THE POTTERY & GLASS TRADES' JOURNAL.

Mintons only London Warehouse is

MINTONS

THE

Pottery and Glass Trades' Journal.

A Monthly Review of the Pottery, Glass and Decorative Trades. Single copy price 6d., by post 7d. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, post free, to any part of the United Kingdom, 6/; to any other part of the world except India, 7'; to India, 8.

FEBRUARY, 1879.

GREAT FIRMS AND GREAT MEN.

No. II.—JOSIAH WEDGWOOD & SONS. We do not purpose in the present sketch of this eminent house attempting to give any history of the firm, or of its renowned founder, the great Josiah Wedgwood, whom a most eminent authority has justly characterised as "the most distinguished individual in the whole history of commerce, taken from the earliest ages," and to whose biography we purpose, in a future number, devoting an entire chapter, if not more than one. The present members of the firm of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, and the proprietors of the historical works, at Etruria, are Messrs. Godfrey, Clement, and Lawrence Wedgwood, great grandsons of the eminent Josiah Wedgwood. All these gentle

men

are thoroughly initiated into every detail of the intricate art of potting, and would seem to have inherited not only the

name and works of their illustrious ancestor, but also that indefatigable and enterprising spirit and love of art, which gained for him that world-renowned eminence he so justly earned. Whilst in their hands no fear need be entertained of the decline of the reputation of this historical house, notwithstanding the keenness of the competition at the present day for the foremost position in the trade. Every kind of china and earthenware, from common earthenware jugs to the highest class, and most artistic and delicately-finished china, jasper and majolica, is manufactured at Etruria; but even the cheapest of Messrs. Wedgwoods' productions are characterised by that soundness of body and that perfection of this firm a world-wide reputation. finish which has won for the productions of

Chief amongst Messrs. Wedgwoods' specialities stands Jasper or Wedgwoods' ware, so called after the discoverer, the great Josiah Wedgwood. Of the excellence of their productions in this ware, Mr. Llewellynn Jewitt, in his now standard work, "The Ceramic Art of Great Britain," speaks in terms of the highest praise when he says "Messrs. Wedgwoods' jasper and other ornamental goods, now stand as far in advance of their competitors of the present day, as those of the great Josiah did in advance of those of his own time; they are simply unsurpassable both in design and execution." Most of our readers have no doubt seen some of Messrs. Wedgwoods' productions in this ware; to those who have not had this good fortune we cannot do better than reiterate the words of Wedgwood himself, who, when referring to jasper,

said, "Verbal description can give but an imperfect idea of the delicacy of the material, the execution of the artist, and the general effect, and I must therefore beg leave to refer those who wish for information in these respects to a view of the articles themselves."

The manufacture of jasper was for some time after the death of Josiah abandoned, but it was again revived by Messrs. Wedgwood, in the form of artistic vases, in 1851. Of the present productions of the firm in this ware we cannot do better than again to quote the words of Mr. Llewellyn Jewitt. This eminent authority on ceramics, in his "Life of Wedgwood," after mentioning that Messrs. Wedgwood still produce all the wares for which the works in olden times were so famous, says: "The jasper goods are stillas they have ever been since the first production of that marvellous body—their principal feature the great speciality of their works. In this, since the days of Turner, they have never been approached, and their goods still maintain their old and high reputation."

Another speciality amongst the ornamental productions of the Etruria Works at the present day is that of "majolica," the manufacture of which was commenced by Messrs. Wedgwood in 1861, and which is produced by them of extreme beauty and of high artistic excellence. Their principal painter of artistic faïence was for many years the celebrated M. Emile Lessore, whose works, whether in pastoral, emblematical, or other groups, or in the nude figure, bear the stamp of originality, and are characterised by great

freedom and power of touch, and by harmonious and rich colouring. The climate of Staffordshire, unfortunately, affecting his health, he was obliged to resign his position as chief director of Messrs. Wedgwoods' decorative department, and retire to the south of France, where, however, he continued—almost until the day of his decease, in 1876-his connection with Messrs. Wedgwood, painting pieces and sending them to Etruria to be fired.

Since the revival of the ceramic art in this country as one of the Fine Arts, Messrs. Wedgwood have established a studio, under the direction of Mr. Thos. Allen, the worthy successor of M. Lessore, for the education and improvement of their artists, the result of which, though established but some five or six years ago, has been most satisfactory. No better evidence of the improvement in this department can be adduced than a comparison of the artistic productions of this firm at the International Exhibitions of 1861 and 1878. Though in 1861 the exhibits of Messrs. Wedgwood were amongst the finest and most artistic works that had then ever been produced, they yet, when compared with those of 1878, appear comparatively mediocre and unimportant.

Messrs. Wedgwood have in their employ some of the first artists and modellers of the day, amongst whom we may mention Mr. Chas. Toft, who for many years was the principal figure modeller for Messrs. Elkington, and whose works received such wellmerited praise at Paris.

In order fully to utilise the artistic talents of their numerous artists, Messrs. Wedgwood purpose reviving, at Etruria, the manufacture of china, in which they obtained such a high position at the close of the last great Napoleinic war, and in the manufacture of which they will undoubtedly rank amongst

the first houses in the trade.

Many of the moulds modelled in the time of the great Josiah by Flaxman, Hackwood, and other eminent men, are still used by the firm, a fact which considerably enhances the value of Messrs. Wedgwoods' finest pro

ductions.

Our space does not permit of our referring at length to any other of Messrs. Wedgwoods' productions, in which are represented every branch of the potters' art, and all of which, of however moderate pretensions, are distinguished by the soundness of the body, their clear ring, and durability. Their glazes are rich in surface and free from imperfections, and being fired at a very high temperature are rendered hard, durable, and free from liability to scratch.

The Works at Etruria have during the last year or two undergone a thorough renovation, bringing them to the requirements of the most approved modern works. On their Works, as in the obtaining of the services of the best artists, modellers, and workmen of the day, Messrs. Wedgwood spare no expense, being determined to uphold the position of the firm founded and transmitted to them by the first of potters.

Saturday, at the West Bromwich Police-court, before Messrs. Williams and George Heaton, Thomas Kenny, 21, Alexander Pemberton, 20, Alfred Armstrong, 22, Albert Smith, 22, Jacob Dowling, 20, William Hopkins, 24, and Michael Neenan, 21, were charged on a summons with having neglected their work, as pipewarmers, thereby causing damage to the extent of £10 each to their employers, Messrs. Chance Brothers and Co., Spon-lane Glass Works, Birmingham. Mr. Shakespeare prosecuted.—Mr. Shakespeare said the defendants neglected their work on the 11th January. A number of other pipewarmers were summoned at that court some time previous, and they promised to return to work, Messrs. Chance forgiving them and paying expenses. Since then a strike had occurred, and the defendants worked for a period of four weeks after the strike. On the 11th ult. they commenced work and went to be paid; and because they considered they had not earned sufficient wages, they refused to work longer. Had they completed the "journey" they would have worked six hours and a half longer than they did. The consequence of the defendants not going on with their work was that the whole of the metal, which was of considerable value, had to be ladled out of the furnace and allowed to get cold, for remelting on a future occasion. The wages of men who were dependent on the defendants for means of employment, having to be paid as usual were lost, in addition to which between thirty and forty tons of coal, which was used in preparing the furnaces, was caused to be wasted, the result of which was a total loss to Messrs. Chance of nearly £100. The men had no right to do this. They were paid according to the scale agreed on before the strike, excepting that instead of being paid per hundred cylinders, they were paid per thousand feet. Mr. Edwin Forster gave evidence as to the damage done, and said the defendants received the money that was due to them. Defendant Kenney: Is 9s. 9d. enough for one week's wages? Mr. Hebbert: That is nothing to do with it. Pemberton : Was 16s. 6d. right for me for five journeys? 490 pieces I reckoned for. Witness: You were paid for the work that was done. Mr. Hebbert; What have you to say to refusing to go on with your work? Pemberton : Because I did not have sufficient money. Mr. Hebbert: Then you should have summoned your masters before the magistrates. Shakespeare: There is not the slightest reason for saying they were not paid the full wages. They had every penny they were entitled to. Another defendant: They gave me no notice of a reduction. Mr. Hebbert: I have already said that if you were not paid the wages due to you, you had your remedy in summoning your masters before the magistrates.-Defendant: We went to our masters in reference to the agreement, and they said that our money was as safe as though it was in the

Mr.

bank, although we did not have it; but we wanted it.-Mr. Shakespeare: I must, in justice to Messrs. Chance, say that the arrangement made with these men after the strike,

when they commenced work, was that they were to be paid at a certain rate. They worked for four weeks at that rate. It is according to agreement; and if they went on with their work and acted properly they

would be able under the new rate to earn as much money as they did under the old rate of wages.-Major Williams: Under all the circumstances the Bench assess the damages at £5 each and expenses, to be paid in seven days, and if the money is not paid you will each be liable to six weeks' imprisonment.

TARIFFS.

It is not, perhaps, generally known that on the 31st of December last the Franco-Austrian Treaty of 1866-under which we enjoyed certain advantages in common with "the most favoured nation"-came to an end, and with it some of our most valuable privileges. The expiration of the Treaty was duly notified to our Government by the British Ambassador at Paris, and a circular of the Director-General of the French Customs, dated the 30th of December, containing some detailed information on the subject, and accompanied by a table of the products of the contracting States affected by the lapse of the FrancoAustrian Treaty, was published in the London Gazette of the 17th ult. From this table we find that the duty fixed by the FrancoAustrian Treaty of 1866 on "vitrifications" was 3f. 75c., to 20f. per 100 kilos, according to quality; this will now be changed, and an ad valorem duty of 10 per cent. will be charged. No previous warning, however, of the impending change was given by any of the Governments concerned, and no notice appears to have been taken of the matter by any of the commercial bodies in this country which have been specially organised to watch

over our trade interests. From the circular

of the French Director of Customs, it would appear that negociations for the renewal or prolongation of the Franco-Austrian Treaty were continued up to the eleventh hour, and it was only on the 30th December, the day before the expiration of the Treaty, that the French Ambassador at Vienna informed the French Government of the failure of the

negociations.

Complete List of Shipments of China, Earthenware, and Glass from the Ports of London and Liverpool, from Dec. 20, 1878, to Jan. 20, 1879. Compiled from the Custom House Returns expressly for "The Pottery and Glass Trades' Journal.” NOTE.-The figures placed before each shipment denote the number of packages such shipment comprised, and the letter f placed at the end of any shipment indicates that the goods comprising such shipment are of foreign manufacture,

LONDON.

ADELAIDE.-H. D. and J. Hart, 8 glass, £47. f. Ashford and Brooks, 3 china, £40; 5 china, £58. f.; 70 eware, £540; 60 glass, £194; 64 glass,