Royal Worcester

In 1751 fifteen partners headed by Dr. John Wall created the Worcester Porcelain Company where production of utilitarian items in blue and white dominated. It was here, at the beginning of Worcestor’s story, that a high standard in quality and workmanship was established.

Dr. Wall’s partners continued to manufacture after his retirement until Worcester’s London agent, Thomas Flight, purchased the factory. The famous Flight and Barr period firmly established the factory as one of the leading porcelain manufacturers in Europe. Patterns during this period were initially simple, with gold on white, and then later rather flamboyant with shells and feathers in Japanese patterns.

By 1789 the achievements of the artists at the Worcester factory were so greatly esteemed that King George granted a Royal Warrant and from then on Royal prefixed the company's name. During the reign of Queen Victoria, the company achieved great success. In 1862 the 'Worcester Royal Porcelain Company Limited' was formed. The Managing Director, Richard William Binns, was to lead the company until the end of the century, under his control employee numbers multiplied.

During that period Worcester produced fine Parian figures. Newly employed artists were also encouraged to study Anatomy and Botany to perfect the art of painting, and as a result new decorative styles included emerged, two of which were Painted Fruit and Blush Ivory Ware. The gifted modeller James Hadley was employed at this time, as was designer George Own who developed his revolutionary reticulated style. Many rich and extensive dinner services were also made during this period for the British Royal Family and the European Aristocracy including Queen Victoria and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The 1890’s and the early 1900’s saw artists such as Charles Baldwyn, Albert Binns, William Ricketts and Edward Raby still finely hand painting all the finest dinner services and decorative wares regardless of the latest technological advances. Fashions had started to change however and there was a decline in the demand for heavily modelled objects in an historical style. So Worcester artists, including Lucian Boullemier, Reginald Austin, Richard Sebright, Walter Sedgley, and Harry, James and John Stinton painted their delicate images of flowers, birds, fruit and cattle treating the vessels like canvases and creating true works of art.

Following the merger with the Hadley factory new artists joined Royal Worcester yet continued to paint James Hadley’s own floral and fruit patterns. Among these artists were Kitty Blake, William Jarman, Albert Shuck and Walter Powell.

Royal Worcester is still in production today and has maintained its reputation for fineness and quality based on a long history that includes some of the early twentieth centuries most talented ceramic artists.

Visit our Royal Worcester Gallery