Re: Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery

by **NaomiM** Tue May 23, 2023 12:29 pm

philpot wrote:Even MORE so Naomi, Eastop left circa 1960. It makes it even more interesting to know who the other person was.

I think it's Anne Blakiston (also called Anne Blakiston-Houston) who had an AB mark and was there from 1961.
Since Geoffrey Eastop left in 1960 it's possible Blakiston was asked to finish the set

Another one earlier on the thread with Alan Caiger Smith's mark, and a 1960 date mark -

https://www.20thcenturyforum.com/t3346p75-aldermaston-pottery#149370

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Caiger12

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Caiger15

by **NaomiM** Fri Jun 23, 2023 2:37 pm

Possibly by Juliet Wilson

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_3210

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_3214

Catherine Bennett -

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_3211

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_3215

by **philpot** Mon Jul 10, 2023 3:51 am

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1199

Ab Alan Caiger Smith mug and vessel from the Bill Ismay collection at COCA York.

by **philpot** Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:45 pm

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Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1269

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The following photos are taken from Mallams of Oxford October 2007 Studio sale and retirement. Aldermaston pottery closed for the last time in 2006. Alan Caiger Smith being then 76.
Prices were expensive. I actually bought one lot of three pieces. Two of which I still have, and much loved.
The Lot here was No 40 in the sale. A 12.5 square vapoured lustre dish made in 1978. Hammer

by **philpot** Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:53 pm

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Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1270

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From the Alan Caiger Smith retirement sale in October 2007 at Mallams.
A gypsy bowl in soft red lustre, painted inside , outside and underneath. Made 1986, Hammer price was £1400

by **philpot** Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:56 pm

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1271

Lot 67. The Mallams Alan Caiger Smith retirement sale in October 2007.
A pair of Owl Plates decorated in Red Gold Lustre in 2005. Hammer price was £750.

by **philpot** Mon Sep 11, 2023 1:00 pm

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1272

THE GREEN MAN.A hand modelled Relief wall plaque 13 in across.1997, Hamer price was £380

by **philpot** Mon Sep 11, 2023 1:03 pm

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Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_1273

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Lot 103. A hand modelled group of the supper in Emmaus,. White clay with yellow glaze 2001 8.5 ins across. A very unusual piece for Alan Caig120er Smith. Hammer price was £

by Cat Fri Sep 15, 2023 2:02 pm

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 B699a110

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 5c1a1f10

Similar to one earlier in the thread that I think someone referred to as a milk just wondering if anyone knows who the mark refers to? Also has a squiggle I used, is this a date mark? Thanks!

by **22 Crawford St.** Fri Sep 15, 2023 2:10 pm

Which page is the other one?

For me not 100% this is pure Aldermaston and not a disciple post Aldermaston?

by Cat Fri Sep 15, 2023 2:17 pm

Hi thanks for the reply. Page four a little way down I think.

by **22 Crawford St.** Fri Sep 15, 2023 2:59 pm

I'm undecided, the pale colours yellows and greens were all solid never seen such a pale washed out colour scheme, happy to be proven wrong but along with the mark (I can't see it on the list) would side with a disciple.

Wait a bit and the others will comment

by **denbydump** Fri Sep 15, 2023 4:03 pm

I think I agree with Crawford. Can't see the mark.

by **NaomiM** Fri Sep 15, 2023 5:04 pm

Definitely Aldermaston, imo. The mark will be a combination of A for Aldermaston and a letter from their first or last name. We don’t have a definitive list of apprentice marks so it may not be identifiable. The incised S is probably the first letter of their Surname

by Cat Fri Sep 15, 2023 5:32 pm

Thanks that’s good to know! It does in almost every respect look like an Aldermaston, so I was pretty sure it was. Could do with a more extensive list of marks!

by **NaomiM** Fri Sep 15, 2023 5:50 pm

Sadly the original potters who worked there are dying off

Edited to add some info via Julian Bellmont about a set of Aldermaston tiles:

"The pottery used to buy unglazed tiles and paint 6" and 41/4" in regular tin glaze and also 2" ones in lustre. We would all paint tiles from time to time to keep stocks full. Apart from the larger 6" lustre tile they look like stock patterns"

by **philpot** Fri Sep 15, 2023 5:59 pm

The definitive list is in the Jane White book Alan Caiger Smith and the Aldermaston Legacy. I just cannot see anything like this signature in there. Even allowing for the freehand nature I cannot match it with nu signature.
On the other hand, there are ten names in the Jane Smith book that do not have a mark attributed to them.

by **NaomiM** Tue Nov 14, 2023 5:05 pm

Alan Caiger-Smith lidded pot with date mark for 1961, unfortunately missing its lid

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_5815

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_5816

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 Img_5814

by **denbydump** Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:10 pm

NaomiM wrote:Definitely Aldermaston, imo. The mark will be a combination of A for Aldermaston and a letter from their first or last name. We don’t have a definitive list of apprentice marks so it may not be identifiable. The incised S is probably the first letter of their Surname

I'm wondering if these incised letters are conventional thrower's marks, as they are underglaze.
Did all the decorators just decorate? If so, who threw the pots?

A couple more examples here of incised letters.

https://www.20thcenturyforum.com/t3346p275-aldermaston-pottery#205020

https://www.20thcenturyforum.com/t3346p275-aldermaston-pottery#211969

by **NaomiM** Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:32 pm

Some of the Aldermaston apprentices stayed on at the pottery so should probably be called employees, and marked their pots with incised or stamped monograms - Julian Bellmont, for example used a stamped J on his pots - presumably because other apprentices then practiced decorating them, (although often the thrower decorated the pot aswell), so they have the potter's or potters' written monogram, with A included in it for Aldermaston, and their personal stamped or incised monogram

by **denbydump** Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:39 pm

Yes, but what I was suggesting was, were there throwers there who didn't decorate,
but just threw pots for the others to decorate?

by **NaomiM** Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:42 pm

No, it was too small for that. The pottery had a few longtime employees, but most were short term apprentices, and they all had to chip in and make the Aldermaston standard ware from start to finish

by **philpot** Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:17 am

Aldermaston Pottery itself officially closed closed in 1993. But a number of the potters stayed on. These included Alan Caiger Smith, Andrew Hazelden, Charlotte Davis, Myra Mcdonnel, Ursula Waechter, and Nick Caiger Smith. All over various periods. They had a name sign as Aldermastom Pottery. But it was roughly loose cooperative. They all worked independently, but shared the general running costs and the general running of the workshop. It finally was closed in 2006.Over 13 years a lot of unusual marks might have occurred.

by **vanmann** Sat Nov 18, 2023 2:10 pm

This is a Caiger -Smith lustre bowl I picked up recently

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 20230716

Alan Caiger-Smith and apprentices, Aldermaston Pottery - Page 14 20230717

by **philpot** Sat Nov 18, 2023 4:21 pm

All the Alan Caiger Smith pieces are mixed up in the Aldermaston thread,
https://www.20thcenturyforum.com/t3346-aldermaston-pottery?highlight=aldermaston

That is is an absolutely gorgeous piece. Lucky you! You do not see many of his Blue lustre pieces. What size is it?

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