CHURCHILLIANA "IN WHAT SHAPE THEY CHOOSE" —John Milton, "Paradise Lost" DOUGLAS J. HALL FINEST HOUR IOS/46
British potteries were prohibited under wartime regulations from producing decorated china for <strong>the</strong> home market. Making a virtue out <strong>of</strong> necessity, designers added interest to plain white "utility" tableware through <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> shape <strong>and</strong> form. They were permitted, indeed encouraged, to use a st<strong>and</strong>ard sepia portrait transfer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Prime Minister. They were also permitted to add a gold rim line (usually, in fact, relatively inexpensive gold lustre) which, whilst decorative, was reckoned to have <strong>the</strong> functional purpose <strong>of</strong> protecting <strong>the</strong> vulnerable edges <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> piece against chipping. And <strong>the</strong>y were allowed to use a limited range <strong>of</strong> tinted clay bodies, normally cream or pale green, in place <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ard whiteware. Apart from those three very modest concessions to colour decoration it was <strong>the</strong> pottery designers' bold use <strong>of</strong> innovative shapes which saved <strong>the</strong> wartime British dining table from becoming a plain <strong>and</strong> drab board. Many different potteries were involved in <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> "utility" tableware bearing <strong>the</strong> ap- . proved <strong>Churchill</strong> portrait transfer. In most cases <strong>the</strong> individual pieces were unmarked but <strong>the</strong> following backstamps can be found: Gray's Pottery, Stoke-on- Trent; Lancaster's, Hanley; Newhall, Hanley; Paragon China; Skerrett's, Hanley; Su<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong> China; <strong>and</strong> Wellington China, Longton. Many potteries had wholly or partly been given over to <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> industrial ceramics needed for <strong>the</strong> war effort. There was a huge dem<strong>and</strong> for all clay products—bricks, tiles, sanitary fittings, drainpipes <strong>and</strong> conduits—for <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> factories, barracks, aerodromes, hospitals <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r essential premises, as well as for <strong>the</strong> repair <strong>of</strong> bomb-damaged buildings. In addition, <strong>the</strong> potteries were called upon to supply highly specialised ceramic items Mr. Hall is FHs Features Editor. He may be reached at Somerby House, 183A Somerby Hill, Granthan, Lines., Engl<strong>and</strong> NG3 17HA, such as laboratory porcelain, electrolytic cells, sparking plugs, insulators, filters <strong>and</strong> chemical stoneware. The Times estimated that up until 1939 <strong>the</strong> potteries had been supplying 100 million pieces <strong>of</strong> tableware per year simply to replace normal day-to-day breakages in British households. From 1940, that requirement was substantially increased by <strong>the</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> for crockery for <strong>the</strong> armed forces, factory canteens <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> newly established British Restaurants,* as well as <strong>the</strong> need to replace domestic tableware smashed by <strong>the</strong> Luftwaffe. The potteries met <strong>the</strong> challenge in spite <strong>of</strong> significantly reduced resources for <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> tableware—<strong>the</strong>ir labour force had been reduced to less than half <strong>the</strong> prewar figure—<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> difficulties caused by bombing <strong>and</strong> restrictions on <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> fuel for firing <strong>the</strong> kilns. The potteries clearly shaped up. These wartime "utility" pieces are <strong>of</strong>ten found at <strong>the</strong> antiques fairs. The commonplace items can be purchased for £20/$30 or less but <strong>the</strong> more unusual designs may cost much, much more. For example <strong>the</strong> pale green Paragon China cup <strong>and</strong> saucer set with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Churchill</strong> portrait transfer inside <strong>the</strong> cup (far right in top lefth<strong>and</strong> photo), has been seen in a wellknown London Wl emporium at £225/$335. *A hastily established nationwide chain <strong>of</strong> premises serving basic meals which were styled by Prime Ministerial decree. In The Second World War, Volume 3, <strong>Churchill</strong> reproduced his memor<strong>and</strong>um <strong>of</strong> 21 March 1941 to <strong>the</strong> Minister <strong>of</strong> Food, Lord Woolton: "I hope <strong>the</strong> term 'Communal Feeding Centres' is not going to be adopted. It is an odious expression, suggestive <strong>of</strong> Communism <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> workhouse. I suggest you call <strong>the</strong>m 'British Restaurants.' Everybody associates <strong>the</strong> word 'restaurant' with a good meal, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y may as well have <strong>the</strong> name if <strong>the</strong>y cannot get anything else. WSC." » FINEST HOUR 108/47
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