some quite unusual colors for Freeform in vases, Right: Freeform bowl

Often the most sought out and the most pricey to collect is the Freeform range from Poole Pottery, based in Dorset, England. Designed by Alfred Read and Guy Sydenham, Poole Pottery launched the Freeform range in 1956-57. Consisting of nine slip-cast 'freeform' shapes decorated in eight new patterns and some hand-thrown shapes, with ten additional new hand-painted patterns all designed by Ruth Pavely and Ann Read.

Influenced quite heavily by Scandinavian studio Pottery of the period such as Gustavsberg and their work with one of my heroes Stig Lindberg, Scandinavian design was well ahead of the pack in the 1940s and it was in the mid 1950s that UK and USA began to catch up using shapes colours and glazes being produced by the leading Scandinavian factories.

I love the patterns that are used on the silhouettes of these vases and bowls, The soft but structured designs that were largely produced in dusty pastels, It's amazing that they are all so intricately painted by hand. 

I am lucky to own 2 pieces that I have acquired over the years but these guys are not easy to find and if you do, you have to be prepared to pay premium prices. 

Please note: Some of these images have been kindly supplied by John Clark, who generously reached out to me to share his knowledge of this period of Poole Pottery. I am afraid in my first post I did not get all the information right, This general post of Freeform also cover the Contemporary period that John pointed out is in fact often mistaken as Freeform but actually encompasses 2 periods of Poole.


For interested collectors of Poole, There is also good information in a catalogue from the 1997 “Poole in the 1950s” exhibition that John Clark co-hosted with Richard Dennis at his gallery in London. The catalogue is still in print and can be purchased through the Richard Dennis Publications website, as can the best book on the pottery “Poole Pottery” by Hayward and Atterbury which has information on all periods.
http://www.richarddennispublications.com/shop/category-46-book-list

Poole Pottery/ TwinTone Range 1940/50's

Left: The stamp found on Poole Pottery. Right: TwinTone platter in Ice Green, Photo's courtesy of Yay Retro

Left: Freeform flower troughs in Lime Yellow and Sea Gull, 1956/57, Right: The colors available in TwinTone
Images courtesy of Rob's Poole Pottery

Left: TwinTone Jam Pots, designed by John Adams, Right: Cucumber Sandwich trays

Left: Lidded Hot Water Jug in Ice Green, Right: Collection of Teapots and pitchers from above

Left: Sky Blue and Dove Gray Salt and Pepper, 1958-81, Right: Teapot from 1960's

Left: Tea set collection in Mist Blue and Dove Gray, Right: Coffee Pot in the same series

Left: A massive collection of TwinTone, Right: Free Form vase in Black and White,
Not strictly TwinTone but in the same genre 

Left: A large collection of Poole Pottery TwinTone available at The Vintage Kitchen Store,
Right: Another beautiful FreeForm Poole Pottery vase in the same genre as TwinTone

My love affair with Poole Pottery continues on this post on Twin Tone, When I first started collecting Poole Pottery in my teens I first started with The Delphis range but quickly side stepped to also collecting the Twin Tone series. I was quickly attracted to the playful but chalky pastel colors. Some of the colors produced were called Red Indian, Seagull, Peach Bloom, Ice Green, Lime Yellow, Dove Gray and Mist Blue. Don't those colors sound yummy!..Right?

Twin Tone is called as such because obviously because the glazes are described as ‘semi-matt’ or ‘vellum’ because of their smooth feel and soft sheen, and they always come in two distinctive colors used together, The interior often being the contrast color to the exterior of the vessel. 

Twin Tone was produced right up until the 1980's, but kept it's largely 1950's feel and silhouette, In the 1960's pattern and sheen was added which reflected the era's obsession with design that was busier in design, I kind of prefer the cool stream lined Twin Tone of the 1950's the best. 

The best site on the web to read and appreciate Poole Pottery is www.robspoolepottery.co.uk Rob does an amazing job and I love reading his website. 

Poole Pottery/ Delphis Range 1960/70's

Left: Poole Delphis platters by Jean Millership, 1966-1969, Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery
Right: Packaging design for Poole Pottery

Spear shaped sweet dishes by Various Artists

Pin dishes, Left to right: Carole Holden, 1968-69, Unsigned, 1962-64, Angela Wyburgh, 1968,
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Pin dishes, Left to right: Carol Cutler 1969-76, Carol Cutler 1969-76, Geraldine O'Meara, 1966
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Platters, Left to right: Shirley Campbell, 1966-69, Carolyn Bartlett, 1966, Jean Millership, 1966-69
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Left: Right: Vase by Lynn Gregory, Platter by Carol Cutler, 1966-76
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Vases, Left to Right: Cynthia Bennet, Valerie Pullen, Ros Summerfelt
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Vases, Left to Right: Judy Evens, Carol Cutler, Christie Tate
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Left: vase by Angela Wyburgh, Right: Various stacked Delphis silhouettes

Left to Right: Carol Cutler, Angela Wynburgh, The Poole stamp on bottom of pieces during the Delphis era
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Pots, Left to right: Both by Jean Millership
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery

Carved Delphis bowls by various artists including Pamela Bevans, Patricia Wells, Angela Wyburgh and Patricia Churchouse, 1966-70
Photograph from Robs Poole Pottery 

When does one start becoming a collector, Are you born with this gene already in your genetic makeup, Is it learnt by our parents or is it a result of not getting everything you wanted as a kid so the need to collect becomes stronger as you get older. We all know someone’s mother who collects eggcups or teaspoons or everything that has to do with pigs for instance, Why do they do it?

For me, my first collection started with ceramics and I have always said it’s one of the most dangerous things you can collect with the constant fear of it always breaking in the back of your mind, Maybe that’s why in a strange way people that collect breakables want to live with that constant risk? My first collection started with discovering a piece of ceramic in my early teens that had the mark Poole on the bottom. I was intrigued by it’s amazing glaze, it’s fluidity in design, it’s smoothness, and it’s vibrancy. I came to learn later that it was part of what they call The Delphis range.

For people who know me well, they know that I have been collecting Poole for years. I collect all era’s of Poole but as there is such a large catalog, for this post I will stick to The Delphis range. Poole as a company is located in Dorset, In England. Now owned by Denby, The Company was originally founded in 1873 on Poole quayside, where it continued to produce pottery by hand before moving its factory operations away from the quay in 1999.

"Delphis" Studio wares are easily recognized: it is labeled psychedelic, with vibrant colors and designs inspired by artists such as Mondrian, Warhol, Matisse and Pollock. Launched in 1963, was initially conceived by Guy Sydenham and Robert Jefferson and later developed by Jefferson and Tony Morris, One of the most famous of the many artisans who worked with Poole over the years.

The Delphis range used a black wax resist technique to delineate abstract patterns.  Every piece is pretty much unique, with designs created by the decorators themselves, and with serendipity playing a big part too.  Marketed as "irreproducible", this was true freedom of expression that befits the 1960’s.

To encourage this experimentation and creativity initially each decorator would be given a few hours a week to produce their own work, be it models, tile panels, any artistic output they wanted.  However, Delphis became such a commercial success that demand began to encroach on these creative freedoms with over time been introduced and later with the painters terms of work changed in 1972 from an hourly rate to piece work.

On the bottom of each piece it is clearly signed by the Artist and you can collect based on knowing whose designs you respond too the most, For me I always like Carol Cutler’s work, Her signature was CC.

Hope you enjoy looking at these amazing pieces, A great source is a website called www.robspoolepottery.co.uk

Check it out, Rob has an amazing collection of Poole and his site is truly inspirational.