Funding boost for historic museum pottery collection
Ceramics showcased in revamped cabinets
HISTORIC ceramics can now be displayed in new cabinets – after a grant was secured from a £1.2m community fund.
The Dudson Museum in Hanley boasts a collection of ceramics telling the story of three centuries of pottery-making at the family firm.
The site – run by volunteer group VAST – needed new display cabinets to show off the ware as the old ones were ‘beyond repair’.
Now funding has been secured from the Community Investment Fund distributed by Stoke-on-trent City Council.
Facilities manager Jackie Wheeler said: “It’s fantastic news that we have secured the funding for the cabinets.
“Those which are currently in the museum are over 20 years old and many of them are beyond repair.
“New cabinets will enable the museum to showcase the collection to the increasing number of visitors whilst also ensuring it is safely protected.”
The iconic Dudson Museum is housed in a Grade II listed bottle oven at the heart of The Dudson Centre in Hanley.
It houses a fascinating collection of ceramics revealing the history of Dudson pottery from its humble beginnings in 1800, through its development and enormous expansion, to the devastating closure of the business in 2019.
The collection, still owned by the Dudson family, tells the story of the business over the centuries as it remained entirely family owned, responding to the changing world around it to become one of the premier supplies of hotel ware across the world.
VAST took over management of the Museum in 2019, securing funding to improve and develop the experience for pottery enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as local ceramic lovers and schools.
Children’s school holiday activities are also hugely popular, as is Mrs Potts, the museum’s very own storyteller.
VAST are one of 53 organisations across the city to benefit from the £1.2m. The Dudson Museum is currently open Tuesday to Thursday from 10am until 3pm.
There is also a gift shop selling books and souvenirs, and an on-site café serving lunches, snacks, and home-baked cakes.