Crown Dorset Art Pottery
of Green Road, Poole, Dorset
Charles Collard served his apprenticeship and worked for various potteries.
He then formed a new company, Charles Collard and Co Ltd.
1905 Traded under the name of the Crown Dorset Art Pottery which was registered on 10 March.
The pottery was converted from two houses in Green Road, which leads down to the shore near the Quay at Poole. A long two-storied workshop was erected at the back of the property. The ground floor was fitted out with potters' wheels and the first floor was used for decorating.
The houses were used as a caretaker's lodge, showrooms, general office and Collard's private office/workshop. At the back, drying sheds and kilns were built. In a central yard was the pug mill which was the traditional method of getting clay into workable form.
All the designs were drawn freehand - none of the designs were copied from other potteries. The Crown Dorset Art Pottery claimed to be, above all things, absolutely original in its designs. The decoration was constantly changing, most of it originated by Collard himself. Collard continued with the arts and crafts traditions learned at Aller Vale and made all his own glazes and paints either himself or under his direct supervision.
The pottery was very successful and established itself within years. Collard appears to have had a good head for business as well as artistic ability. He also built up a strong export trade with orders from Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Norway, Australia and Constantinople.
1910 The company's greatest artistic success came when it was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Brussels Exhibition.
1911 Collard won another Gold Medal at the Turin Exhibition. One of his major successes in terms of advertising came when the pottery was awarded the contract by Poole Council to produce coronation mugs. The mugs were given to the children in the area to commemorate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary on 22 June.
1912 On 20 June. Collard married Emily Welsh. after a courtship which had lasted ten years. A few years later their only child, Joan was born.
WWI. The War severely affected all pottery businesses, and Collard decided to sell the business to George Paine in 1915.
1922 Listed Exhibitor. Manufacturers of Pottery, Fancy; Perfumed Pottery, Art Pottery, Terra-cotta. (Stand No. K.12) [1]
1927 The company went into decline and was wound up. When the works finally closed, many of the employees moved to the nearby pottery of Carter, Stabler and Adams.
1930s The pottery was demolished and six houses were built on the site, now known as Green Close.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Honiton Pottery Collectors' Society