Research & Learning

The Adams Lancaster Tankard: A collector's guide

This book is intended as an illustrated guide to the little-known Lancaster Tankard produced by the William Adams potteries over a period of some 100 years. It will give intending collectors and dealers the information they need about the patterns used on the tankard, together with a rarity and pricing structure not currently available anywhere else.The book is grounded on market experience over many years, backed up by research into the original Adams archives held at the V&A Wedgwood Collection at Barlaston in Staffordshire.

Mr Jon Adkin  (Photographer)

The Patriot behind the pot

The Patriot behind the pot: A historical and archaeological study of ceramics, glassware and politics in the Dutch household of the Revolutionary Era: 1780-1815

The Patriot behind the pot tells the story of pottery, people and politics in the Netherlands during a time of great revolutions; revolutions both in a political and industrial sense. This study shows how at the end of the 18th century numerous Dutch people used all kinds of ceramic and glass items in their household as media to convey their political stance in favor of or against the ruling House of Orange. Many of these more than 200 years old politically charged items have been preserved in museum collections. Sporadically, pieces of them are retrieved from archaeological sites as well.

Along with dozens of historical sources and hundreds of other ceramic and glass artifacts that were discarded or lost by their former owners in the same archaeological contexts, these fascinating objects with a certain political meaning have been examined in order to understand the material culture of Dutch Orangists and Patriots in the period around 1800. Apart from a thorough study of late 18th- and early 19th-century ceramics and glassware in the Netherlands, this book presents an extensive catalog of politically charged items from the period 1780-1815. This might help archaeologists, art-historians and collectors to recognize and further study these objects of great historical value.

This book comprises a Master thesis written by Wytze Stellingwerf. In 2017 he graduated at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University. This thesis was nominated for three prizes, respectively the national archaeological W.A. van Es prize, the Leiden University thesis prize and the IISG prize of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. 

The Spode Society Exhibition Catalogue

Following the success of the Spode Society Exhibition held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in November 2021, the Catalogue is available to purchase for the sum of £20 plus postage. In full colour, the 196 pages cover the history of the factory and comprehensive information on over 200 ceramic exhibits from all periods of the Spode and Copeland production. This is an ideal addition for the ceramic collectors’ bookshelf, for museum ceramic departments, auctioneers etc. Enquire and order at contact@spode-society.co.uk.