The story of the line begins in 1730 with the birth of Josiah Wedgwood to a family who manufactured pottery. At six years old, Josiah was an apprentice and by 14 he had suffered a bout of smallpox that weakened his right knee. By 1760, Josiah had his own factory and had been experimenting with different formulas of porcelain, clays and glazes and technological advances in the art of transferring designs to the finished product. In 1765 he manufactured a complete set for Queen Charlotte, advertised himself as the “potter to the Queen” and his business took off.
Josiah’s crowning achievement was his creation of Jasperware. Jasper is translucent clay that marries the basalt and Josiah’s original formulas to produce a dense, homogeneously colored stoneware. After more than 10,000 failed experiments with various clays and glazes, Jasperware was launched in 1775 to overwhelming success, especially to his customers in the new democracy of the United States of America. Josiah stated shortly thereafter, “there was no item too rich or too costly for Americans.”
Wedgwood died in 1795 and the business was left to his sons, who, having been brought up wealthy, had absolutely no interest in running it. The job fell to a nephew, Tom Byerly who struggled greatly with the burden of running a business he had little love for. The next 25 years proved difficult for the company and Josiah II took over to turn things around by restoring the formulas and business standards set by his father. Needless to say, constant economic turmoil, wars and growing competition made the 1800’s very difficult and it wasn’t until the 20th Century, under the leadership of Josiah V that things began to improve.
With new, streamlined production facilities, aggressive worldwide marketing especially in America, and exclusive designs, Wedgwood China products began gaining prominence in the industry. In 1966, Wedgwood’s shares were introduced into the London Stock exchange and since that time, the company has been involved in aggressive expansion. The assets of Susie Cooper, Royal Tuscan, William Adams, Franciscan, Mason’s Ironstone, Waterford, and Rosenthal have been merged with Wedgwood to form the Wedgwood group. Josiah Wedgwood I would be proud.
Related Articles of Interest :
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The Value of Antique Wedgwood China
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Since the company is now slightly over 250 years old, anything made from year one to year 150 is now officially considered to be an antique. Antique certification begins for any item that can be verified to be at least 100 years old and since...
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A Guide to Wedgwood China
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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It all came about due to a cry from English housewives for more artful, cheaper, mass produced kitchen wares to serve their meals on and drink their mead from. That cry and the invention of the “transfer printing process” made inexpensive, artful plates, dishes and...
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The Value of Wedgwood China
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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If Josiah Wedgwood were alive today, even he would be surprised at the large sums of money changing hands for some of his early work. Still intact, still complete early collections are almost priceless, especially the ones owned by royalty and celebrities. Many have come...
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Where to Find Discount Wedgwood China
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There is not a lot of discount Wedgwood China available, although, given the prices of some of the items in the line, any discount is greatly appreciated. You might not think paying $50 for a plate is a discount, however, depending on the age of...
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A Guide to Discontinued Wedgwood China
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Everything has its day and its time, and Wedgwood China is no exception to the rule. Because the company is 250 years old there are patterns that were used to create dishware that simply no longer exist, but pieces of the dishware still do. People...
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A Guide to Wedgwood China Outlets
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There are recognized, factory-certified Wedgwood China outlets in many locations around the world for your shopping convenience. These places carry only Wedgwood China and anything you purchase there will be the genuine article, not a cheap reproduction, and its dating will be accurate. If it...
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A Brief History of the Mattress
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mattresses are a key component of bedding. Because most humans spend over a third of their lives sleeping, finding a quality mattress is important for a high quality of life. Normally comprised of foam and fibers, with metal springs on a wooden frame, mattresses help...
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The History of Vacuum Cleaner Bags
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The debris picked up by all of the different types of vacuum cleaners and units on the market has to be deposited somewhere — usually in a vacuum cleaner bag. In 1920 the Air Way Sanitizer Company of Ohio introduced the first vacuum cleaner with...
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A Brief History of Grandfather Clocks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Since the beginning of civilization, humans have searched for a reliable way to keep track of the time. In the earliest days, months, seasons and years were tracked by careful monitoring of the phases of the moon. Later, the sun and stars were also used...
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The History of Cuckoo Clocks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Although the exact date remains a mystery, it is commonly thought that cuckoo clocks first made their appearance around 1730 in the Black Forest area of Germany. To this day, even with all that has come along with modern experience, skill and technology, no other...