The Dudson Collection
Stepping inside one of only a few publicly accessible bottle ovens in Stoke-on-Trent, you’ll find our very own Dudson treasure trove.
The converted bottle oven is still standing on the original factory site and is home to over 1,300 exhibits bringing more than two hundred years of Dudson ceramics to life.
As you enter, the Grade II-listed kiln reveals the dazzling Dudson Collection.
Staffordshire Figures
Often coming in groups or pairs, Staffordshire figures took the country by storm in the early Victorian era, brightening up homes across Staffordshire, and beyond. From people, to scenes, to spaniels, these delicate-looking figurines continued to be popular into the 1900’s.
Jasperware
Dudson Jasperware began production in the 1830’s and continued to be a hugely popular product line for almost a century and a half. Jasperware included many different products, things like vases, jugs, and cups. The large, beautiful, and finely decorated cheese dishes were very popular, especially with the wealthier customers who were able to consider aesthetics as well as functionality.
Ebony and Jet Ware
These Ebony and Jet wares are black-glazed ceramics of various styles. These ranges included both functional and decorative pieces that were, more often than not, adorned with fine patterns and images.
Conquering the Catering and Hospitality Industry
In the early days, the original Dudson factory was relatively small, but as the products had to change with the times, so did the factory. It inevitably expanded beyond what the Dudson family back then could have ever hoped for!
As rail shipping became more widely accessible and shipping lanes flourished, in 1882 James Thomas Dudson returned from a trip abroad with an idea: why not start producing ceramics for the hospitality industry? It turned out to be the best of ideas, and it quickly solidified the future of the company.
As production moved away from the more decorative pieces like Staffordshire Figures and Jasperware, Dudson began to manufacture more durable and profitable tableware.
Dudson hospitality wares proved immensely popular, and by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign,the company were supplying catering ceramics to hotels, restaurants, trains, and even cruise liners.
The company continued to specialise in this market and exhibits on show in the Dudson Museum trace the fascinating changes in size, style and colour-theme led by the demands of the catering industry, the nation’s eating habits, and ‘food fashion.’
More recently, Dudson produced high quality innovative shapes and brightly coloured products for major hotels and restaurant chains. The plain white remained ever popular with renowned chefs however; they tended to prefer a blank canvas to display their artistic creations.
The Dudson story is told through the numerous displays, information boards and other historical artefacts throughoout the Dudson Centre and Museum. For a walkthrough guide, please ask at Reception when you arrive at the Dudson Centre, and take a trip through time from the start of the Dudson Journey, right up to the company’s closure in 2019.
The Dudson Museum is a project of VAST Services (1920).