"If it's not 'Made in England', it's not Wedgwood"

Following this post quoting the Sentinel article by Thomas D. and Thomas R. Wedgwood I would like to urge all readers of this blog to show your support for their stand. Insist on English Wedgwood and make your feelings known.

Write to:

Customer Service,

WWRD Ltd,

Barlaston,

Stoke-upon-Trent,

ST12 9ES

info@wedgwood.com

Know your Back-Stamps:

Products Made in Staffordshire England" will be marked "Made in England."

  

Products outsourced and produced Indonesia will just have "Wedgwood England" with no explicit country of origin. 

Wedgwood's 250th Anniversary 1759-2009

A bitter sweet day for the Wedgwood clan today (May 1st) as Wedgwood's 250th Anniversary is formally celebrated. 250 years ago today a young Josiah Wedgwood set up business for himself at the Ivy House Works, property rented from his cousins John and Thomas Wedgwood of the Big House, Burslem.

Despite the efforts of members of the family to buy the company when it went into administration in January, it was bought by Private Equity outfit KPS. Their new vision is for just the Visitor Centre and a small manufactory presence producing “Prestige Items”. Royal Worcester did the same – to no great effect.

According to the BBC, Lord Wedgwood, now apparently taking the KPS shilling, officially launched the festivities. The Award winning Wedgwood Museum, independent of the company and deserving of our continued support has set admission at a special anniversary entry price of £2.50 per person, instead of the usual £9.50, from today until Monday.

Wedgwood 250

I know that members of the Wedgwood family associated with the recent bid for the old family firm have plans for a commemoration of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons' 250th Anniversary. In America advance plans are already in pace, Lord Wedgwood - a US resident and Brand Ambassador - is associated with the Commemorative Exhibition planned for Washington D.C. in the Autumn (or should I say "Fall"). The following information is from: http://www.wedgwood250usa.org/

The year 2009 marks the 250^th anniversary of Josiah Wedgwood’s company founding in 1759. The Wedgwood-250 Exhibition USA Committee is pleased to announce its commemoration plans for a major exhibit and ceremony to take place in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. The Wedgwood collecting community and the Wedgwood company are collaborating with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum and Society in staging “Wedgwood: 250 Years of Innovation and Artistry”. 

This exhibition will run from 3 October 2009 through 27 February 2010 at the DAR Museum and will showcase a broad range of select items illustrating the company's unique history and manufacturing. All eras from 1759 to 2009, the wide variety of clay bodies and designs, and the numerous categories of items produced will be represented, with the objects being drawn from North American private, museum, and celebrity collections. The program will also offer a monthly lecture series, presented by noted Wedgwood authorities, over the period of the exhibition. And there will be special prestige ware and commemorative objects for sale. 

In addition, a full-color catalogue, featuring all the objects in the exhibit, a Wedgwood historical introduction written by a famed author, underwriter advertisements, sponsor, benefactor and lender listings, and more, will be produced. This catalogue will be funded by sponsors and benefactors who will be duly recognized in both the catalogue and onsite acknowledgement board during this five-month exhibition. Donations starting at $100 are being accepted now. Those making a contribution of $1000 or higher will be invited to join lenders, celebrities, and dignitaries at the opening ceremony – an afternoon tea and private viewing – on October 2, 2009 at the DAR Memorial Continental Hall and Museum. The planned highlight will be the British Ambassador presenting a specially commissioned Wedgwood gift to the White House.

For more information on the event and how you may become a benefactor, call 703.437.7997 or email WSofWDC@aol.com. We welcome your participation in this once-in-a-lifetime milestone event.