Wedgwood Society of Boston

Author: Jonathan Dowse

  • Meeting 5/15/2022: Wedgwood’s Studio Potters

    Wedgwood’s Studio Potters: An Overview and Conversation

    Two vases, one openwork and one solid, and one tall cup, all with neutral finishes.

    Please join us on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, for this exciting video-conferenced lecture by Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, PhD, Director of Collections & Exhibitions and Curator of Decorative Arts, Birmingham Museum of Art.

    Since 1759, Wedgwood has understood the need to keep things fresh by employing artists to provide patterns and designs for production, and this tradition continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Fast forward to the 1960’s – a dynamic period for British ceramics. Emerging from the shadows of World War II, the British pottery industry was able to reestablish itself as a force in visual culture. The period produced a demand for mass-produced wares in contemporary styles suitable for modern interiors. At the same time, those craft values so important during the early twentieth-century studio pottery movement once again came to the forefront. Anne will provide context for Wedgwood production in the mid-20th century, and will talk about Wedgwood’s studio pottery initiative and the artists who were involved.

    Members, please visit the Members Zone for the Zoom link to be posted a week prior to the meeting. If you are not a member, we welcome you to join the WSB. Visit the Become a Member page.

  • NYCU – Facebook

    Facebook: Are you aware there are eight Facebook group pages dedicated to the Wedgwood topic? Go to our Links page to view the list. There you will have access to more than 50 other Wedgwood-related sites as well. And don’t forget to visit the WSB’s own Facebook page with new postings made on a frequent basis.

    Variety of light blue jasperware pieces on mantelpiece in front of similarly colored wall.

  • Newsletter highlights – Feb. 2022

    February 2022

    The Sydney Cove Medallion

    A cream-colored medallion.
    A deep blue jasper medallion.

    The most famous of Josiah Wedgwood’s medallion creations is the anti-slavery one. The second is the ‘Sydney Cove Medallion’, made in 1789, and is of historical significance to both Wedgwood and Australia. This article canvasses how the medallion was made, and also covers other important Australian-themed pieces.

    Bits & Pieces

    Here you will see what members present as their select Wedgwood to share with all. The article reveals some of the more obscure, rare, and beautiful objects in private collections.

    White-colored bust of a man.
    An elliptical greenish-gray jasper medallion.

  • Previous – Wörlitz by Harwood Johnson

    Wörlitz by Harwood Johnson

    Having visited Wörlitz in Germany, Woody Johnson shared the history and images of the Wedgwood objects acquired by Leopold III Friedrich Franz, Prince von Anhalt-Dessau (1740–1817). The 18th century palace and its collections still stand intact to this day. The example here is a pair of Wedgwood & Bentley variegated vases on basalt plinths.

    Two blue-green variegated vases with gold-colored details.

  • Previous – Classic Black by Brian Gallagher

    Classic Black by Brian Gallagher

    Grayish-black sculpture of a sleeping baby.

    Curator Brian Gallagher of the Mint Museum, Charlotte, N.C., presented “Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries,” an exhibit he staged along with an accompanying book. Shown here is Somnus (the sleeping baby).

  • Meeting 3/13/2022: Reichner Collection

    Blue jasperware collection arrayed on sideboard.

    On Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 P.M., members and collectors Bob & Lucie Reichner will treat us to a guided video tour of their spectacular and eclectic Wedgwood collections displayed throughout their home. This will be presented via Zoom and members will receive an email with link to the session the week prior.

  • 2021–2022 Meeting & Lecture Schedule

    Sunday September 12, 2021 – 2:00 P.M. Dr. Nancy Ramage, Professor Emerita, Ithaca College: “Wedgwood and the Giustiniani Pottery: Greek and Roman influences from Naples and Pompeii”

    Sunday, October 3, 2021 – 2:00 P.M. Peggy Kerner: “An Afternoon with Peggy: The Kerner Collection, A House Tour”

    Sunday, November 14, 2021 – 4:00 P.M. Live and direct from Australia, Colin Jones: “Wedgwood’s Sydney Cove Medallion and Other Australian Flavor”

    Sunday, January 16, 2022 – 2:00 P.M. Members’ Bits and Pieces: “Pieces That Have Never or Rarely Been Shown or Illustrated”

    Sunday, February 13, 2022 – 2:00 P.M. Dr. Thomas Michie, Curator Emeritus, Boston MFA: “George Washington Wales: Boston’s Pre-eminent 19th Century Ceramics Collector & MFA Wedgwood Donor”

    Sunday, March 13, 2022 – 2:00 P.M. Bob and Lucie Reichner: “The Reichner Collection: A Combination of Good Decorating and Obsessive Compulsion”

    Sunday, May 15, 2022 – 2:00 P.M. The Elizabeth Chellis Memorial Lecture: Dr. Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, Chief Curator, Birmingham MofA: “Wedgwood’s Studio Potters: An Overview and Conversation”; and Annual General Meeting