The ceramic art of Great Britain from pre-historic times down to the present day, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b being a history of the ancient and modern pottery and porcelain works of the kingdom and of their productions of every classJewitt, Llewellynn Frederick William
History
The ceramic art of Great Britain from pre-historic times down to the present day, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b being a history of the ancient and modern pottery and porcelain works of the kingdom and of their productions of every class
Jewitt, Llewellynn Frederick William
Pottery, British -- History
_The Jackfield Works._--The site of the present works carried
on by Craven, Dunnill, & Co., for the manufacture of Encaustic and
Geometrical tiles, is that of the above old pottery in Jackfield, in
which Hargreaves and Craven for several years made geometrical tiles
by the clay-dust process, and encaustic tiles from plastic clay; but
the buildings being old and dilapidated, Mr. H. P. Dunnill formed a
limited liability company, consisting of seven shareholders, for
rebuilding and carrying on the concern. The old buildings were taken
down, a considerable extent of land added to the premises, and on this
land the present handsome new works were erected. They now cover an
extent of nearly two acres of ground, and are fitted with machinery
and arrangements specially adapted to the requirements of the trade,
each department succeeding the other in perfect rotation; so that the
clay goes into the blunging-house at one point, from thence into the
slip-kilns, mill-room, damping-houses, press-shops, encaustic rooms,
drying-stove, seggar-house, firing and glaze-kilns, sorting-house,
warehouses, packing-room, and finally, having in the various processes
gone the circuit of the manufactory, passes into the railway lurries to
be conveyed to various parts of the kingdom and abroad. The fine clays
of Jackfield and Broseley are largely used in the manufacture, and
within the grounds of the works there is a pit in which, from a depth
of thirty-five yards, is brought up by steam-power a beautiful red
clay, of very fine tone of colour. The firm justly pride themselves on
the colour and quality of their plain tiles; and the hardness of their
buff tiles--a point much desired by the trade--is very noticeable. The
colour and hardness of body of their dove tiles are also very apparent.
In encaustic tiles many beautiful designs by Waterhouse, Goldie,
Gibbs, Bentley, and other architects are produced. At the instance
of one of the firm, Mr. A. H. Brown, M.P. for Wenlock, a noticeable
arrangement has been made in the interest of the work-people. Any
profit made after ten per cent. paid to the proprietors is equally
divided between them and the work-people, and the latter have thus
a direct interest to do their work in the best manner, so as to add
to the reputation of the firm. Glazed tiles for hearths, of great
variety and beauty of pattern, are made here, and also glazed wall
tiles in white, cream, celadon, and other tones. The company also
produce majolica tiles of the richest class, with an endless variety of
printed, painted, and art tiles for decorative purposes. The quality
of the tiles is remarkably good; the colours are pure and clear, the
body hard and durable, and the glaze firm. Many of the patterns are of
extreme beauty and excellence. The marks adopted, impressed on the back
of the tiles, are--
HARGREAVES
&
CRAVEN
HARGREAVES CRAVEN
DUNNILL & CO
JACKFIELD
N^R IRONBRIDGE SALOP
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