WEDGWOOD MUSEUM VISIT, STOKE-ON-TRENT

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Jasper Conran’s studio braced the winds and rain of Staffordshire this week to visit the fascinating Wedgwood Museum, located in Stoke-on-Trent.

The museum, which is adjoined to the Wedgwood business and factory, traces the story of Josiah Wedgwood; a creative and pioneering thinker who founded the world-leading Wedgwood ceramics empire in the mid-1770’s. Josiah Wedgwood - in conjunction with business partner Thomas Bentley - changed the face of pottery for good and with their painstaking dedication to quality, attention to detail and forward-thinking, trend-inspired designs they were considered true entrepreneurs of their day.

At the museum, we explored the fascinating history and heritage of Wedgwood and visited a working Wedgwood factory which was truly awe-inspiring. Many of the ceramic pieces in the factory are hand-crafted and painted using two hundred year-old techniques, which were invented by the company’s eponymous founder and still used to this day. The artistry and skill involved in these age-old crafts is quite astounding and only a few people in the world are trained-up to do this. The museum gives you a fascinating incite into the history of the ceramics industry in Britain and how Wedgwood helped shape the way we do business during the course of the industrial revolution.

The museum is rich with heritage and includes a wonderful shop and children’s play facilities, with some exciting plans for half term week.

In addition, on Monday 17th October the BBC is featuring a programme on ‘The Age of Wedgwood’ at 9pm, BBC4. The programme charts the rags-to-riches-to-rags epic of Stoke-on-Trent, a city built on clay and the heart of Britain’s ceramics empire.