Pottery Ladies. Miss Cooper, Miss Cliff, Miss Rhead and all the forgotten girls...... (Susie Cooper) - ACE156.2

Susie Cooper OBE, saying that she’d wanted to produce ceramics "for people who had taste but didn’t necessarily have a deep pocket", things for people to use. Teapot and coffee pot in the "kestrel" shape. Cooper VO talking about experimenting with glazes and wanting simpler, functional shapes. Gordon Elliot, a ceramic historian, talking about effects of Wall Street Crash, etc., on British pottery manufacturers. Two paintresses talking about employment problems. Cooper on Gordon Forsyth’s reaction to her ideas. Ann Eatwell of the Victoria & Albert Museum suggesting that Cooper would have been helped by her acquaintance with both Forsyth and A. E. Grey. She shows a hand-painted piece, designed by Cooper for Grey around 1926. Cooper talks about Grey’s reaction to her setting up on her own. Photograph of Cooper around 1930. Eatwell says it was an artistic decision for her to start her own business. Elliot on the need to introduce something distinctive in order to make a mark in the industry. Paintress talking about the kestrel shape. A kestrel coffee pot with a leaping deer decoration. Cooper demonstrates how the lid of the coffee pot holds in place when the pot is tipped up; she shows how the design of a teapot spout helps it to pour well. Paintress talking about the Cooper pottery not being factory-like. Paintress painting, watched by Cooper, talking about learning brushstrokes. Paintress talking about Cooper showing her how to do simple brushstrokes. Paintress saying that the Cooper pottery was different from others. Paintress (Nora Dobbs) talking about starting work. Cooper painting cup. Talks about the paintresses first employed; one, Mary Taylor, "the spot queen", evolved technique for doing fine dots – examples. Cooper talks about creating a technique that maximises output for the minimum of outlay. Cooper and Dobbs painting leaf designs.