Public Studio Ceramics Collections in the UK
This database presents the edited results of a research survey exploring UK public collections of studio ceramics. It is a peer to peer resource for curators and specialists. The organisations represented shared this information voluntarily. You can use the search box to look for information, including a collections overview, information about the scale of the collection and ways to access it. Or you can use the drop downs to narrow your search. We will update this information as we receive new completed surveys or amendments to the current information. Organisations with studio ceramics collections who would like to be added to the database are invited to complete the online survey.
Search the database of Studio Ceramics Collections
Showing 38 results
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 1FQ
http://aagm.co.uk
Collections overview
A significant proportion of the Aberdeen City Council studio ceramics collection comprises a group of 1920s and 1930s British Studio Pottery presented by the Contemporary Art Society and the Robinson-Young Collection of Art Pottery. The majority of the contemporary studio ceramics was acquired because it reflected what was happening in the UK in the 1990s, with a resurgence of interest in the ceramic technique. There is work by local potters from Aberdeen and the surrounding area like Majel Davidson and Caroline Harvie, together with Scottish potters from further afield including Janet Adam, Maggie and Ian Kinnear and Vivien Moir. Ceramics by makers from the rest of Britain includes work by Alison Britton, Bernard Leach, Carol McNicoll and William Staite Murray. The collection also holds work by Merete Rasmussen (Denmark), Ann van Hoey (Netherlands) and Japanese studio potters Shōji Hamada, Hitomi Hosono and Takahiro Kondo.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Aberdeen City Council's studio ceramics collection is part of the wider ceramics collection within the multidisciplinary applied art collection. This covers the primary collecting areas of ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, costume and textiles. The ceramics collection includes representative examples from the major English and continental porcelain factories as well as Chinese ceramics dating from the 7th century onward and a small group of ceramics designed by artists. The Scottish historic collection includes examples of transfer print wares, spongeware, hand-painted wares, work from the East Coast, Glasgow potteries and Aberdeen’s Seaton Pottery as well as general domestic and commercial wares of local significance.
Gaps in the collection: According to our Collections Development Policy, the focus for active collecting for our ceramics collection is the acquisition of contemporary European ceramics, including Scandinavian ceramics, and contemporary ceramics designed and/or made by British ceramicists. We only have one Scandinavian studio ceramic in our collection and acquiring more would strengthen our Scandinavian applied art which mostly comprises jewellery at present. In addition, further targeted collecting will focus on factory produced ceramics of the 1940s to 1960s as comparators for the studio ceramic collection and developing a collection of factory works that loosely represents the range of styles and periods.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 30%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Currently, our temporary exhibitions in Aberdeen Art Gallery do not include any studio ceramics. However, our studio ceramics have been exhibited in temporary exhibitions in the past and may feature in future, temporary exhibitions.
Academic research and access: Academic research is supported by easily viewable collections at our store at Aberdeen Treasure Hub and on-site work spaces for researchers (including inspection lights if required). There is an active relationship with local Further Education (FE) organisations to encourage them to engage with the collection (through career and object talks, tours, student placements etc). There has not been any academic research undertaken drawing from the studio ceramics collection recently.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Land of the Samurai' exhibition catalogue (Aberdeen Art Gallery from 16 June - 18 August 2007), featuring studio ceramics by Bernard Leach, David Leach, Nancy Pickard and Shōji Hamada.
Archives: Artist files that contain biographical details about many of the studio potters, and in at least one case photographs of the artist working in their studio, are held.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 201-300
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 101-150
Contact details
Morna Annandale, Curator, Aberdeen City Council.
Aberystwyth University School of Art Museum and Galleries, Ceramic Collection
Ceramic Collection and Archive, School of Art, Aberystwyth University, Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 1NG
http://ceramics-aberystwyth.com
Collections overview
The Aberystwyth University Ceramic Collection is part of the School of Art Museum and Galleries, within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The collection is one of the major collections of British and international non-industrial ceramics in the UK and has significant works representing the history of early studio production of British ceramics and an on-going programme of acquisitions of contemporary works. The ceramic collection is particularly noted for its pioneer studio pottery of the period 1920-1940 and for contemporary ceramics from the 1970s until the present. The collection has fine examples of pottery by Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, Michael Cardew, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Norah Braden, Charles and Nell Vyse, William Staite Murray and Reginald Wells. The main collection was formed between 1920-1936 and since 1974, there has been an active acquisitions policy. At present there are over 2300 works in the collection.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: As well as pioneer studio pottery, the Aberystwyth University Ceramics Collection includes 18th-and 19th-century Welsh slipware, Swansea and Nantgarw porcelain, Art Pottery and ceramics from Japan and China. The School of Art Museum and Galleries also holds works on paper including European prints from the 15th century to the present day, drawings, watercolours, photographs and private press books. Although no longer actively collected, there is a small craft collection comprising baskets, bronzes, Oriental carvings, glass, Welsh folk craft and ethnographic material. These early collections were formed with the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries
Gaps in the collection: 1936-1974; pieces by post war artists have been collected retrospectively - Lucie Rie, Han Coper, James Tower, Gordon Baldwin etc. but the collection does not include examples of their early work.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: The School of Art Museum and Galleries at Aberystwyth University collects, documents, preserves, interprets and displays artifacts of educational and cultural value that are useful for teaching and research as well as enrich student experience through the first-hand study of historical and contemporary works of art. Several of the University's Art History modules for undergraduate students are focused on use of the collections e.g. Staging an Exhibition, Exploring the School of Art Collections. Learning and teaching take place within the context of an active museum environment. The School of Art’s collection of artefacts is of national – and in some instances international – importance. Specialist staff support this learning and also work directly with the collection, both in developing exhibitions and in their own research. Staff continue to engage in high-level research, with publications, curatorial projects and conferences of a high standard. There is a regular programme of graduate trainees and student internships. These provide a stimulating environment in which students gain valuable practical experience and work closely with staff active in the historical study, curation and practice of art. The University aims to follow best practice for all activities relating to the Museum collections and take due regard for the promotion of Equal Opportunity, Arts and Disability and Cultural Diversity.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'To Instruct & Inspire: 125 years of the Art & Craft Collection', Neil Holland & Robert Meyrick, 1997, 48pp, 152 colour illustrations. ISBN 1 899095 09 8 (Welsh edition: Addysgu ac Ysbrydoli. ISBN 1 899095 10 1); 'Aberystwyth Ceramics: A Selection from the Collection of The University of Wales', Aberystwyth, 1979, Moira Vincentelli, 37 b&w illustrations; 'Llestri Llafar: Cerameg yng Nghymru / Talking Pots: Ceramics in Wales', 1992, Moira Vincentelli, 44pp, 9 colour and 38 b&w illustrations; 'The Ceramics Collection: The University of Wales', Aberystwyth, 1993, Moira Vincentelli, 42 b&w illustrations; 'Catalogue of Early Studio Pottery in the Collections of University College of Wales Aberystwyth', 1986, Moira Vincentelli, 40pp, 5 b&w illustrations.
Archives: Archival holdings include: files containing published information on all makers in the collection e.g. press cuttings, articles, exhibition catalogues and reviews; back catalogues of published material on British ceramics including journals (e.g. Ceramic Review), magazines, national and regional newsletters; auction catalogues including Sotheby’s, Bonham’s and Christie’s; a worldwide range of reference books about ceramics; an extensive range of foreign journals on ceramics; British ceramic exhibition catalogues, including those held at Aberystwyth Arts Centre; a collection of audio-visual material relating to ceramics and studio pottery, with an emphasis on women potters; documents and photographs relating to the Aberystwyth International Ceramics Festival and Ceramic Series - almost one hundred articles commissioned by Aberystwyth Arts Centre to accompany one man shows by significant British makers between 1982 and 2003, published in English and Welsh, available online.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 2300
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 301-400
Contact details
Louise Chennell, Ceramics Curator and Archivist, School of Art, Aberystwyth University.
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP
http://museumwales.ac.uk
Collections overview
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales holds a small but significant collection of modern and contemporary studio ceramics. The collection developed in a sporadic way from its beginnings in 1924 (the acquisition of a slipware jar by Bernard Leach) until a more consistent and strategic approach was developed in the 1990s. While the coverage of 20th-century practice is patchy, there are areas of strength and, as a result of recent collecting, not only a good representation of ceramic practice in Wales but also a strong selection of British and international work. Among the highlights of the collection are groups of works by Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Richard Batterham, Elizabeth Fritsch, Alison Britton, Edmund de Waal and Julian Stair, alongside important examples by Betty Woodman, Felicity Aylieff, Nicholas Pope and Rachel Kneebone. The Museum also houses the collection of its partner, the Derek Williams Trust, which includes over one hundred studio ceramics, including the important bequest of the collection of Anita Besson.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales studio ceramics collection is housed in and managed by the Art Department, as part of a wide-ranging art collection in all media and ranging in date from antiquity to the present. Amgueddfa Cymru is a multi-disciplinary museum with important collections of social and industrial history, archaeology and natural sciences.
Gaps in the collection: Representation of studio ceramics from the early 20th century until the mid 1990s is patchy, with many significant figures not represented.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite and offsite.
Elements of the collection are periodically placed on temporary display as part of the Museum's exhibition programme or when lent to exhibitions elsewhere.
Academic research and access: Museum staff carry out academic research, and support research by others via access to collections, collection records, archive and library resources.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'A Companion Guide to the Welsh National Museum of Art' (some examples illustrated).
Archives: Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales holds primary material associated with individual acquisitions as well as some archive material relating to Bernard Leach, whose uncle Dr W E Hoyle was the National Museum's founding Director.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 401-500
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 101-150
Contact details
Andrew Renton, Keeper of Art, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.
Ashwell Village Museum
Ashwell Village Museum, Swan Street, Ashwell, Baldock, SG7 5NY
http://ashwellmuseum.org.uk
Collections overview
The Ashwell Village Museum holds works by local potters of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Ashwell Village Museum has collected studio ceramics because it was produced locally.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Academic research and access: Requests for research access are assessed individually.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Ashwell Village Museum holds biographical details, photos and other works by the artists who made the studio ceramics in the collection.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 41-50
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 1-5
Contact details
Peter Greener, Hon Curator, Ashwell Village Museum.
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery (Derbyshire County Council)
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Road, Buxton, SK17 6DA
https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/buxton-museum/buxton-museum-and-art-gallery.aspx
Collections overview
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery holds around 300 pieces of studio pottery. Some has been donated to the museum and some was bought by the now defunct, Derbyshire Schools Library Service. It includes pieces by local and unknown artists as well as pots by Bernard Leach, Hans Coper and Lucie Rie. The Museum and Art Gallery is currently undertaking a collections review of the studio pottery from the Derbyshire Schools Library service and will be advertising pots via the MA's 'Find an Object' site.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection.
Access and display
Researchers only
Notes on access: The studio pottery isn't on permanent display but it does feature in temporary exhibitions. A collection of pots are on loan to Nottingham Castle Museum.
Academic research and access: Free research visits and use of images are available to researchers.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: Some Buxton Museum and Art Gallery pots are on loan to Nottingham Castle Museum and feature in their studio pottery catalogue.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 301-400
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 41-50
Contact details
Ros Westwood, Derbyshire Museums Manager, Buxton Museum and Art Gallery Ros.westwood@derbyshire.gov.uk
Cannon Hall Museum (Barnsley Museums)
Cannon Hall Museum, Bark House Lane, Cawthorne, Barnsley, S75 4AT
http://barnsley-museums.com/collections
Collections overview
The studio ceramics at Cannon Hall Museum were purchased between the 1970s and the present day as part of the museum's remit to collect and display decorative arts made from a variety of media. The collections contains pieces by Bernard and David Leach, Lucie Rie, Nicholas Vergette, Magdalene Odundo amongst many others. A significant part of the collection was originally collected by Wakefield Education Services for handling by school children and as a consequence some pieces have suffered numerous breakages and repairs. In recent years new items have been added to the collection to provide the opportunity to show different materials, such as porcelain, and local potters, such as Val Barry.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Cannon Hall Museum studio ceramics are part of a larger collection of ceramics ranging in date from the 18th century to the present, with a primary focus on 19th century art pottery and 20th century Wedgwood. In total there are approximately 860 items of which fewer than 100 are studio pottery.
Gaps in the collection: There are a number of makers who are not represented in the Cannon Hall Museum collection, most notably Hans Coper. The Museum would like to add more works by contemporary and late 20th century makers such as Kate Malone, John Maltby, John Ward etc.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: Please contact the Museum.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: A new catalogue providing examples of each area of ceramics from the collection was published in April 2020.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 101-150
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 76-100
Contact details
Natalie Murray, Collections Manager Nataliemurray@barnsley.gov.uk
Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA)
Centre of Ceramic Art, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW
http://centreofceramicart.org.uk
Collections overview
The Centre of Ceramic Art at York Museums Trust holds one of the UK's largest collections of contemporary studio ceramics. Containing in excess of 5,000 works by more than 600 artists, it covers the development of the movement from its beginning in the early 20th century through to the present day. The majority of the collection consists of gifts of collections from private collectors, notably the Milner-White Collection of pioneer studio pottery and the WA Ismay Collection of Post-war studio pottery, both of which are supported by extensive archives. The collection also contains donations by individuals, artists and funded acquisitions made by the organisation. CoCA also holds The Anthony Shaw Collection, comprising of over 1,500 ceramics, fine art, sculpture, domestic ephemera and archives, on long term loan.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 30%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Pioneer Studio Potter- The Milner-White Collection', Sarah Riddick, ISBN 0 85331 581 7; 'Centre of Ceramic Art- An Introduction', Helen Walsh, ISBN 978 0 905807 27 0.
Archives: CoCA maintains object history files for some of the collection. These contain archival material relating to acquisitions, loans, exhibitions and other activity. CoCA also holds: the archive of Dean Eric Milner-White which supports his collection of early studio ceramics which we also hold. Date range 1920-1963. Approx. 200+ archival items; the archive of W.A. Ismay which supports his collection of post war studio ceramics which we also hold. Date range 1955-2001 (approximately 50,000+ archival items); the archive of Alan and Pat Firth supporting their collection of contemporary ceramics and other craft, only one object is in our collection. Date range 1970-2013 (approx. 3,000+ archival items).
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 5000
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 501-600
Contact details
Dr Helen Walsh, Curator, York Museums Trust.
Chelmsford Museum
Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9AQ
http://chelmsford.gov.uk/museums/
Collections overview
Over the last 100 years Chelmsford Museum has actively collected work by local and Essex studio potters. Strengths include late Victorian Hedingham ware (c.100 pieces), work by Joanna Constantinidis (c.80 pieces) and Bob Washington (c.15 pieces). A pot by Grayson Perry is on display augmented by loans from other institutions. The Museum actively collects and displays work by contemporary ceramicists living or working in Essex.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Chelmsford Museum collects items that tell the story of Chelmsford and its communities.
Gaps in the collection: We are developing our display representing Grayson Perry, who grew up in Chelmsford, and contemporary work by local ceramicists.
Access and display
Open to all
Available online
There is a very limited search facility.
On physical display: 60%
Permanent display onsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Chelmsford Museum has very limited archival holdings. They include books, journals and limited research correspondence.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 151-200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 6-10
Contact details
Mark Curteis, Assistant Museum Manager – Curatorial and Learning, Chelmsford City Museum.
Contemporary Craft Collection, owned by Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove
Hove Museum and Art Gallery, 19 New Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 4AB
http://brightonmuseums.org.uk
Collections overview
The Royal Pavilion and Museums (RP&M), Brighton and Hove studio ceramics collection comprises both domestic functional pots such as pieces by leading post-war studio potters including Bernard Leach, Derek Davis, Lucie Rie and Ray Marshall as well as more abstract forms created by ceramicists such as Carol McNicoll, Alison Britton, Richard Slee, Kate Malone, Walter Keeler and James Tower. Many of these studio ceramics were collected early on in the artist's career. Additions to the collection in more recent (i.e. up to 12) years tend to fit with the museum's key cross-collection theme of 'subversive design' and include works by Grayson Perry, Charlotte Hodes, Stephen Dixon, Neil Brownsword, Matt Smith and James Rigler. Following the transfer of the South East Arts Craft Collection to RP&M there are also a large number of ceramic works made by artists working in the South East of England.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove Contemporary Craft Collection is particularly strong in studio ceramics. This formed the original core of the collection when Hove Museum first started collecting in the 1970s. The addition of the South East Arts Collection, which comprised several different media as well as ceramics, led to a much broader based craft collection including works by new Brighton University Craft graduates, and objects such as jewellery, metalwork, silver, basketry, wood, paper textiles etc. The current display features all different media together.
Gaps in the collection: Collecting commenced in about the 1960s allowing for a small collection of works by nationally renowned ceramicists. Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove holds a few works by key early post-war studio potters but not many. There are a number of works by key ceramicists dating from the 1980s - early 2000 and early on in their career (e.g. Carol McNicoll, Kate Malone, Richard Slee, Elizabeth Fritsch) but the Museum has not had the purchasing power to buy later works to illustrate their development over time. There are large gaps in terms of more recent ceramicists' works, as the Museum does not have any available purchasing fund for contemporary craft, and so can only acquire or purchase with the help of donations or grant applications. For example Edmund de Waal and Claire Curneen are not represented, and where there are works by contemporary ceramicists, for example Matt Smith, this dates from 2011 and his work has changed significantly since then.
Access and display
Open to all
Notes on access: Some items are in stores, and some are displayed at Brighton Museum
On physical display: 60%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: The Museum supports academic research in other collection areas in Brighton Museum. For the craft collection there are links with the University of Brighton. The Curator provides a contemporary craft handling session to MA and BA students when requested.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: South East Arts Craft Collection Catalogue.
Archives: In 2000 to fit in with a redevelopment of the Craft Gallery, the Craft Curator asked artists of works in the collection to provide pieces or ephemera useful for a handling collection for students. Many provided small pieces or information about their technique or the particular piece. We also have historic folders for each artist which varies from artist to artist but may contain photographs, contextual information, price lists, exhibition previews/guides, artist statements, secondary information in the form of newspaper cuttings or magazine articles about the artist and their work.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 76-100
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 41-50
Contact details
Cecilia Kendall, Curator, Decorative Arts, Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove.
Crafts Council Collection
Crafts Council, 44a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9BY
http://craftscouncil.org.uk
Collections overview
Ceramics in the Crafts Council Collection forms the largest discipline group, with around 570 (of 1700 works) in the main collection and another 280 ( of just over 500) in the handling collection. Early acquisitions to the collection were purchased from Crafts Council exhibitions - the first was Ten British Potters. The collection features work by contemporary UK potters from 1970s to present day, with a few anomalies of gifts of work created in the 1960s. Highlights include work by Alison Britton, Jennifer Lee, Lawson Oyekan, Phil Eglin, Steve Dixon, Magdalene Odundo, and Carol McNicholl. The records are maker led, rather than object led, however, the collection is very much a snapshot of best practice year by year, with works acquired within 5 years of making.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The collection is of UK contemporary craft practice, with studio ceramics being a documentation category.
Gaps in the collection: Work in the Crafts Council collection tends to be of a similar scale; larger scale pieces have not been collected in general. Gaps in the holdings of early studio pottery include works by: Norah Braden, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, John Ward, Ruth Duckworth and Ladi Kwali.; works with experimental glazes; and female exponents of British Studio Pottery. Significant makers with limited representation are: Alison Britton (well represented with works from the 1980s and 1990s but no recent pieces); Grayson Perry – ceramics (one piece in the collection that could be lent endlessly); Lawson Oyekan; Matt Smith (one early work that does not represent current practice); Merete Rasmussen (one early piece); Neil Brownsword (two early works that are not representative of his recent work); Magdalene Odundo; Jennifer Lee (one work from 1990); Nao Matsunaga (early small pieces in handling collection); Martin Smith; Nick Rena (one early work). More recent makers not represented in the collection are: Christie Brown, Halima Cassell, Gabrielle Koch, Claire Partington, Jesse Wine, Akiko Hirai, and Taslim Martin.
Access and display
Researchers only
Notes on access: By appointment only
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display offsite at multiple venues, as part of the Crafts Council's programme of lending; see the Crafts Council What's On for more details.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite, as part of the Crafts Council's programme of lending; see the Crafts Council What's On for more details.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Building A Collection', 1986.
Archives held.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 501-600
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 201-300
Contact details
Annabelle Campbell, Head of Exhibtions and Collections, Crafts Council.
Crafts Study Centre
Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, Falkner Road, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7DS
http://csc.uca.ac.uk
Collections overview
The Crafts Study Centre ceramics collection dates broadly from c.1920 to the present day, with many pioneer and leading studio potters represented. Significant early acquisitions in the field of ceramics include a gift from Bernard Leach of 85 of his pots, together with his source collection; a substantial collection of pots by Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, one of Leach’s first students at St Ives, together with fine examples of work by her friends and contemporaries Michael Cardew and Norah Braden; and an impressive group of work by Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, two of the most significant figures in British post-war pottery. Recent additions include a work and archives of Angus Suttie and Joanna Constantinidis. The linking of the object to archive is one of the major strengths of the CSC collection, exemplified in such important holdings as those of Henry Hammond and Marianne de Trey. The gifts of founder Trustees such as Robin Tanner and Muriel Rose also include ceramics from the Leach and modernist traditions of studio pottery, set in the context of their careers and interests. Although the ceramics collections is particularly strong between 1920 and 1970, recent additions of singular pieces and small collections by makers such as Eric Mellon, Alison Britton, Walter Keeler, Edmund de Waal, Emmanuel Cooper, Dylan Bowen, Simon Carroll and Takeshi Yasuda and others (often acquired from exhibitions at the Centre) has helped to give a contemporary basis.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Crafts Study Centre holds internationally acclaimed collections of 20th and 21st century British craft, primarily in the fields of calligraphy and lettering, ceramics, furniture and wood, and textiles, but also has small collections of jewellery, works of art on paper, and other miscellaneous items. The object collections are accompanied by archives such as diaries, correspondence, photographs, catalogues and working notes from crafts practitioners, crafts organisations, and selling galleries such as Galerie Besson, the Oxford Gallery and the New Craftsman Gallery. In some cases the Centre also holds ‘source collections’, collected from around the world by makers for their own inspiration, enjoyment and knowledge.
Gaps in the collection: The Crafts Study Centre collection is not yet fully representative of British studio ceramics from the 1970s to the present day. Space constraints have always conspired against collecting work of more than domestic scale or installation work, for example, and even in the smaller-scale, the Centre lacks a comprehensive range of post-modern works although recent donations are helping to address this imbalance.
Access and display
Open to all
Available online
The collection is partially accessible to search online.
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
The Crafts Study Centre holds changing exhibitions rather than permanent displays, and the show in the collections-based gallery often includes ceramics. On occasion, this gallery features work by a named maker, such as Bernard Leach, thus drawing on significant foundation collections.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite and offsite.
Academic research and access: The Centre welcomes research visits by academic researchers to study objects and archives in the collection and provides images of items from the collection for the purposes of exhibitions and publications. Research visitors get a personally-facilitated session (an hour, often a day, sometimes a week) and the Centre tracks the outcome of the scholarly work as it appears in books, practice or other research outcomes. We also support visits by makers for practice-led research and curators looking to borrow work for exhibition.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Essays for the opening of the Crafts Study Centre', Ed., Pat Carter and Simon Olding, Canterton Books, 2004; 'Three by One: a selection from three public craft collections by Alison Britton', Crafts Council in partnership with the Crafts Study Centre, 2009.
Archives: The archives held at the Crafts Study Centre support an understanding of the objects in the collections. They include the personal records of individual makers and corporate records of craft businesses, selling galleries, and guilds. Archival material includes letters, diaries, sketch books, catalogues and photographs. The archives also contain the Centre’s own papers. Ceramicists represented in the archives include: Norah Braden, Joanna Constantinides, Hans Coper, Elizabeth Fritsch, T.S. (Sam) Haile, Henry Hammond, Ladi Kwali, Bernard Leach, David Leach, Janet Leach, Heber Mathews, Eric Mellon, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Lucie Rie, William Staite Murray, Angus Suttie, Philip Wadsworth, and Denise Wren. Organisations represented in the archives include: British Crafts Centre, Crafts Council of Great Britain, Federation of British Crafts Societies, Galerie Besson, the Leach Pottery, Muriel Rose and the Little Gallery, the New Craftsman, Joan Crossley-Holland and the Oxford Gallery, the Oxshott Pottery and the Red Rose Guild. The archives are one of the most important holdings of the CSC and have been systematically collected along with objects since the founding of the CSC 50 years ago.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 1050
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 76-100
Contact details
Greta Bertram, Curator, Crafts Study Centre greta.bertram@uca.ac.uk
European Peasant Arts Collection
Haslemere Educational Museum, 78 High Street, Haslemere GU27 2LA
http://www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk
Collections overview
The Peasant Arts Society in Haslemere, Surrey, purchased uniquely designed ceramics from across Europe during the early part of the 20th century, as they believed “…there is little of the old peasantry left in England...”. In a publication of the time they wrote, “A beautiful selection of foreign hand-made pottery. By far the greater part of this has been carefully chosen and bought direct from the potter themselves, by members of the Peasant Arts Society while travelling.” The ceramics collection is made up of cheerful European platters, bowls and jugs with influences by nature from prancing horses, leaping hares, shy stags, birds, trees that look like a fairy tale and flowing shapes recur again and again. The colours used were bright shades of orange, green, blue, brown and white. Each ceramic has its own overall colour with a second layer of colour for the decoration.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The majority of the objects in the Haslemere Educational Museum collection were acquired by Reverend Davies during his travels across Europe during the late 19th century, as well as members of Haslemere Peasant Arts Society. They represent a proportion of the collection donated to Haslemere Educational Museum in 1925 that originally formed the Peasant Handicraft Museum. The artefacts are mainly everyday items, for example food containers, furniture and domestic implements, which have been made beautiful by exquisite carving and paintwork. Today, they also provide an insight into the rituals and patterns of life of the people who produced them. The early 20th century ceramic collection “The European Ceramics Collection” forms a part of our European Peasant Arts Collections.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: The museum encourages research on our collections. Arts and Crafts MA students use the collection as a part of their MA course.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'The Lost Arts of Europe: The Haslemere Museum Collection of European Peasant Art’, 2000.
Archives: There is no access to the archive at the present time.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 76-100
Contact details
Robert Neller, Collections Officer, Haslemere Museum.
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5DZ
https://www.glynnvivian.co.uk/
Collections overview
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery has a small collection by some leading artists, including Lucie Rie, Julian Stair, Carol McNicoll and Philip Eglin. As this work relates to the Gallery's historical holdings, the Gallery would like to develop this part of the collection in time, if funds are available.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery collection includes fine and applied art with gifts, purchases and bequests from 1911 onward. The fine art collection comprises a large group of European, British and Welsh paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, from 18th century to the present. Key developments for the applied arts include the ceramics collection, which has grown significantly from purchases and gifts throughout the 20th century, with a major gift from Herbert Eccles in 1919; also some 20th and 21st century studio pottery has been acquired, and objects from the crafts.
Gaps in the collection: Research is required to precisely identify the gaps.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 30%
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: The Documentation Officer at the Art Gallery provides access to the items in the collection plus the Gallery records and archives. Where available, high quality images are for sale through the Photographic Service.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Guide to the Collections of the Glynn Vivian Collection', David Bell, 1959 (out of print); 'A Passion for Art – Friends of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery', 2008.
Archives: Archival holdings at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery include photographs, object history files, artist files, past exhibition files and newspaper cuttings.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 37 studio ceramics out of about 11,000 items (of which over 5,000 are unframed historical prints)
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 11-20
Contact details
Ellie Dawkins, Documentation Officer, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
Leach Pottery Collection
Leach Pottery, Higher Stennack, St. Ives, TR26 2HE
http://leachpottery.com
Collections overview
The Leach Pottery owes its existence to potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979). In 1920, Leach founded the Pottery with the assistance of Shoji Hamada on the outskirts of St. Ives, which over the next 50 years became the epicentre of the craft pottery movement. In the late 1920s Leach helped start the St Ives Society of Artists, and in 1949 he was a founder member of the Penwith Society of Arts. Throughout his life, Leach travelled extensively, passing on his knowledge to hundreds of potters around the world, as well as developing the talents of potters within his own studio. Notable students and associates include Michael Cardew, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, David Leach, Norah Braden, Michael Leach, William Marshall, Janet Darnell Leach and Kenneth Quick. After Leach’s death in 1979, management of the Pottery was undertaken by his wife Janet Darnell Leach. When Janet died in 1997, the Pottery passed to Mary Redgrave and was sold after her death to Alan Gillam before being acquired by Penwith District Council for the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust Ltd. The Leach Pottery collection consists of nearly 150 pots by Bernard Leach and associated potters, plus lithographs, books and art works that relate to the site and its history. It also includes a group of linked historic buildings known collectively as the Pottery, related fittings, equipment and artefacts. The scope of the collection relates primarily to the period of Bernard Leach’s occupation of the Pottery from 1920 to 1979, with later additions from the Janet Leach period 1979-1997. Two large long term loans (reviewed every five years) from Dartington Hall Trust and Cornwall Council augment the collection.
Gaps in the collection: The Leach Pottery does not hold: ceramics made by students and associates of Bernard Leach at Leach Pottery or working under Bernard Leach; examples of the type of ceramics which influenced Bernard Leach and the potters at the Leach Pottery; photographs, letters, drawings, artworks, notebooks and diaries that have a connection to Leach Pottery; selected examples of contemporary craft commissioned by the Leach Pottery that are inspired and defined by Bernard Leach’s philosophy and work; selected examples of contemporary work made at the Leach Pottery since its restoration and reopening (e.g. Koie Ryoji, Akira Yagi, Tomoo Hamada, Jack Doherty, new Leach tableware, works by apprentices).
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 80%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: The Leach Pottery holds some letters, photographs and ephemeral information but little is directly related to the collection.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 151-200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 31-40
Contact details
office@leachpottery.com
Leeds Museums and Galleries
Lotherton Hall, Lotherton Lane, Aberford, Leeds, LS25 3EB
http://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk
Collections overview
Leeds Museums and Galleries' (LMG's) studio ceramics collection did not really begin until the acquisition of Lotherton Hall and its opening as a decorative arts museum in 1969. This new venue provided the space required for contemporary crafts and the donor of Lotherton, Sir Alvary Gascoigne, also provided an Endowment Fund, which was crucial in developing this collection area. Although not numerically large, the collection is of high quality and features pieces one might expect, including examples by Leach, Cardew, Rie and Coper. However, given the relatively late start in pursuing studio ceramics, most of the collecting has focused on contemporary makers (at the time of acquisition). Therefore the ‘first wave’ of studio pottery, Leach, Staite Murray etc., are relatively poorly represented (a fine T.S. Haile pot is a notable exception, donated to Leeds City Art Gallery by the artist via Hazel King Farlow in the 1930s). Conversely, the real strength of LMG’s collection is found in later makers such as Elizabeth Fritsch, Martin Smith, Sutton Taylor, Alison Britton, Walter Keeler, Alan Caiger-Smith, Joanna Constantinidis, Jane Hamlyn, Gordon Baldwin etc. Collecting slowed in the 1990s due to lack of funds and a different curatorial emphasis at Lotherton, but has continued nevertheless. More recent acquisitions have tended to have a strong sculptural focus, which complements LMG’s world class sculpture collection. This includes works by Loretta Braganza, Rebecca Appleby, Kate Malone and Halima Cassell. Recently the former Leeds School Loan Service (Artemis) has been disbanded and their collections have been offered to LMG, including some fine studio ceramics. This process is ongoing, but will increase the holdings of studio ceramics considerably.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Leeds Museums and Galleries holds a vast multidisciplinary ‘encyclopaedic’ collection across nine museums. See published collections development policy for details. More specifically, Lotherton Hall was opened with the intention to allow Temple Newsam’s renowned collection of decorative arts to expand to represent the period 1800 to the present day and it is in this context that LMG’s studio ceramics have been collected. Studio ceramics are by far the largest element of the contemporary craft collection, which includes a small amount of furniture collected in the 1980s, along with some jewellery and metalwork. The studio pottery is displayed amongst historic collections at Lotherton Hall, with a corridor currently dedicated to contemporary craft.
Gaps in the collection: Early studio pottery is a particularly notable gap. A small number of Leach pots are in the collection, but are not of the highest quality. Staite Murray and Hamada are not represented at all, and the lesser known early pioneers are also completely absent. This is regrettable as it is not really possible to give a comprehensive picture of the development of studio pottery from art pottery in the early 20th century, the latter of which we have a reasonably good collection.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 40%
Permanent display onsite and at Temple Newsham.
Academic research and access: Leeds Museums and Galleries has partnerships with several universities, particularly Leeds Beckett, University of Leeds and Huddersfield. Lotherton and Temple Newsam are also members of the Yorkshire Country House Partnership with the University of York. These partnerships have resulted in many varied academic collaborations. There has been no recent academic research using studio pottery however.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: The Leeds Museums and Galleries archive holdings are not generally extensive, but include correspondence between artists/dealers with curators; invoices; related articles and catalogues; photos of objects individually and sometimes in situ.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 201-300
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 51-75
Contact details
Adam Toole, Curator – Temple Newsam and Decorative Arts, Leeds Museums and Galleries.
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL
http://manchesterartgallery.org
Collections overview
The Manchester Art Gallery studio ceramics collection consists of approximately 135 objects, dating from 1907 to the present day. It predominantly represents British ceramicists. Significant makers include Kate Malone, Grayson Perry, Halima Cassell, Takeshi Yasuda, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, William Bower-Dalton, Leach Pottery, William Staite Murray, Bernard Moore and Michael Cardew.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The studio ceramics collection is part of a wider collection at Manchester Art Gallery. The museum holds collections of fine art and costume. The craft and design collections comprise ceramics, metalwork, glass, furniture and lighting. Our 135 studio ceramics pieces are part of a collection of 4,078 ceramic works, ranging in date from Ancient Greek ceramics to contemporary studio pieces. The majority of the collection is by British companies and makers, with a particularly strong collection of 17th century slipware and 18th century ceramic factories. We also have around 500 Chinese ceramics, mainly dating to the 18th century (Qianlong reign).
Gaps in the collection: Early 20th century studio pottery is sparse. We would also like to collect more pieces by women and black and minority ethnic ceramicists working in the UK and abroad.
Access and display
Open to all
Available online
There is not a facility to isolate studio ceramics records from industrial ceramics, via the online search.
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
We do curate temporary displays from our collection of Studio Ceramics, but we do not have any at the moment. As we have extensive collections, we rotate the displays. Our current temporary display of ceramics is of Art Pottery 1880-1920.
Academic research and access: All visits to stores or archive are by appointment. Enquiries from University course tutors and students are welcome and well as enquiries regarding loans to exhibitions in museums and galleries.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Each object has an artist’s file which contains information about the acquisition such as receipts, conditions of funding by bodies such as the Art Fund, commissioning contracts, condition reports, information about the artist’s career, possibly photographs of work in progress, correspondence and media coverage. Some artist files are more complete than others. Our largest files run to over 100 pages.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 101-150
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 76-100
Contact details
Janet Boston, Curator: Craft and Design, Manchester Art Gallery.
Manchester Museum Anthropology Collection
Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL
https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/
Collections overview
The Manchester Museum Anthropology Collection includes 28 pieces of studio ceramics. They are an oddity in the collection and their source is unknown. The collection comprises: 7 works by Bernard Leach, 8 works by Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, 5 works by Shoji Hamada and a range of piece by unknown makers.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: These Manchester Museum studio ceramics holdings have been used in displays with Chinese and Japanese ceramics at the Museum.
Access and display
Open to all
Academic research and access: Anyone can request a study visit.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection is closed to new acquisitions.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 21-30
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 1-5
Contact details
Dr S. Martin, Curatorial Assistant (Archaeology, Egyptology and Anthropology), Manchester Museum.
Milford House
Milford House, 3 Victoria Street, Armagh, BT61 9DS
http://milfordhouse.org.uk
Collections overview
Milford House has a ceramics collection of two hundred pieces from Spode Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent, Scandinavian pottery and miscellaneous studio ceramics.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The ceramics collection is part of the McCrum family of Milford House's collection and items used for decorative display in the House, in the absence of original contents.
Gaps in the collection: Items of 20th century pottery particularly vases and decorative art which it is very difficult to get funding to acquire.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 90%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: University student placements are supported.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Information is catalogued on an Adlib Museum database.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 151-200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 6-10
Contact details
Stephen McManus, Curator, Milford Buildings Preservation Trust.
Museum of English Rural Life
Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX
http://merl.reading.ac.uk
Collections overview
The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) holds over 100 studio pottery pieces. The majority of studio pottery pieces in the collection are part of the British Council Collection. The British Council sourced a collection of traditional craft products and tools made and used around the British Isles to promote ‘the work of our traditional craftsmen and women’. The major part of the collection was prepared immediately after the Second World War for a travelling exhibition which was sent to Australia and New Zealand. The MERL acquired the traditional crafts collection in 1960 and 1961. This wide collection of craft products includes ceramic pieces made by Leach potteries, A. Schofield, Margaret Leach, John Bew, Michael Cardew, W.H. Lake and Son plus other pieces by Aller Vale and Mary Wandrausch.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Museum of English Rural Life studio pottery is part of a two categories of objects within the wider museum holdings: pottery craft material and domestic furnishings.
Gaps in the collection: We are not trying to make a comprehensive collection.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Academic research and access: The museum and archive provide facilities for all researchers. Objects, images and archives are also used in University teaching.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Object history records relating to the acquisition of the objects.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 101-150
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 11-20
Contact details
Dr Ollie Douglas, Curator of MERL Collections o.a.douglas@reading.ac.uk
National Museums Liverpool
Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EL
http://liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker-art-gallery
Collections overview
The Walker Art Gallery’s fine collection of British studio pottery comprises over 400 pieces made between about 1920 and 2015. It begins with the work of pioneer studio potters Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada and also Leach’s pupils; Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Norah Braden and Michael Cardew. Other important potters working in the first half of the 20th century are represented too, including William Staite Murray, Reginald Wells and Charles Vyse. From 1960 to 1980, the Walker acquired works by David Eeles, David Leach, Waistel Cooper and Ray Finch. The collection is particularly strong in ceramics made in the last two decades of the 20th century. Outstanding modern potters and ceramic artists working during this period are well represented, including: Alison Britton, Alan Caiger-Smith, Philip Eglin, Elizabeth Fritsch, Walter Keeler, Gabriele Koch, Carol McNicoll, Lucie Rie, Richard Slee, Edmund de Waal and John Ward. In 2013, this aspect of the collection was developed further by a generous bequest from Liverpool collectors Dr Len and Mrs Pamela Ratoff. The Ratoff collection is made up of 108 pieces, many purchased directly from the potters in their studios or from the Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool between 1980 and 2000. Ceramic artists with local or North West regional links are represented by small numbers of interesting works. Makers such as Julia Carter Preston, Halima Cassell, Stephen Dixon, David Frith, Emma Rodgers, and Paul Scott are all included. Scott’s ceramic collage, Toxteth Park, Herculaneum, and Liver Birds was presented to the Gallery in 2014 by the Contemporary Art Society.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Walker Art Gallery has one of the most renowned painting collections in the UK, together with a great collection of British and European decorative art, dating from 1200 to the present day. The studio ceramics fit within the decorative art collections, displayed throughout the Walker and in the Craft and Design Gallery, opened to critical acclaim in 2004. Contemporary craft is one of the strengths of this collection, with glass, silver and ceramics made by nationally recognised makers such as Peter Layton, Hiroshi Suzuki, and Philip Eglin.
Gaps in the collection: There are gaps in the collection of contemporary pieces from established British ceramic artists and makers from after 1990 to the present day. For example the collections have no work by: Felicity Aylieff, Gordon Baldwin, Emmanuel Cooper, Claire Curneen, Jennifer Lee, Kate Malone, Magdalene Odundo, Grayson Perry or Clare Twomey. From about 2005, there have been very few acquisitions of contemporary studio ceramics and the period 2000 to 2020 is not well represented in the Walker’s collections.
Access and display
Open to all
Notes on access: Open to all
Available online
25% of the collection is searchable online; the Ratoff Collection of Studio Ceramics, acquired in 2013 through a bequest.
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite at the Walker Art Gallery
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
We do curate temporary displays from our collection of Studio Ceramics, but we do not have any at the moment. As we have extensive collections, we rotate the displays. Our current temporary display of ceramics is of Art Pottery 1880-1920.
Academic research and access: The Art Gallery answers enquiries from researchers about the collections, sends images if available and arranges visits to the stores to view specific pieces.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 301-400
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 76-100
Contact details
Nicola Scott, Assistant Curator Decorative Art, Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool.
National Museums Scotland
National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
http://nms.ac.uk
Collections overview
The National Museums Scotland Department of Art and Design was newly formed in 2012 and oversees the museum’s decorative art and design collections, covering the period from the 15th century to the present. As part of those Art and Design collections the Museum holds a nationally significant collection of modern and contemporary craft, one of the largest outside of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, which includes the former Scottish Development Agency Craft Collection, and the nationally significant Dan Klein & Alan J Poole Private Collection of Modern Glass. The Studio Ceramics collection largely consists of British and European studio and art ceramics, featuring important works by artists and makers such as Picasso, Georges Braque, Bernard Leach, Elizabeth Fritsch, Gordon Baldwin, Pippin Drysdale, Frances Priest and Jacqueline Poncelet.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The National Museums Scotland Modern & Contemporary Craft collection largely consists of British and European studio and art ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery and textiles, from the 1960s to the present, with small holdings in wood, basketry and plastics.
Gaps in the collection: There are notable gaps within the representation of notable Ceramicists who were key players within the development of the Studio Ceramics Movement within the UK and also those who graduated within Scottish schools.
Access and display
Open to all
Notes on access: The National Museums Scotland Contemporary Craft Collection forms part of the majority of works on display in the Making and Creating Gallery, which highlights the developments within craft and design from the middle of the 20th century to today, through the work of individual designers, artists, and makers. With two sections: Key Makers and Studio Ceramics specifically focusing on the Ceramics collection.
On physical display: 30%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: National Museums Scotland currently supports a number of research associates and funded projects specifically looking at the collections.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: National Museums Scotland has basic object records, some have more information than others, and what is held is not consistent.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 501-600
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 401-500
Contact details
Sarah Rothwell, Curator, Modern & Contemporary Design, National Museums Scotland.
Newport Museum and Art Gallery
Newport Museum and Art Gallery, John Frost Square, Kingsway Centre, Newport, South Wales, NP20 1PA
https://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/en/Museum-Art-Gallery/Museum-Art-Gallery.aspx
Collections overview
Newport Museum and Art Gallery holds a modest collection of studio ceramics, primarily comprised of artists working in South Wales and the West Country with the odd high profile ceramicist represented e.g. Lucy Rie, Ewen Henderson etc. There is a strong bias towards teapots.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The studio ceramics collection is a modest part of Newport Museum and Art Gallery's Decorative Arts collections, which primarily comprise ornate Victorian ceramics. The Museum has significant collections of Archaeology and Social History and smaller but important collections of Fine Art and Natural Sciences. The Decorative Art collection is one of the museum's less significant holdings.
Gaps in the collection: In recent years we have not had the funds to collect works by up and coming ceramicists.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 30%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 151-200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 101-150
Contact details
Oliver Blackmore, Collections and Engagement Officer, Newport Museum and Art Gallery.
Nottingham City Museums & Galleries and The Ballantyne Collection
Nottingham City Museums & Galleries, Nottingham Castle, Lenton Road, Nottingham NG1 6EL
http://nottinghammuseums.org.uk
Collections overview
Nottingham City Museums & Galleries (NCMG) has been collecting studio pottery since 1911, starting with very early studio pottery by the Ashby Potters Guild, Sir Edmund Elton, the Martin Brothers and William de Morgan. Many well-known 20th century potters’ work was acquired including Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Walter Keeler, John Maltby, Alan Caiger-Smith and Michael Casson. NCMG therefore holds work by 81 individual potters – this is in addition to, and overlapping with, its well-known Ballantyne Collection, which was started by collectors Rollo and Marion Ballantyne in 1971 with the purchase of a stool by the potter Michael Cardew. During the 1970s and 80s the Ballantynes bought work from many leading British potters including Richard Batterham, Bernard, David and Janet Leach, Ray Finch and Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie. In 1980 a complementary group of studio pots owned by Derbyshire County Council joined the Ballantyne Collection. This introduced earlier work by Bernard Leach, Henry Hammond, James Tower, Hans Coper and Lucie Rie. From this time, the Ballantyne Collection was also administered by a Trust and the core collection grew with work by Jacqui Poncelet, Janice Tchalenko, Mary Rogers, Peter Simpson, Takeshi Yasuda, Joanna Constantinidis, Jane Hamlyn, John Maltby and John Leach. NCMG is now the sole Trustee of the Ballantyne Collection of around 370 pots by 61 potters, representing many of the major figures of British studio ceramics of the second half of the 20th century. It is seen as one of the highlights of the Collection as a whole and, alongside ceramics bought both before and after the Collection came to Nottingham, ensures that NCMG has a very strong studio ceramic collection up to the 1990s. While the Ballantyne Collection is now ‘closed’ for acquisitions, some notable purchases have been made since by NCMG (for example Gigantic Pumpkin by Kate Malone) and there is now more focus on collecting contemporary ceramics by, for example, Sam Bakewell and Pippin Drysdale.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Nottingham City Museums has an additional two key ceramic collections. Firstly, approximately 1,400 pieces of eighteenth century Wedgwood jasperware, mainly gifted to the Museum by art collector Felix Joseph at the end of the 19th century. A second, key collection highlight is 150 mainly eighteenth century rare salt-glaze pots, made in Nottingham.
Gaps in the collection: There was a gap in collecting from around the 1990s to 2010s with one or two notable exceptions.
Access and display
Researchers only
Notes on access: Collection in store and on permanent display at Nottingham Castle. Store access is available to researchers only. Nottingham Castle is open to the public.
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display offsite and at Nottingham Castle.
Some key pieces of the studio pottery collection are now on permanent display in Nottingham Castle, which underwent a major redevelopment between 2018-21. The rest of the studio ceramics are on open display in the Collections Centre in Nottingham and can be viewed by the public in group tours and by researchers on an appointment basis.
Academic research and access: The Museum funded potter and lecturer Josie Walter to research the potters and pottery in the Ballantyne Collection to contribute to a catalogue on the Ballantyne Collection, published in 2018.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'The Ballantyne Collection of 20th Century Studio Ceramics', 2018, Nottingham City Museums & Galleries. ISBN 978-1-911291-05-3.
Archives: Nottingham City Museums & Galleries holds history files on each collection object and makers. These vary in the amount of detail that they cover.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 501-600
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 101-150
Contact details
Louise Dunning or Abi Spinks, Curators of Fine and Decorative Art (job-share), Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.
louise.dunning@nottinghamcity.gov.uk; Abigail.spinks@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Oriental Museum
Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill, Durham, DH1 3TH
http://dur.ac.uk/oriental.museum/
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Oriental Museum has collected studio ceramics where they add to existing historic collections and support established collecting themes.
Gaps in the collection: As we do not seek to create a comprehensive collection there are many inevitable gaps.
Access and display
Open to all
Available online
The online database is not yet fully supported by images.
On physical display: 30%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: In addition to supporting over 4 different UG/PG modules, museum staff support researchers from around the globe both by making collections (and associated archives) physically available to researchers who visit the museum and by answering both postal and electronic enquiries.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: Several works relating to pottery collections, but not focused on 'studio’ ceramics: 'Treasures of the Oriental Museum', C. Barclay, R. Grocke and H. Armstrong (eds), Durham University, London, 2010, pp. 13-33; 'A Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Malcolm MacDonald Collection of Chinese Ceramics in the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and Archaeology', I.E. Legeza, School of Oriental Studies, Durham University, Oxford 1972; The Pleasures and Pains of Collecting, M.J. MacDonald and A.N. Shaw (ed.), Durham, 2018.
Archives: Some biographical archival material is held as well as some images and material relating to acquisition. The quantity for each piece varies.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 31-40
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 11-20
Contact details
Craig Barclay, Head of Museums, Galleries & Exhibitions, Durham University.
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, Museum Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2LJ
http://portsmouthmuseum.co.uk
Collections overview
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery holds work by ceramicists Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, David Leach, Janet Leach, Elizabeth Fritsch, Gordon Baldwin, Martin Brothers, and Michael Cardew among others.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The collection of studio ceramics fits within the larger decorative arts collection at Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
There is a small selection (perhaps 10%) of studio pottery on permanent display with the remaining 80% in storage. This is due to space and not having a dedicated studio pottery display area.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: All studio ceramics at Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery has an acquisition record. Some objects (where more research has been undertaken) have extended biographical and production details, photographs and in some cases valuations and copyright information.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 151-200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 21-30
Contact details
Susan Ward, Curator of Art, Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery.
Reading Museum
Reading Museum, Blagrave Street, Reading, RG1 1QH
http://readingmuseum.org.uk
Collections overview
Reading Museum has a significant collection of studio ceramics acquired during the 1960s and 1970s, as examples of good contemporary ceramics (about 250 pieces). These have been circulating to schools as part of our schools loan service. They have recently been withdrawn from that service and accessioned into the main collection. They range from Bernard Leach and followers, to John Maltby, with some interesting items such as Glenys Barton cubes. About 30 pieces have subsequently been added to this initial group. For a while the museum subscribed to the Contemporary Art Society craft acquisition scheme, adding a 1980s Janice Tchelenko bowl, a John Ward pot and a Rupert Spira dish. The Reading Foundation for Art collection includes another 10 works (see rffa.org.uk). Reading Museum's most important group of studio ceramics are by Alan Caiger-Smith, a local man and great supporter of the Museum. Collecting started in the 1960s, and in the late 1990s the Museum was given the magnificent Castillejo collection of Alan's lusterware. There are circa 150 pieces by Alan and other potters connected with his pottery at Aldermaston.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Reading Museum collections began in the 1860s with an encyclopaedic brief. They include historic world ceramics, Ancient Greek and Egyptian pieces, a large collection of important pots from the nearby Roman town Calleva Atrebate, an eclectic group of early British ceramics and nineteenth century European examples reflecting the Victorian taste, and finally a significant collection of English delftware. The studio ceramic collection is complemented by studio textiles and original prints from the same period. The large Caiger-Smith collection reflects local collecting.
Gaps in the collection: The Reading Museum studio ceramics collection is not systematic, so it is not possible to talk about gaps. However, during the last 20 years the Museum has focused on adding a few more recent examples, particularly where they fit in with the 'small scale sculpture' strand of the acquisition policy. Geoffrey Eastop's 'Walking Man' is an example of this.
Access and display
Open to all
Notes on access: A whole gallery is dedicated to Caiger-Smith pots. There are a few other pieces on long term display such as a J Piper platter. All other works can be viewed in store by appointment.
Available online
The collection is not currently searchable.
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: Access is limited by resources but research is woven into the Museum's project-based approach to service.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 201-300
Contact details
E Blake, Exhibitions & Partnerships Curator - Art & DecArt, Reading Museum.
Robert Gordon University Art and Heritage Collections
Robert Gordon University, Garthdee House Annexe, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QB
http://rgu.ac.uk/about/art-and-heritage-collections
Collections overview
The collection of ceramics held in Robert Gordon University consists of work by alumni of Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. Many of the students studied at the School during the 1980s and were taught by Angus MacLeod, who was course leader. The University also has a small number of work by former staff members at the School of Art. In more recent years student work from a three dimensional design course has been collected.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Robert Gordon University Art and Heritage collection also holds Paintings, Drawings, Prints, Contemporary Art, Architectural Drawings and examples of teaching aids used in the Schools of Pharmacy and Engineering.
Gaps in the collection: The collection represents a time period which ranges from the late 1970s to the current day but the vast majority of the work would represent a period of the 1970 - 1990s, reflecting the ceramics course at that time. The only earlier ceramic work held in our collection is likely to be objects retained as still life objects for the Drawing and Painting department.
Access and display
Open to all
Notes on access: By appointment only
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: The University holds photographs of the works in a database and some information concerning students and alumni.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 301-400
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 51-75
Contact details
George Cheyne, Collections Assistant, Robert Gordon University Art and Heritage.
Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) Decorative Arts Collection
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen St, Exeter, EX4 3RX
http://rammuseum.org.uk
Collections overview
The Studio Ceramic collection is part of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum's (RAMM’s) 1300 objects of English and continental material from the 17th century to the present day. Some is of a high quality and the collections of studio and local Devon potteries are of national importance.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) houses a varied collection well in excess of a million items. The principal subject areas are classified under the headings of Antiquities, Costume and Textiles, Decorative Art, Ethnography, Fine Art, Natural Sciences and Social History. Studio Ceramics fits within the Decorative Art collection.
Gaps in the collection: There is very little material dating after 1980 in the collection.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite.
Academic research and access: Please contact the Curator of Decorative Arts.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: The RAMM office holds correspondence and documentation related to some of the items that have been added to the collection.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 201-300
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 41-50
Contact details
Dr. Sally Ayres, Assistant Curator, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.
Shipley Art Gallery
Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4JB
http://shipleyartgallery.org.uk
Collections overview
Since the late 1970s the Shipley Art Gallery has established a nationally significant collection of contemporary British craft. This includes ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery, woodwork, furniture and metalwork. The collection is deliberately wide-ranging, encompassing all media and emphasising quality of craftsmanship and the use of innovative techniques and materials. The collection of studio ceramics ranges from functional country pottery to sculptural and decorative forms. The primary emphasis is on work by British ceramicists. The collection includes work by Gordon Baldwin, Alison Britton, Hans Coper, Philip Eglin, Elizabeth Fritsch, Bernard Leach and Takeshi Yasuda. The Shipley collection incorporates two large and important British studio ceramics collections: those of Henry Rothschild and John Christian. The Gallery’s collection includes work by most major makers and studios working in ceramics in Britain and Ireland during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The Shipley’s collection also includes a number of significant works by makers working in Europe and Asia in the same period.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Shipley Art Gallery has a broad craft collection, in which studio ceramics sit alongside complementary collections of historic and modern glass, textiles, metalwork, woodwork and jewellery. As well as modern studio ceramics, the Gallery holds a strong collection of historic decorative and art pottery, with a focus on makers from Gateshead and the North East.
Gaps in the collection: The focus of the Shipley Art Gallery studio ceramics collection is on makers working in the UK and Ireland in the 20th century. Although there are strong examples from European and Japanese makers, makers working outside Britain and Ireland are less well represented.
Access and display
Open to all
Available online
Most of the collection is represented.
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite.
Academic research and access: The Shipley Art Gallery has a dedicated ceramics study centre, with over 200 objects on display, a digital and paper catalogue and library: The Henry Rothschild Study Centre. The Gallery hosts study visits and workshops, as well as the annual Henry Rothschild Memorial Lecture, delivered by an established ceramicist. The curators regularly engage with scholars and practitioners researching the collections, and deal with many enquiries from academics and students. The Shipley has recent supported an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award together with Northumbria University, looking at the Gallery’s craft and studio ceramics collections.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: Whilst there is not currently an up-to-date catalogue, the Gallery has produced a number of leaflets about the collection over the years, as well as a booklet: 'Contemporary Craft Collecting at the Shipley Art Gallery', Gateshead, 2003.
Archives held.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 1200
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 401-500
Contact details
Niall Hodson, Assistant Keeper of Art, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums.
Shropshire Museums
Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, The Square, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LH
https://www.shropshiremuseums.org.uk/
Collections overview
The Shropshire Museums' collection holds pieces by a number of Shropshire Studio Potteries. These included around 40 items by the Benthall Pottery Co. and Salopian Decorative Art Pottery Co. Additionally there are approximately 20 studio pottery pieces by Maw and Co. by designers such as Walter Crane, Charles Henry Temple and William de Morgan. Other Shropshire manufacturers represented are Sarn of Westbury and individual studio potters such as Thomas Cole.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Shropshire Museums’ decorative arts collection reflects the work of local of artists and craftsmen and an aspect of industry within the county. It focuses on the products of the potteries and foundries of Ironbridge Gorge and beyond. It includes around 6,000 ceramics. The majority of the Decorative Art Collection has been acquired through donation since 1974. Small historic collections were inherited at this time by the local authority museums. Shrewsbury Museums actively collected ceramics for display at Clive House Museum. In more recent years large private collections have been or donated to selectively develop the holdings.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display at multiple sites.
The major ceramic display is at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. A number of individual items are also displayed at other venues including Much Wenlock Museum.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite.
We do loan items to other institutions for temporary exhibitions and undertake a programme of temporary exhibitions across our own venues. Some of these exhibitions relate to or may include ceramics.
Academic research and access: Shropshire Museums supports academic research by offering research facilities on site and offers a research enquiry service. Although there is not a dedicated Subject Specialist, the service works closely with the Caughley Society and subject specialist volunteers.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Pottery and Tiles of the Severn Valley', Michael Messenger, 1979, Remploy.
Archives: Shropshire Museums hold limited paper records relating to the collection, mainly associated with acquisitions and interpretation. There is a small archive collection including a collection of sketches and designs by Charles Henry Temple.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 201-300
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 6-10
Contact details
Emma-Kate Lanyon, Team Leader, Collections and Curatorial Services, Shropshire Museums.
Staffordshire County Museum collection
Staffordshire Archives & Heritage, Unit G, Beacon Business Park, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0WL
http://staffordshire.gov.uk/Heritage-and-archives/museums
Collections overview
'Ruskin ware' by William Howson Taylor (1876-1935)
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Staffordshire County Museum collection is part of the local and social history collection, representing crafts and trades in the historic county of Staffordshire.
Gaps in the collection: Staffordshire County Museum no longer collects ceramics.
Access and display
Researchers only
Notes on access: By appointment only
Academic research and access: There is an existing partnership working with the Archive Service, Universities and other organisations.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Acquisition documentation, and biographical details for William Howson Taylor are held by Staffordshire County Museum.
Acquisitions: This collection is closed to new acquisitions.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 11-20
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 1-5
Contact details
Chris Copp, Senior Museums Officer, Staffordshire Archives & Heritage.
The Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1RB
http://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Collections overview
The core of the Fitzwilliam Museum’s extensive collection of ceramics consists of 3,855 pieces of English and Continental earthenware and stoneware, dating from the late medieval period to the early twentieth century, bequeathed by Dr J. W. L. Glaisher in 1928. The bulk of this collection is historic but it includes some examples of Martinware. Throughout the rest of the twentieth century, studio ceramics acquisitions were sporadic and piecemeal but included a very large cow vase by William Staite Murray, given by the collector the Very Rev. Eric Milner-White (1884–1963), and a small group of ceramics, including works by Hans Coper and Gordon Baldwin, given by the influential dealer and collector, Henry Rothschild (1913–2009). Towards the very end of the century, Sir Nicholas and Lady Goodison began to buy contemporary British crafts for the Museum, forming a collection of outstanding objects by living makers dating from the 1990s to the present day. This ever-growing collection includes ceramics by makers such as Duncan Ross, Carol McNicoll, Richard Slee, Julian Stair, Edmund de Waal, Jennifer Lee, Sara Flynn, Ashraf Hanna, Frances Priest, Elspeth Owen and Halima Cassell. Studio ceramics dating from the early and mid-twentieth century were not well-represented in the collection until the Museum received a generous bequest from Dr John Shakeshaft (d. 2015) in 2016. Over 720 pots dating from the 1930s through to the early 2000s entered the collection, including works by Bernard Leach (and other members of the Leach family), Shoji Hamada, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Michael Cardew, Ray Finch, Jim Malone, Phil Rogers, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Robin Welch, John Maltby, Ruth Duckworth, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper and many other artists, with a particularly strong group of work by potters working in a wood-firing tradition, including Svend Bayer, Nic Collins and Lisa Hammond.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Fitzwilliam Museum cares for and displays paintings, drawings and prints, coins and medals, manuscripts and printed books, antiquities and applied arts. The applied arts collections contains c. 30,000 objects from Europe, the Middle East, India and the Far East. These include ceramics and glass, textiles, fans, furniture and lacquer work, clocks and watches, silver, pewter, jewellery, arms and armour and sculpture. There is a notable collection of English and Continental ceramics largely due to the generous bequest of Dr Glaisher (d. 1928) and a large collection of British Studio Pottery, mainly due to the bequest of Dr Shakeshaft (d. 2015).
Gaps in the collection: The Fitzwilliam Museum collection lacks ceramics in the 1950s tradition of Newland, Hines, Vergette, etc, and does not have many good examples of work by artists exploring ceramic sculpture in the 1960s and 1970s.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 20%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays offsite.
Academic research and access: The collection can be used in academic research and is open to research collaborations.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 901-1,000
Contact details
Helen Ritchie, Curatorial Research Associate, The Fitzwilliam Museum.
The Marsh Collection and the Wren Collection, Kingston Museum
Kingston Museum, Wheatfield Way, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2PS
https://www.kingstonheritage.org.uk/collections
Collections overview
The Marsh Collection, at Kingston Museum, consists of 78 pieces of Martinware, including vases, jugs and plates, and 40 ceramics by early studio potters like William Staite Murray, Bernard Leach and Reginald Wells, bequeathed in 1945 by decorative art expert Ernest Marsh. The Wren collection comprises 5 early ceramics, 55 interwar ceramics and 22 saltglazed pots (late 1950s onwards) made by Denise Wren and an archive, donated by her family.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: Ernest Marsh was the son of a wealthy Kingston milling family, but neglected the family business in favour of pursuing his artistic interests. Marsh was a keen collector of decorative art objects, especially ceramics. He displayed loaned pieces from his ceramics collection in Kingston Museum from its opening in 1904 until his death. Marsh was a member of the Contemporary Art Society and the Pottery and Craft Fund. Through the latter he influenced the collecting of ceramics by museums such as the V&A. Wren was a potter and textile designer who started out as a student of Art Nouveau designer Archibald Knox at Kingston School of Art between 1907 and 1912. In 1920 she established the Oxshott Pottery in Surrey, becoming one of the first female studio potters in Britain.
Gaps in the collection: It would fall within the museum's remit to collect from local studio potters, but we do not have a budget for this. The Heritage Service could consider putting in a bid for this as part of ongoing redevelopment of Kingston Museum.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: Key parts of the collection are on display. Curators can provide access to the stored collections by appointment. The museum has strong links with Kingston University.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: Kingston History Centre holds the borough archives and the local history collection, comprising ephemera and photographs.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 8950
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 901-1,000
Contact details
Charlotte Samuels, Curator, Kingston Museum.
Ulster Museum, National Museums NI
Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB
http://nmni.com
Collections overview
The National Museum NI collection was initiated by Mike Robinson, former Assistant Keeper of Applied Art during the late 1970s. An acquisition policy was established, reviewed every 5 years, to collect the best ceramic art by the leading ceramic artists across the world. It was based on Henry Cole’s (founding father of the Victoria and Albert Museum) principles ‘to inspire and educate designers, manufacturers and the public in art and design’. Every 5 years an assessment is made of collecting progress. A review of the constraints due to resources is undertaken and artists and countries that are pushing the limits of ceramic practice are explored, to target through future acquisitions.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The National Museums NI studio ceramics collection sits within the Fine and Applied Art Collections.
Gaps in the collection: Early 20th century British studio pottery.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Academic research and access: University students and academics use the collection on a regular basis.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: At National Museum NI, each ceramic artist has an individual file, which contains correspondence, biographical information and exhibition catalogues.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 301-400
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 51-75
Contact details
Kim Mawhinney, Senior Curator of Art, Ulster Museum, National Museums NI.
University of Dundee Museum Collections
University of Dundee Museum Collections, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN
http://dundee.ac.uk/museum
Collections overview
Studio ceramics is not an area that the University of Dundee specifically aims to collect in, but as part of the collection of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (one of the UK’s leading art schools) the collection holds several pieces by staff, visiting tutors, students and notable graduates. These include Stephen Brown, Jeff Oestreich, Ruthanne Tudball, Tim Proud, Jane Woodford, Harriet Rowan, Charlotte Cadzow, Chiara Braidotti, Stephen Winstanley (Toroid), Lada Wilson and Isla Keiller. As well as the DJCAD pieces, there are a small number of ceramic works in other parts of the collection, including pieces by Edinburgh-based ceramicist Fiona Thompson created following a residency in our D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The University of Dundee has over 8,000 art & design pieces as part of a total collection of nearly 40,000 objects; ceramics comprise a very small part of the collection.
Gaps in the collection: The University of Dundee has not consistently sought to collect ceramics from DJCAD so the holdings represent a very small selection of works by students and tutors. Ideally it would also include work by Donald Logie, who ran the ceramics department at the college for many years, and also student work from the 60s, 70s and 80s when the department was at its peak.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 10%
Permanent display onsite.
Academic research and access: The University has a dedicated study room for visiting researchers and there are some opportunities for research funding, e.g. though DJCAD’s Fulbright Scholar programme.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 21-30
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 21-30
Contact details
Matthew Jarron, Curator, University of Dundee Museum Services.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
http://vam.ac.uk
Collections overview
The studio ceramics collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) includes about 1,000 objects and the collection continues to be added to. It is predominantly made up of works made by artists based in the UK and Europe.
Details about the items shown here can be seen on the following pages
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The studio ceramics collection sits within the department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass at the V&A, and is looked after by the Ceramics and Glass section. The Ceramics & Glass collection contains c. 80,000 objects, including ceramics and glass from the Western world, stained glass, post-medieval painted enamels on copper, and plastics. The holdings of European tin-glazed pottery and porcelain, English ceramics 1600-1900, post-medieval glass, tiles, stained glass and 20th-century and contemporary international ceramics and glass are of such size and importance as to be internationally pre-eminent.
Access and display
Open to all
Permanent display onsite and offsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite and offsite.
Academic research and access: The collection is available for study appointments and enquiries can be made to the department via the Enquiries Inbox: ceramicsandglass@vam.ac.uk. The National Art Library and the Archive of Art and Design are also available for members of the public to book view and appointments to the archive can be made here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/archive-of-art-and-design.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Publications: 'Studio Pottery', Oliver Watson, 1993.
Archives: The Archive of Art and Design (AAD) was established in 1978 to house the V&A's growing holdings of archival material. It collects, conserves and makes available for research the archives of individuals, associations and companies involved in any stage of the art and design process. These include collections that have been used or built up by artists and designers in the course of their work. Particular emphasis is placed on the records of British 20th and 21st-century design. Information about making enquiries and booking appointments can be found here: www.vam.ac.uk/info/archive-of-art-and-design.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 901-1,000
Contact details
Alun Graves, Curator, Department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass, V&A a.graves@vam.ac.uk
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE
http://williamsonartgallery.org
Collections overview
The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum holds a small number of items acquired through Contemporary Art Society or local purchasing scheme, together with a larger collection of Birkenhead Park Pottery; a small-scale producer in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum made some efforts to collect contemporary craft in the 1980s. The studio ceramics collection fits into a larger historic collection of ceramics.
Gaps in the collection: The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum collection is small and sporadic; there is no coherent policy to guide collection, and no early-mid 20th century pieces.
Access and display
Open to all
Academic research and access: Access available on request.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum archival holdings concern the Birkenhead Park Pottery collection.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 41-50
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 6-10
Contact details
colinsimpson@wirral.gov.uk
Winchcombe Museum Collection
Winchcombe Museum, High Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5LJ
http://winchcombemuseum.org.uk
Collections overview
The Winchcombe Museum Collection is of pottery made at the nearby Winchcombe Pottery or elsewhere by potters who were trained or worked at Winchcombe. The largest group of around 40 items was given in 2017 by James and Diane Perry, who lived in Winchcombe for a number of years. They began buying pieces direct from the pottery, moving on to seek out slipware examples from the 1940s and 50s. When they retired, and moved back to America, James decided to ‘use the Internet to collect pieces by as many of the potters who worked or trained at the pottery from 1930 on’ as was possible. The collection includes examples by Winchcombe’s key potters Ray Finch (and his family Joe, Mike and Trudi), Sid and Charlie Tustin, Don Jones and Eddie Hopkins. There are also pots made at the pottery by Pat Groom, Chris Harries, Nina Davies, Jim Webster and Alex McErlain, who all went on to work elsewhere including overseas. Represented by work from their own potteries are a number of those that trained or worked at the Winchcombe pottery: Ivan Martin, Anne James, Jim Malone, Ursula Mommens, John Solly, Toff Milway, Peter Dick, Colin Pearson, John Leach, Dan Finnegan, who went on to work in Virginia, and Stephen Pearce, who worked in Ireland. In addition the museum has a few other Winchcombe Pottery examples acquired over the years, which together with the Perry collection, provide a good small collection of the slip-decorated earthenware pottery made at Winchcombe from 1926 until 1964, and also examples of stoneware made from 1952 onwards.
Part of a multidisciplinary collection: The museum tells the story of Winchcombe. The pottery collection, largely from Winchcombe Pottery is part of this story.
Gaps in the collection: The collection does not include much from the early period at Winchcombe Pottery, 1926-39 or many examples by Michael Cardew.
Access and display
Open to all
On physical display: 80%
Permanent display onsite.
Temporary exhibitions and displays onsite.
Academic research and access: Researchers are welcome by appointment, although as a small independent museum run by volunteers facilities may be limited.
Open to loan applications – please enquire for more information
Other information
Archives: A limited archive of background documents relating to the Perry collection, including purchase details and notes from potters, is held. As well as some photographs relating to the pottery and potters that worked there.
Acquisitions: This collection acquires objects through purchase and donation according to its collection policy.
Estimated number of works in the collection: 51-75
Estimated number of makers in the collection: 21-30
Contact details
info@winchcombemuseum.org.uk
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