The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review
February 1, 1922 Pages 229-231
Brown & Steventon, Ltd, Royal Pottery. Market Place, Burslem are now represented by Mr J.E.Holt, at 59, Shoe Lane, EC4, who was good enough, a few days ago, to give the writer an opportunity of inspecting at leisure a full range of this company's productions, which he has recently received form the works and now has on show. It can be said at once that the complete line is such as the average dealer would no doubt regard as almost indispensable if a brisk turnover in popular priced goods is cultivated, for the designs, the services and the miscellaneous additional articles are alike widely diversified, and the prices are always well with the scope of the purses of the classes who represent the majority of the populace. Dinner and toilet ware are two strong points in the range of samples which Mr Holt has recently received from his new earthenware house.
We will make some mention of the toilets first, for we noticed among a very interesting range of samples, very sensibly displayed on Sayer "Ideal" stands along the whole of one side of the showroom, some good new designs which give promise of being ready sellers during the forthcoming Spring season, when toilets are always in maximum demand. Of these two new patterns we are able to convey some impression in the accompanying reproduction of a photograph which we took of them.
To the right of the picture will be seen the No 232 "Blossom" toilet on the "Trent" shape, the main qualities of which we feel sure will be the readily appreciated by all toilet ware buyers. The design is a well balanced one, exhibiting much greater restraint than did many of the toilet patterns of this particular house in years gone by. It bespeaks a careful regard of the improvement in the public taste which is unquestionably come about, if only gradually, and when one remembers that the price of the new service is distinctly moderate, there seems little reason to doubt that it will experience a really good call, and do much to enhance the firm's reputation as a popular toiletware house. This new pattern can be held in several alternative presentations, either with or without an intermittent panel effect in self-coloured pink, green, yellow or blue. Not only is the design quite new, but the shape also, so that the whole scheme of shape and design is something that is quite fresh in its impulse, and likely to give the dealer pause.
Brown & Steventon Ltd, are also making a strong feature of self-coloured toilets, and shaded-litho and stenciled patterns on the new "Trent" shape already referred to, with or without a band of colour at the top. The No with the colour band is 227, and without it 226. They have number of good selling lines also in plain underglazed printed toilets, supplied at a low rate, amongst these deserving a special mention being the Peacock "Clyde", No 100 and the Blue "Lucerne" both being adapted to the "King" shape. The "Rosiare" pattern is another good plain printed toilet, which is offered in either pink or peacock. For an everyday trade in working class neighbourhoods the dealer might go farther and fare worse.
Another inexpensive toilet is the "Shell" shape with decoration "B" the shape having a scalloped top remindful of a seashell, and a prominent embossment, the latter, along with the neck and handle, being simply shaded in bronze-green. Amongst the more ambitious decorations in toiletware must be mentioned the "Daisy" pattern which consists of a fawn shaded ground, now commonly spoken of in most quarters as a "Worcester" ground, with an applied lithograph panel, the shape being one of ornamental characteristics, and the decorative finish involving a studiously elaborate gilding in order to lend the pattern additional 'effect'.
Lastly, in the realm of toilets, we must mention the No 198 decoration on the "Lucerne" shape, a chintz design which is secured by the filling in by hand of an undeglaze print. This is seen on the left hand side of our illustration. Trinkets, with either a squarish or an elongated tray, can be supplied to match any of the toilets, or independently, for Brown & Steventon Ltd, are a strong trinket house. In dinnerware, which seems to compete with the toiletware for pride of place in the firm's output, there is offered the choice of either white or ivory body, and the patterns begin with the most inexpensive, such as the ever-popular "Pheasant" or plain white spiral flute and gilt. In the centre of the illustration will be seen the "Excel" dinner pattern, a smart everyday design that is offered in all the usual printing colours. In the miscellaneous lines, such as cheeses, set of jugs, and art flowerpots, Brown & Steventon Ltd, are specially strong. Mr Holt is prepared to go even farther than this, for he claims they are 'hot' on such lines.
When one examines the firm's range of flow blue and gilt patterns, their coloured chintzes, and some of the other decorative schemes in powerful colour combinations, all produced specially for the benefit of the popular markets, it seems impossible to ignore the fact that the entire line is one that comprises 'the stuff that is wanted just now' - again we quote the words of the firm's London agent, who may be trusted to know all about it, because he has to sell the goods. The firm's new samples are certainly well worthy of a studied inspection, and any dealer who happens to be 'in town' within the next few weeks will be well advised to make No 59 Shoe Lane EC, a predetermined place of call.
