20th Century Design
The Spode Collection also embraces designs from the 20th century. Each decade witnessed vast changes in fashion in all walks of life and ceramics were no exception.
On this page we start our journey in the 1900s through to 2000 where we see hints of an earlier age, Art Deco, Art Pottery, cocktail time in the 1950s, streamlined shapes of the 1960s, romantic ideals of the 1970s, traditional Christmas and the classical elegance of later productions.
At the beginning of the 20th century paintress Kate Bruce was still working at the Copeland factory producing hand painted designs featuring her favourite cornflowers. The Bruce family worked as printers and china painters from 1814 until at least 1907.
Cup and saucer hand painted by Kate Bruce age 80 in 1907
Pattern Book page and Tankard designed for the 150th Anniversary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway 1980. Collection number SMT.109
Spode Turkey cruet and matching tureen, c.2005 Made in China!
Towards the end of the Spode factory history the company outsourced much of the production to factories overseas – not necessarily achieving memorable results. In 2005 the Woodland Turkey range was introduced, the design of which and the quality of the product being questionable, such as this cruet and matching tureen – note the Made in China sticker!
The Pattern Books
From around 1800, most of the patterns painted by Spode's artists were recorded in Pattern books.
About the Pattern Books