Wedgwood blue jasperware 1953 Queen Elizabeth II coronation teapot available at Time Was Antiques
Today, October 3, 2014, Wedgwood announced that the Wedgwood collection of 80,000 items that was scheduled to again be broken up and sent to auction, has been saved by donations of all sizes prior to it's deadline of Nov. 30th.
1930s Wedgwood teaset in Cretan pattern designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones
I last reported on this in Jan of 2012, when the crisis was averted from another auction threat. . .
by businessman and Wedgwood lover Peter Caudwell who spearheaded a campaign to save the collection. The collection was dear to my heart from many awestruck visits to the Wedgwood Museum at the Barlastan, Staffordshire pottery on our annual English trips. The pottery and museum, which was being closed in 2011, had been ordered to sell the collection to fund the existing pension scheme. to read that account on my blog...Time Was Antiques ....click HERE
from my archives/collection
1870s biscuit jar available at Antiques And Teacups
Statement form Wedgwood about the current fundraising success...
"The Collection contains over 80,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts and letters, pattern books and photographs covering the 250-year history of Wedgwood. We plan to gift the Collection to the V&A and for it to remain on display at the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston, near Stoke. It will lie at the heart of a major new visitor experience at the museum, as part of Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton's (WWRD) £34m redevelopment of the factory site – set for completion in spring 2015."
I couldn't be more pleased. Wedgwood is responsible for many breakthoughs in the pottery industry over a long history.
To read the current account of the fund raising...which included donations collected by contemporary potteries like Emma Bridgewater...click HERE
And to see a Wedgwood slideshow of 10 important items from the collection with their history...click HERE
To read more about the Wedgwood Collection, click HERE
Well done!!!!
Meanwhile in the uk it's so out of fashion that apart from the big bucks collector pieces you can barely give it away, my mother has tons because most of the family worked in the stoke on Trent potteries
ReplyDeleteBravo!
ReplyDeleteSo glad it's going to stay together ... at least for now!
ReplyDelete