#18 - The News That Pratt Thought Fit to Print

Potters like Enoch Wood, Davenport and William Smith had been experimenting since the 1830s with the application of multi-colored transfers to dinner wares and tea wares, but it was not until about 1846 that patents were taken out on a polychrome printing process that successfully emulated the look of hand painted wares. Thomas, John and Joseph Mayer and John Ridgway & Co. were among those who made use of the polychrome process, but as time went on it became primarily synonymous with the name of Felix Pratt (F. & R. Pratt & Co). Thus, these wares are commonly know as “Prattware” (not to be confused with the high-fire colored Staffordshire ceramic figures also known as “Prattware”).