This year marks the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the porcelain works located at Caughley near to Broseley. Many of you will be aware of the fine display in the Shropshire Gallery.
In 1972 an exhibition was arranged by Michael Messenger, the then Shrewsbury Borough Librarian and Museum Manager to commemorate the Bi-centinary of the works. This was held in Town Library, Castle Gates and was located on the first floor Art Gallery.
Many of the early patterns were hand painted but to speed up production the use of transfers was introduced. This involved the engraving of the design onto copper plates and printing an impression onto fine transfer paper this being known as “pulls”. This was cut out and applied to the blank porcelain.
Three of the original copper plates still exist today and are located at the British Museum but are not on display. Michael Messenger arranged for pulls to be made from these plates and these were displayed as part of the 1972 exhibition. These pulls still exist in the Shrewsbury Museum collection.
The illustrations show the pulls. Firstly at the top of this page, from plate 308 in the Willow Nanking Pattern, these would be used for teapots. Secondly, above, from plate 79 the Fisherman pattern and lastly from plate 385 the Temple Pattern.
The reader should be aware that these are obverse prints which when applied to be item of porcelain would be the correct way around.
John Benbow
