Established 1781
LEEDS POTTERY was founded in Leeds in 1770 by brothers John and Joshua Green in partnership with Richard Humble. Success soon came with the production of household goods in a variety of ceramic bodies, the most popular being CREAMWARE, a type of earthenware made by several companies from white Cornish Clay with a translucent glaze, producing the pale cream colour from which it took its name. In an age when the rediscovery of Rome's classic past brought a new elegance to design and ornament, pottery from Leeds with its fine embossing and intricately pierced open-work decoration reached a peak of perfection.
An Example of the CreamWare Range. A Square Strawberry Dish
BY 1781 William Hartley had added his design and business expertise to the Green brothers' production skills and under the name Hartley Greens & Co the company flourished, expanding its trade across Europe and into Russia. Such was its success that from then on Creamware would also be known as Leedsware
An example of the Creamware Range. A Small Pierced Vase
In the 19th century after the death of its founders the different tastes of the Victorian era brought a gradual decline in business, leading eventually to the Pottery's closure in 1878. Despite the later demolition of the kilns and buildings, surviving moulds and clues from pattern books together with fine examples of Leeds pieces in local museums enabled production of Creamware to the original designs to continue to this day.
Example of the Creamware Range: Pierced Flower Basket
MODERN technology is now used to ensure that the pottery is consistently produced and fired to the highest standard, whilst jolleying, piercing and assembly are still carried out by hand, giving each piece a freshness and character of its own. The wide range created from the original moulds is now being extended to include new items inspired by 18th century pattern books. While older pieces of Leedsware take pride of place in numerous museums, today Hartley Greens & Co continues to bring pottery from the most elegant period in English history to a new generation of admirers.
An example of the Creamware Range. A small Pot Pourri
History Being Made Today
Each piece of pottery maintains its own identity, as it passes through the experienced hands of Hartley Green’s potters. Every detail of the manufacturing process is meticulously controlled by the pottery’s quality control routines, from the raw clay stage, through moulding to intricate piercing, to glazing, all crafted by hand. It takes a keen eye and a very steady hand to delicately form the clay into the beautiful patterns necessary to follow the traditional designs of yesteryear. Every single pot exquisitely patterned to follow the original design in every way. Each piece truly a work of art, ready to enhance the most discriminating person’s collection.
Example of the Creamware Range: Trinket Box
