Unicorn Pottery and Pinnox Works.—These large and important manufactories, situated in Amicable Street and Great Woodland Street, for the production of general earthenware, early in the present century were occupied by Mr. E. Challinor, who was succeeded in 1825 by Messrs. G. Podmore Walker & Co., who also occupied the Swan Bank Pottery. That firm was succeeded by the present proprietors, “Messrs. E. Wedgwood & Co.,” the head of the firm being Enoch Wedgwood, Esq., of Port Hill, J.P. for the county of Stafford, whose elder son, Edmund M. Wedgwood, is also a partner. The works are of large extent, and give employment to six or seven hundred persons; they occupy an area of about an acre of ground, and are among the most substantially built and best arranged in the pottery district. The goods produced are the higher classes of earthenware. In these, dinner, tea, breakfast, dessert, toilet and other services, and all the usual miscellaneous articles, are made to a very considerable extent, both for the home, colonial, continental, and American markets, to which considerable quantities are regularly exported. The quality of the “Imperial Ironstone China”—the staple production of the firm—is of remarkable excellence, both in body and in glaze, and the decorations are characterized by pure taste, artistic feeling, and precision of execution; they consist of an endless variety of admirable patterns, printed in various colours, wholly or partially hand-painted, enamelled, and gilt. The great and laudable aim of the present firm has been and is to produce the best, most artistic, and most pleasingly effective designs, and to adapt them to ordinary purposes, so that they may become the every-day surroundings of the artisan as well as of the educated man of taste. Thus they associate durability of quality in body and a perfect glaze with purity of outline in form, chasteness of decoration, and clearness and harmony of colour—adapting their designs and styles of decoration to the national tastes of the people in the various climes to which the goods are sent. One of the most successful of their ordinary printed designs is the pattern known as “Asiatic Pheasants,” which has become so popular as to be considered one of the standard patterns of this country and the colonies. Other equally effective designs have also been introduced by Mr. Wedgwood with great success.
In the higher classes of decoration—painting, jewelling, and gilding—the productions of this firm also rank deservedly high, and they are particularly successful in services bearing monograms and armorial decorations.
Besides the usual classes of useful and ornamental earthenware in services, &c., E. Wedgwood & Co. produce beautiful specimens of inlaid decorations for hall stairs, and elaborately carved furniture, which may hereafter be in general repute.
They have not made a public display of their distinct manufacture, except at the Paris Exhibition, where they were awarded a medal for the excellence of their earthenware. The marks used by the firm are the following, impressed in the body of the ware:
Fig. 647.
STONE CHINA
WEDGWOOD & CO
Greenfield Works (William & Thomas Adams).—This business was originally established at Stoke by the grandfather of the present owner, William Adams, who then carried on the business in his own name until 1829, when the firm was changed to Wm. Adams & Sons; the second William Adams being head of the firm. In 1834 the business was considerably enlarged, and the present works at Greenfield, Tunstall, opened. In 1853 a dissolution of the firm took place, and the Greenfield works were carried on by William Adams (the second) until 1865, when he retired in favour of his sons, William and Thomas Adams, the present owners of the manufactory. The trade of this large and important manufactory is entirely confined to foreign markets, the principal trade being done with the Brazils, Cuba, Central America, Java, Manilla, Singapore, the United States, &c., the first six of which are the special trade of this firm. The quality of the earthenware is the best of its class, and is noted in the markets for which it is specially prepared for its durability, its “pleasant handling,” and the richness and variety of its coloured and sponged patterns, the bright fancy character of which is much admired in the out markets of the world which have been named. The goods produced are tea, toilet, and table services, besides a variety of other articles; and these are all the best of their class, both in body, in form, and in decoration. White granite (or ironstone china) of an excellent quality is also made for the American and other markets, some of the raised patterns—as, for instance, the “Dover”—being remarkably good, and the forms of the pieces—side-dishes with covers, &c.—being faultless. Transfer printing is much used, and is by this firm judiciously combined with “sponged” patterns with good effect.