Pottery Ladies. Miss Cooper, Miss Cliff, Miss Rhead and all the forgotten girls...... (Bizarre Girls) - ACE153.4

Elliott on Cliff’s early career. Photo of Clarice Cliff working as a paintress. Elliott explains that Cliff went to A J Wilkinson as a lithographer and was discovered one day "playing around" with some substandard pottery. Ethel Cliff explains how Clarice decided to cover faults in this substandard pottery with thickly painted designs so that it would be sold. Examples of Cliff designs. Ethel Cliff. Davies. The Clarice Cliff "Bizarre" trademark, and examples of the geometrically decorated pottery. "Bad potting inspired good design." Elliott explains that the pottery director saw potential in Cliff’s work and arranged fro her to do more. Ethel Cliff. More Cliff designs; more women. Gladys Scarlett (Broad) explains how they got students from the art school – including four boys – to work with them. Melbourne says that the industry was wary of the Bizarre work at Newport. Design. Gladys Scarlett (Broad) talking about the growth in this group from her and Cliff alone to a total of seventy. Group of pottery women chatting and looking at photos, etc. Newspaper page of photographs. Women chatting and trying to identify people in the photos. Another published photo of women at work. The women. Melbourne explains that the numbers of people involved meant that they could turn out ware in relatively large quantities (and at low cost because of low wages). Paintress says they earned 5/7d (roughly 28p) a week. Paintresses: they were paid 5/9d a week (29p) during six months apprenticeship. Photo of pottery buildings with women leaving work. Paintress talks about deductions for training. Paintress describes her earnings: 6/0d (30p) a week for six months, eventually moving up to a take-home of 15/0d (75p), even after a third of her earnings had been deducted for her apprenticeship. Cooper was "brought down to earth" by the "unforeseen side" of the work. Melbourne believes that Cliff, Cooper and Rhead all acknowledged the debt they owed to the School. He thinks that there would have been less recognition at the time of their creative talents, though they would have been seen as energetic leaders of a new movement. Credits.