Professor Jonathan Mallinson on William Moorcroft

William Moorcroft (1872–1945), one of Britain’s most significant studio potters, appeared twice on the BBC website in the same week this summer.

The first report covered the rescue of Moorcroft Pottery, the Stoke-on-Trent firm founded by William Moorcroft in 1913, after a member of the Moorcroft family stepped in to save the modern factory from liquidation (BBC News). The second reported the sale at auction of a William Moorcroft vase for a world-record price for one of his ceramic works (BBC News).

Following this coverage, Open Book Publishers invited Jonathan Mallinson, Emeritus Fellow of Trinity College, to write a blog post placing the news in historical context. His piece, “Looking forward, looking back: William Moorcroft in the news”, is published on the Open Book Publishers blog.

Jonathan Mallinson is the author of William Moorcroft, Potter: Individuality by Design, published by Open Book Publishers and available in print and as an open-access digital publication.