A TALE OF TWO JOSIAHS

Contemporaries Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95) and Josiah Spode (1733-97) brought radical change to the pottery industry

WEDGWOOD, fascinated by science, invented a range of products and techniques that appealed far beyond the UK. Catherine the Great ordered the green Frog Service, with 50 settings. Keen to corner the nobility, with his inventions of black basalt, jasper, creamware and green glaze, Wedgwood was also swift to recognise the expanding middle classes’ enthusiasm for aping the upper echelons of society, and pioneered cheaper production methods using emulation effects. He was a major supporter of the construction of the Trent & Mersey Canal, recognising that his goods could be transported more safely by water, rather than being bumped over the roads. Wedgwood was a great salesman, too: his products were on display in his London showroom and he led the way with money-back guarantees, free delivery, catalogues and BOGOF deals. Fun fact: Charles Darwin was his grandson.

SPODE was the orphaned son of a pauper, who worked his way up from being an apprentice to founding the eponymous brand that still bears his name today. He is credited with two key innovations to the pottery industry: an improved formula for porcelain, and a perfected blue underglaze transfer printing. Chinoiserie was in high demand, and the Brits didn’t know how to produce it to Chinese standards and at the same speed. Spode’s development meant that they now could, and others duly followed suit. Spode’s Blue Italian range is still produced today, at a factory 500m from where Josiah’s stood. He worked closely with his son, also called Josiah, who was a gifted salesman, and they made a fantastic team: the craftsman father and the entrepreneurial son.