Alick Woffenden

I found this lovely pot. It's signed Alick Wolfenden but the only reference I can find to him is this that he was a pupil of William Staite Murray and introduced Tom Lochhead to pottery.

Can anyone tell me more.

Thank you.

The sentence in the obituary is a bit random isn't it.

I tried googling that but nothing came up. It came with about 8 other interesting pots. Maybe if I work through all of them it might give me some clues, they are all different potters. Maybe there's a pattern.

Brilliant, thank you so much.

this PhD thesis:

https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8321?show=full

inlcudes an interview with Katie Horsman, in which she describes how she took on Alick's reponsibilities when he was at war, and afterwards, he went to Wigan, and she stayed on as head of ceramics.

"...I went to Hornsley School of Art, and then obtained a free studentship to the
Royal College. The Royal College had just started a scheme (circa 1940) whereby
students could get extra training at a placement at the Wedgwood factory. After
this I did my teacher training and obtained a place in Liverpool City School of
Art 'till 1942. Edinburgh had a good reputation at that time for textile painting I
remember. When I got my appointment at ECA Alick Woffenden was away to
war, and I took his place. On his return, he was offered a job as Head of Wigan
Art School. 1946 was the year of the first Edinburgh Festival and I remember it
clearly, all these new happenings.


The ceramics department was nothing more than a few wheels, and a
mould making room. Wartime restrictions and difficulties made it hard to obtain
good clay, and space became less and less. There were kilns in the 'west shed'
where the bronze casting took place. I remember though that all the heads of
departments were all practising artists, and Herbert Hendrie was head of stained
glass. He of course, became famous for his windows in Liverpool Anglican
Cathedral. On the staff with him were Charlie Blakeman, Jimmy Coull, Stephen
Sykes and Willie Wilson. Poor Herbert Hendrie eventually went blind due to
diabetes."

Thank you again.

NaomiM wrote:I have this one on file (I cant remember where it came from; it was labelled as Woffenden). It said he was "a teacher of ceramics at Edinburgh College of Art"  and is dated 1941

This one is mine Naomi, I posted it on the FB group.

I was contacted by the Scottish Pottery Society as to their knowledge until my post there were no photo's of his work known to exist and they wanted to use them in a talk they giving. There doesn't seem to be any record of an impressed mark being used but the similarity in the bases of both these pieces is striking.

I also found this when I was researching my vase but the book is a little bit beyond my budget. Very interesting that he exhibited in Yorkshire in 1935 alongside the likes of Henry Moore.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/Yorkshire-Group-Artists-Exhibition-11th-June/30786813468/bd

Perhaps I should contact the Scottish Pottery Society. Thank you both for more interesting info.