© Michael Perry 2011. Contact
Image courtesy of Lema Publishing Ltd, publishers of ‘Tableware International’ www.tablewareinternational.com
Last updated: 1st August 2011
The artists and decorators assembled by John Slater and his successors at Burslem from the 1880s onward matched in skill those of Worcester and Derby. Of particular importance were:
A list of the principal Doulton Burslem artists/decorators can be found here: Burslem artists/decorators.
Robert Allen, was a an important decorative artist, and then pattern designer for Royal Doulton in the early 20th century. He joined Doulton as an apprentice painter in about 1870, quickly becoming one of Doulton’s most adept and valuable decorators. Following the death of John Slater in 1914 he established his own design studio within the Nile St. factory; and here he produced literally thousands of patterns for the factory’s tableware.
Robert Allen’s designs can be identified by the special ‘Ra’ pattern numbers hand-written on the base of the ware - and these can be used to identify the year the pattern was produced.
Allen retired in about 1929 and died in 1934 at the age of 76.
The following obituary, taken in full from the Potteries Gazette and Glass Trades Review, Vol. 59, page 1207 (1934) records Allen’s talents and his career with Doulton:
We regret to record the death of Mr. Robert Allen, distinguished ceramic artist who was formerly in the employ of the Royal Doulton Potteries at Burslem, from which position he retired about five years ago, after well over fifty years’ service with that firm.
Mr. Robert Allen will long be remembered as a talented pottery artist. In early boyhood, electing to pursue art as a career, he attended the old Wedgwood Institute at Burslem, receiving his early art instruction under the guidance of Mr. Geo. Theaker. When quite a boy he entered the Royal Doulton Potteries as an apprentice, and was speedily picked out by the late Mr. John Slater, the then art director at the Nile-st. Works, as a promising artist. He received special facilities to develop his talents and subsequently became Mr. Slater’s right-hand man.
Mr. Allen was responsible for many successes as a ceramic artist, and one recalls his fine work in connection with many of the marvellous pieces which brought fame, as well as many diplomas, to the Doulton organisation at the Chicago and St. Louis Exhibitions, as well as Paris in 1900, and Turin and Brussles. He was versatile with the pencil and brush; an adept at design and, withal, a skilful executant in general.
No wonder that he was asked, following the death of the late Mr. Slater, to continue as head of the principal decorating department, a position from which he was subsequently relieved in order that he might thenceforth devote the whole of his attention to design.
One can recall the names and personalities of many talented pottery artists of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and amongst these Robert Allen will assuredly retain an abiding place. He poured out his soul in the interests of pottery decoration, and his works have secured notable recognition in all parts of the world. Anyone who is fortunate enough to possess a signed piece of ‘Royal Doulton; ware decorated by Allen will know how to appraise it, one feels sure.
Mr Allen was a capable water-colour painter, and this was one of his chief hobbies. Seascapes and bird subjects interested him chiefly, and his holidays were often planned to that end-a busman’s holiday some might choose to call them; but they resulted in the creation of many fine works, which have graced the walls of some noteworthy exhibitions.
Herbert Betteley was born in 1860 and joined Doulton in 1886 at the age of 26 after study at the Burslem School of Art. Initially an artist he was responsible for decorating many of the ornamental ware exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair (World’s Columbian Exposition) of 1893. Later, he designed patterns for Doulton and ware bearing pattern numbers prefixed by ‘HB’ or ‘BB’ (in addition to the normal Doulton backstamp) are presumably the work of Betteley. His speciality was the painting of intricate gold patterns on ornamental ware. He remained associated with the Nile St factory until 1930.
Percy Curnock was probably Doulton’s longest serving artist, entering the factory in 1885 and only retiring in 1954. He specialised in floral painting (especially roses), and landscapes.
Curnock’ signature is seen on some tableware, for example on the popular ‘Glamis Thistle’ pattern V xxxx, although the pattern is applied as a colour lithograph rather than an original ceramic painting.
Harry Nixon (b. 1886, d. 1955) joined Doulton in about 1900 as a general artist. He was closely associated with Charles Noke in the decoration of flambe ware and the Chang and Sung art ware of the early 1900s. Nixon is best know as the man responsible for figurine painting at Nile St and the ‘HN’ series numbers on figurines (HN 1 ‘Darling’ introduced in 1913) recognise his role in their production.
Surname |
First name |
Service |
Speciality |
Allen |
Harry |
1899–1950 |
Birds, florals, landscapes |
Allen |
Robert |
1870-1929 |
Artist, responsible for decorating much of the Burslem ornamental ware exhibited by Doulton at the great exhibition of the 1890s. Later an important pattern designer and the originator of the ‘Ra’ numbered patterns. |
Bailey |
Arthur |
1912–1955 |
Slip and underglaze painter |
Bentley |
Leonard |
1889–1926 |
Florals |
Betteley |
Herbert |
1886–1930 |
Artist and designer, specialised in intricate gold patterns. Later a designer and the originator of ‘HB’ labelled patterns. |
Bilton |
Louis |
1892–c. 1911 |
Florals (esp Australian) |
Birbeck |
Joseph |
1900–1926 |
Fish, game-birds, landscapes |
Birks |
Edward |
1881–1890 |
Florals |
Bott |
Thomas |
1889–1900 |
Florals |
Boulton |
James |
1880–1917 |
Florals |
Brough |
Charles |
1903–1911 |
Florals, game-birds |
Brown |
Reginald |
1925–1962 |
Florals, landscapes, figurines (post c. 1930) |
Brown |
Wilmot |
1879–1930 |
Landscapes, flambe |
Buttle |
George |
1905–1911 |
Figures |
Curnock |
Percy |
1885–1954 |
Florals (speciality: Roses), landscapes |
Dewsbury |
David |
1889–1919 |
David Dewsbury joined Doulton after working at the Hill Pottery, Burslem. He specialised in floral studies and is acknowledged as a master painter of orchids. His finest work appears on cabinet plates and ornamental vases. |
Eaton |
Arthur |
1889–1932 |
|
Evans |
George |
1929–1931 |
Landscapes |
Grace |
William |
1902–1960 |
Underglaze painter |
Hall |
Sydney |
1891–1952 |
Florals, landscapes, fish, game-birds |
Hancock |
Joseph |
1890–1945 |
Fish, game-birds, landscapes |
Hancock |
Frederick |
1879–1913 |
Florals, fish, game-birds, landscapes |
Harper |
Frank |
1925–1928 |
Florals, fruit |
Hart |
Charles |
1880–1927 |
Florals, fish, game-birds |
Hewitt |
John |
1885–1893 |
Figure painter on vases etc |
Hodkinson |
William |
1880–1920 |
Painter and gilder who trained at Mintons and joined Doulton at the age of 20. A skilled landscape painter, he collaborated with Charles Noke on Holbein Ware and the decoration of flambe ware. |
Hopkins |
Charles |
1895–1922 |
Landscapes |
Johnson |
Reginald |
1923–1930 |
Landscapes. Reginald Johnson joined Doulton at the age of fourteen in 1923 and studied under Charles Noke. |
Johnson |
Leslie |
1905–1937 |
Figure painter on vases etc |
Keates |
Norman |
1907–1961 |
Florals, landscapes |
Kitteridge |
J. |
1890s– |
Florals |
Labarre |
Charles |
1893–1894 |
Painter of vases for the Chicago Exhibition |
Mitchell |
Henry |
1893–1908 |
A gifted painter of animals, Mitchell established his reputation at Mintons and other companies before joining Doulton. He also specialised in landscapes and hunting scenes. |
Moore |
Frederick |
1927–1957 |
Slip painter and flambé |
Morrey |
Harry |
1884–1944 |
Landscapes, Holbein Ware |
Mountford |
Harry |
1890s– |
Florals |
Nixon |
Harry |
1900–1950 |
Florals, also flambé, Sung and Chang |
Parry |
Edward |
1887–1893 |
Florals |
Perry |
Arthur |
1926–1947 |
Fish, game-birds, landscapes |
Phillips |
Thomas |
1888–1930 |
Florals |
Piper |
Harry |
1892–1914 |
Heraldic emblems |
Plant |
John |
1902–1917 |
Joined Doulton after working at Coalport and Wedgwood. Plant specialised in English landscapes featuring castles, cathedrals and other historic buildings. |
Price |
John |
1894–1932 |
Florals, general painting |
Proudlove |
Albert |
1890s |
|
Raby |
Edward |
1892–1914 |
Florals |
Roden |
Jack |
1904–1955 |
Underglaze painter |
Scott |
Arthur |
1896–1906 |
Florals (speciality: Roses) |
Slater |
Walter |
1880–1910 |
Florals |
Sutton |
Fred |
1904–1913 |
Painter of figures and miniatures |
Taylor |
Harry |
1897–1900 |
Florals, fruit, crustacean |
Theaker |
Harry |
1893–1900 |
Figure painter esp classical subjects |
Tittensor |
Harry |
1900–1925 |
Landscapes, figure painting, Art Ware |
Walklate |
Frederick |
1888–1927 |
Florals, landscapes |
Webster |
Eric |
1910–1963 |
Florals, landscapes, birds |
White |
George |
1885–1912 |
Specialist figure painter on vases, services etc. He painted many figures from classical mythology and was associated with Charles Noke in the decoration of Luscian Ware. |
Wilson |
Samuel |
1880–1909 |
Samuel Wilson specialised in portraying scenes from rural Britain and his paintings often contain cattle, sheep, wild deer, or hunting scenes. Fish, game-birds and landscapes were other subjects. |
Wood |
Edwin |
1898–1938 |
Florals |
Yeomans |
Charles |
1883–1951 |
Landscapes, flambé ware |
©Michael Perry 2011