Pottery Ladies. Miss Cooper, Miss Cliff, Miss Rhead and all the forgotten girls...... (Bizarre Girls) - ACE153.3

Melbourne talks about how skilful and artistically mature many of the students were. Works by I Woodings aged 15 (1928), by A Awty aged 15 (1929), Norah Gibson, aged 15 (1928). Paintress showing a fruit stand. Paintress. Tunstall School of Art. Display of plates and other pieces. Woman in fancy dress – part of group photo. Gladys Scarlett (Broad) with some of her work. Gordon Elliot – a ceramic historian, with examples of work from different periods, suggesting they were influences on the work of Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper who would have come across them through the interest of the Stoke-on-Trent superintendent of arts, Gordon Forsyth. Melbourne talks about Gordon Forsyth. Photos of Forsyth. Melbourne’s VO describes Forsyth’s links between the art schools and industry. Melbourne explains that Forsyth was friends with the editor of the local newspaper, and thus could maintain a flow of news stories about Burslem School of Art. Newspaper photos of students. Paintress explains how she got a job with Charlotte Rhead through a letter of introduction from Gordon Forsyth. Melbourne explains that Forsyth was able to get manufacturers to support the art schools. Susie Cooper talking about a showcase in the middle of the school in which there was a collection of lustre vases designed and produced by Forsyth. Vases. Cooper explains that Forsyth suggested she go to work for A E Gray, where he had been when he designed these vases. Vase. Cooper was able to do her own work on time-work basis rather than on piece rates as she had started out. Elliott explains that it would have been unusual for a manufacturer to employ a designer at this date; most firms relied on their decorating managers, or bought in designs or transfer prints. Photo of women with transfers. Cooper says there were no new ideas at the time. Photo of woman working on lithograph stone. Cooper. Details of decoration: key border, blue band, Victoria green. Cooper describing other designs. A "Paris" jug in the "Moon and Mountains" pattern designed by Cooper. Cooper and some of her work. Pieces from a coffee service by Cooper. Cooper with some of these pieces, agreeing that the industry was "desperately" conservative.
Elliott talks about Cooper’s background compared with that of Clarice Cliff. Photo of Cooper in the early days.