Josiah Wedgwood was a man with a vision. As the founder of this international company, he revolutionised the way pottery was made and now, after 250 years, we can look back and celebrate the companies humble beginning and new creations.
After falling ill with smallpox at the age of 14, he became disabled a year later with a bad knee. This caused lots of problems for the young apprentice as he was unable to make use of the traditional kick wheel to throw pottery. His leg was eventually amputated and replaced with a wooden one which placed significant limitations on his pottery throwing. Instead of changing professions he persisted and began to experiment. He wanted to improve local pottery so he mixed different kinds of ground metals into the clay before firing it. This made the pottery far more solid and improved the colours and forms of the objects.
According to Diane Dunkley, director of the DAR Museum, Wedgwood was a 'marketing genius'. He understood the value of celebrity marketing so when Queen Charlotte ordered a set of cream servers he called himself "potter to a majesty" and then renamed the product "Queen's Ware". It was in 1759 that he went out on his own, proudly marking his name on each piece that was produced. He became the first potter to consistently mark his creations.
He was also the first manufacturer to create the 'showroom' concept, allowing female customer to view his pieces which were re-merchandised every couple of days to maintain interest and create a sense of curiosity.
To bring Wedgwood to a new generation of clientele, they have collaborated with a number of international designers including Jasper Conran and Vera Wang.
These beautiful pieces maintain the classic style of Wedgwood but incorporate a modern twist. These new ranges make perfect gifts as well as wonderful new additions to your existing dinner and serving sets.
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