Book 517

William De Morgan designed and manufactured ceramics from 1870 to 1907, and lifelong friendships with William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones placed him at the heart of the Arts and Crafts revolution. After designing stained glass for William Morris, De Morgan set up his own pottery works. His personal vision was for intense underglaze colours and shimmering lustres to show off his designs of fabulous animals, rich florals, and flowing Persian curves. De Morgan was unquestionably the Arts and Crafts Movement's most important potter. Today his work is part of some of the world's major art collections. This is the only book available that looks at the man and his works.

Book 590

Clarice Cliff

by Will Farmer

Published 10 June 2010
There are few pieces of pottery more recognisable than those designed by Clarice Cliff. For many the epitome of Art Deco, characterised by bold colour and lines, geometric shapes, and stylised representations of the countryside, Clarice Cliff's 'bizarre' pottery is collected all over the world. Using a wealth of colour illustrations, Will Farmer traces the story of Clarice Cliff and the pottery that she created. Employed in The Potteries from the age of thirteen, Clarice was talented and resourceful, and in 1927 she was given her own studio at the Newport Pottery where, for the next twelve years, she produced a range of sought-after designs that have become icons of the age.

Portmeirion

by Will Farmer and Rob Higgins

Published 10 June 2012
Portmeirion pottery evolved from a souvenir shop in North Wales into a twenty-first-century global business, thanks to the flair and vision of Susan Williams-Ellis. She captured the aspirations of households all over the world, transforming their kitchens and dining rooms from the 1960s onwards by cleverly blending the contemporary and the traditional. Her 'Botanic Garden' pattern, introduced in 1972, combined antique flower prints with contemporary shapes, and having been in production for the last forty years, it is the firm's most successful creation. The company is currently moving forwards with a new generation of designers; it has a foothold in over fifty countries and has even acquired the Spode and Royal Worcester design portfolios. Will Farmer and Rob Higgins here tell the story of Portmeirion and illustrate dozens of Williams-Ellis's collectable design classics.

Poole Pottery

by Will Farmer

Published 10 July 2011
Poole Pottery is a great British institution, and for more than 130 years has been in the very first rank of producers of tiles, mosaic flooring and advertising panels – as well as the pottery that remains its most famous and collectible product. Founded by Jesse Carter in 1873 as 'Carter's Industrial Tile Factory', the company went on to flourish in the hands of Carter's son and, in 1921, joined forces with Henry Stabler and John Adams to add art deco pottery to its list of products. 'Carter Stabler Adams', which would come to be known simply as Poole Pottery, was responsible for two of the most distinctive lines in the industry's history: the Delphis and Aegean designs. In this extensively illustrated book, Will Farmer gives a lovingly detailed account of a unique and distinctively British company.