New-York tribune., 1908-05-24
A FAMOUS POTTER.

FAMOUS POTTER
Perhaps the first earthenWare ever ilaue
which could remain quite cleanly ana peasant
to eat from turned out at BursleIn' py
Josiah Nedgwood about the year i o. 1t was
he who civilized and aseptlclzed the utehaIi9 utehI
which people who could not purchdse POI i -
might use at ia BILE. Till then any dlnner service
not made of gold silver or emma Aau peeh
open to sanitary reproach MaJollca chal6e u,5I >
and Delft platters would scratch scaIlIy, ~ 80
chip or peel in the glaze by use IefIFlHS L9oo @ -
and depressIons which the sculilons seldom coiLl-
nIeteIv cIeansed: the salt glazed dishes OF WllIto
stoneware had pitted or an orange SKIN sIirltIce
mon which spo0ns and forks would rattle ana
lar. even the smooth Whieldon plates Wouiu mar
hor dirt in the foriated reelS, as dld sun ldIel
the feather edged and openWork ware Llit1e a.
Leeds. Josiah Wedgwood, that t5plcai liStn an, 81 Ui
common sense and business, sought after lapIe
utensils of a simpler palmer and c4eanler KIM !
there money in that, he knew. 80 0 ls go
the hest clayS procurable, he potted tneuI 4IIlo
plates and dishes and tureens OF simple even
thin and uniform shapes. covered WIN d SliIoo'li
ord comely glaze uninterrupted and IaStlng, OF
crean1v or strawy or saffron tint, that wet dish
clout could readily render clean IN d minute
And ne put the most perfect woThihaIlslilp M M
the making and baking. 1t was MS polSt ma i$
twelve dozen can be piled up IN. one DunS VIII
out falling over" so neatly did the plates fhatcn
and fit ..Creamware" he called the new sort at
first. until sending a caudle cup OF 1T to queen
Charlotte for her lying in, he got the utle OF
Queens Potter and an order for dinner service
in return; whereupon Queen s-Ware the ne"
sort was christened. In making ms queen 5.
ware Josiah Wedgwood made the fortune OF
The notteries for the dishes and pans ana
tureens went abroad by the myriad, and travel
Iers returning from the Grand Tour could attest
their universal use.
''Wedgwood was great potter but not great
artist" SAYS Professor Church; yet when 1t came
to the bulk and standby of his work, no
earthenware, native foreign, combined so
MANY technical perfections. Well ground clays
and fnts formed the body. The potting was SO
good that every part and piece wassin complete
CORRESPONDENCE with every other, while no more
material was used than was necessary to secure
solidity Plate rested perfectly on plate lbs
fitted perfectly to kettles, basins and teapots
The coIors of the wares We're refined and uni
form the firing was complete and the glaze thin
And the forms of the useful ware showed an
exact adapdation to their uses. The spouts and
lips OF milk ewers and jugs and teapots per-
uitted of their contents being poured out with
neatness; the handles could be held the lids dld
not fall off" This master potter must nave
everything he fathered be of the best quallty;
pitilessy the mediocre and merely paSsable were
condemned. / see him stumping, wooden legged,
about his sheds and warehouses at Etrura, Ilft-
ing his stick and smashing any non excellent bit
of ware. THAT won't do for Josiah Wedg-
wood" he growIs. SO that his Queen s-Ware
ca rried England at its workmanlike best abroad,
England the skilful and pratique and excel
ling England the soberly artistic and sens-
bic the England of quality as well as Of the
quality. England the true aristocrat among al!
Industrial lands-J. II. YoXall in Cornhill.