Royal Crown Derby facts for kids
The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company is one of the oldest English companies still making porcelain. It is based in Derby, England. The company is famous for its excellent quality bone china, which is a type of porcelain made with bone ash. They have been making tableware (like plates and cups) and beautiful decorations since about 1750.
The company was first called 'Derby Porcelain' until 1773. Then it became 'Crown Derby'. The word 'Royal' was added in 1890. The factory once closed down, but it was later reopened by Hugh Gibson and the Pearson family.
Derby Porcelain tells the early story of this company and other porcelain makers in Derby during the 1700s.
Contents
History
William Duesbury I and II
In 1745, a man named André Planché, who was from Saxony, moved to Derby. Between 1747 and 1755, he made soft-paste porcelain vases and figurines. In early 1756, he started a business with William Duesbury (1725–1786). Duesbury was a porcelain painter who had worked at other factories. They also partnered with a banker named John Heath.
This partnership started the Derby company. However, they were already making items before this, as a jug from 1750 shows. Planché soon left the business. Duesbury and Heath, and later Duesbury alone, grew the company.
William Duesbury was a very skilled businessman. He created a new type of porcelain material. This allowed the factory to make high-quality tableware. He quickly made Derby a top maker of dinner sets and figures. He hired the best artists for shaping and painting. Richard Askew was great at painting cupids. James Banford also painted figures. Zachariah Boreman and John Brewer painted landscapes, still lifes, and farm scenes. Detailed flower patterns were designed by William Billingsley.
In 1770, Duesbury bought the famous Chelsea porcelain factory in London. This made Derby's reputation even better. From this time, Derby's porcelain included bone ash. He ran the Chelsea factory until 1784. Products from this time are called 'Chelsea-Derby'. Then, he moved everything from Chelsea, like stock, patterns, and workers, to Derby. In 1776, he also bought parts of the old Bow porcelain factory and moved them to Derby.
In 1773, King George III visited the Derby factory. He was so impressed that he allowed Duesbury to use the royal crown in the company's mark. After this, the company was known as 'Crown Derby'.
William Duesbury died in 1786. His son, William Duesbury II (1763–1796), took over. He was also a talented leader. He kept the company's high reputation and created new types of glazes (shiny coatings) and porcelain materials.
Michael Kean
William Duesbury II died young in 1797, at age 34. His business partner, an Irishman named Michael Kean, took over. Kean later married Duesbury's widow. He did not get along well with the skilled workers, and many artists left. However, some great artists stayed and produced good work. These included Moses Webster, who painted flowers, and Richard Dodson, who painted birds. George Robertson painted land and sea scenes, and Cuthbert Lawton painted hunting scenes.
The most famous artist during this time was William Pegg. He was a Quaker (a type of Christian). He was known for his unique and striking flower paintings. He started in 1797 but left in 1800 because he believed painting was a sin. He returned in 1813 but left again in 1820.
Even with good work, the time under Kean was difficult, and the company faced money problems.
William Duesbury III, born in 1790, was the son of William Duesbury II. When he became an adult, he took over the factory. Kean sold his share to William Duesbury III's grandfather, Mr. Sheffield. The company then continued as Duesbury & Sheffield.
Robert Bloor
In 1815, the factory was rented to Robert Bloor, who was the company's salesman and clerk. The Duesbury family no longer had a part in the business. Bloor borrowed a lot of money to pay for the factory. But he was a very smart businessman. He found ways to make up for losses and put the company back on track financially.
Bloor also had a great eye for beauty. Under his leadership, the company made items that were richly colored and elegant. This included bright Japanese Imari patterns. These designs often had detailed geometric shapes mixed with flower designs. These patterns became very popular and stayed popular for a long time. Derby continued to do well.
However, Bloor died in 1845. After three years under Thomas Clarke, the factory closed in 1848.
King Street
A group of former workers started a new factory in King Street, Derby. They kept using the old molds, patterns, and symbols of the original business. They did not use the old name, but they kept the Derby traditions of fine craftsmanship alive. They did not use machines, so no two pieces were exactly the same. They even saved the original potter's wheel used by the Duesburys. This wheel is still owned by the Royal Crown Derby Company today.
Osmaston Road
In 1877, new owners of the Crown Derby name built a grand new factory in Osmaston Road, Derby. This marked the start of the modern period for Derby porcelain. Crown Derby's designs became very popular in the late Victorian era. Their romantic and rich designs perfectly matched what people liked at that time.
Royal Crown Derby
In 1890, Queen Victoria gave Crown Derby a special honor. She named them "Manufacturers of porcelain to Her Majesty". This meant they were official suppliers to the Queen. She also allowed them to use the title "The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company".
In 1935, Royal Crown Derby bought the King Street factory. This brought the two parts of the business back together.
Allied Potteries
In 1964, a company called S. Pearson and Son bought Royal Crown Derby. It became part of the Allied English Potteries Group, which later joined with Royal Doulton.
In 2000, Hugh Gibson, who used to be a director at Royal Doulton and was part of the Pearson family, led a buy-out. This made Royal Crown Derby an independent company again, owned by private individuals. In 2006, it employed about 300 people at the Osmaston Road factory.
Today, Royal Crown Derby makes many products. They introduced popular paperweights in 1981. They also still make patterns in the Imari style. These are known for their rich colors and detailed gold decorations. Some of their dinnerware ranges include Old Imari, Traditional Imari, Red Aves, Blue Mikado, and Derby Posies.
In 2013, Hugh Gibson retired and sold the company to Steelite International. The Derby factory and visitor center are still open. According to Royal Crown Derby, Steelite is dedicated to making high-quality products in the UK. They plan to launch a new brand called 'Royal Crown Derby Entertains'. This brand will provide fine bone china tableware to major hotels, restaurants, and other places around the world. In 2016, Kevin Oakes bought the company. He used to be the chief executive of both Crown Derby and Steelite.
Derby porcelain marks
From the book Bow, Chelsea, and Derby Porcelain by William Bemrose (1898):
- 1, 2, 3 - These are the earliest Derby Marks. They are usually in blue. Sometimes the Crown and D are used separately, probably by mistake.
- 4 - This mark has crossed swords, a crown, a D, and 6 dots. It was carefully painted in blue, then later in a purplish-brown color. It was used from about 1782.
- 5, 6 - These are similar to mark 4 but painted less carefully in red.
- 7, 8, 9, 10 - These are later Duesbury Marks, usually in red.
- 11 - This mark is for Duesbury & Kean. It was rarely used, from about 1795 to 1809.
- 12, 13, 14, 15 - These are Bloor Marks, used from 1811 to 1849.
- 16, 17, 18, 19 - These are "Quasi Oriental Marks." Bloor used them sometimes to match items or to sell leftover stock. No. 17 looks like the Sèvres mark.
- 20 - This is a Dresden Mark, often used on figures.
- 21 - This Derby Mark is thought to have been used by Holdship around 1766. It is very rare.
- 22 - This mark was used by Stephenson & Hancock at the King Street Factory in 1862. Sampson Hancock later used the same mark, and it was still in use in 1897.
- 23 - This mark was used by the Derby Crown Porcelain Co., Osmaston Road, from when it started in 1877 until December 1889.
- 24 - This mark was adopted by the company after Queen Victoria allowed them to use the word "Royal" on January 3, 1890.
Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre
The Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre in Derby has a museum filled with porcelain items. You can also take tours of the factory, visit a gift shop, and eat at a restaurant there.
See also
In Spanish: Royal Crown Derby para niños
