Posted 8 days ago
jmillersmugs
(93 items)
Hornsea Pottery was founded by brothers Colin and Desmond Rawson in 1949, initially making Plaster of Paris souvenir items from home. However, after investment from friend Philip Clappison, they bought their first kiln and began to work in clay. Products sold well and in 1950 they moved to larger premises at The Old Hall in the Hornsea Market Place.
Further developments in the 1970s saw John Clappison leaving in 1972 and in 1974, a second factory opened in Lancaster. Here they developed a new Vitramic high-temperature glazing to Vitrification technique, similar to that used in glass making.
This marked the start of the mechanization of production. The first complete tableware made at this site was Contrast, designed by Martin Hunt and sold well into the 1990s. John rejoined the factory in 1976 and created the Impact tableware range.
In its heyday, Hornsea tableware ranges were sold worldwide for over 20 years and many were accepted for inclusion on the Design Centre Index.
In the early 1980s, Hornsea suffered due to the recession and the influx of cheaper foreign imports. The Lancaster factory eventually closed in 1988. In the early 1980s, Clappison designed the fashionable Strata range of trinket boxes in pastel colors, and his People series from this time are now very hard to find. He was made redundant in 1984 and went on to work for Royal Doulton.
Despite continuing to operate in the 1990s, the company eventually went into receivership in the year 2000 and the factory sadly closed for good. The Hornsea Freeport Shopping Village now trades on the site where the old factory buildings once stood.
https://rachelsvintageretro.co.uk/collecting-vintage-hornsea-pottery/
