| Back in 1846 Thomas Goodwin Green, son of a | | | | of who at TG Green came up with the idea of |
| Lincolnshire corn merchant, had a fancy for a | | | | turning this type of pottery into a modern |
| lady by the name of Mary Tenniel (sister of | | | | range of kitchen wares. It is believed that |
| Sir John Tenniel the famous illustrator of | | | | the idea was driven by the need to give the |
| such books as Alice in Wonderland). He asked | | | | TG Green lathe turners employment in the mid |
| her to marry him but was rejected. So in true | | | | 1920s during the post WWI recession. A |
| romantic spirit, he took his broken heart and | | | | Pottery with a background of social |
| sailed for Australia, where he made his | | | | conscience. Gotta love that! |
| fortune as a builder. Fifteen years later he | | | | |
| had word that Mary had changed her mind so he | | | | The Cornishware pieces are fired, coated with |
| returned home in true prodigal fashion, wooed | | | | slip which is allowed to dry and then coated |
| and won his sweetheart and they were married. | | | | with the blue slip. When this is dry the |
| | | | pieces are mounted on a lathe and bands of |
| Whilst on honeymoon, Green met Henry Wileman | | | | blue slip are turned off to reveal the white |
| who owned the Pottery Works in Church | | | | body beneath. Then of course they are fired |
| Gresley, Derbyshire. Having sold up his | | | | again. This also gives the pieces their |
| business in Australia, Green was looking for | | | | texture as they have a very definitive edge |
| something to do now he was back in the Old | | | | to them; not achievable by just painting the |
| Dart so he bought the pottery from Wileman. | | | | stripes onto the body. This hand lathe |
| After all, how hard could it be? | | | | process is still carried out today in the |
| | | | modern Cornishware pieces. |
| Fortunately he had bought a well run | | | | |
| operation and being a strong-minded and | | | | Over the years Cornishware has been made in |
| determined man he soon made his new business | | | | several colorways: yellow (Sunlit Yellow), |
| a great success; in the process, setting up a | | | | buff (Cornish Gold), red, black, green and |
| pottery dynasty that lasted until 1964, when | | | | teal. My collection focuses on the original |
| it went the way of so many family potteries, | | | | blue range with pieces mainly from the 1930s |
| and went into receivership. The company | | | | and 40s; although I have a teapot from the |
| assets were purchased by larger outfits who | | | | 1960s when the range was redesigned by Judith |
| continued trading under the TG Green name. | | | | Onions in an effort to modernize it and |
| | | | revitalize its market appeal. |
| TG Green expanded into the kitchen and table | | | | |
| wares market. And during the first half of | | | | The TG Green range expanded during the mid |
| the 20th century the pottery produced a | | | | 20th century to include many other designs, |
| number of popular designs. The most famous is | | | | many of which are quite collectable today. |
| Cornishware. | | | | but my favourite TG Green range is the |
| | | | Streamline kitchen and table ware. This was |
| Supposedly named by a TG Green Regional Sales | | | | characterised by a cream coloured body formed |
| Representative who was inspired by 'the blue | | | | into a distinctive rounded shape with a |
| of the Cornish skies and the white crests of | | | | series of green stripes piped onto to it. The |
| the waves', Cornishware is the most famous of | | | | stripes are raised on the surface of the |
| all the TG Green lines. It is the definitive | | | | pieces making them very tactile. The range is |
| blue and white kitchen ware pottery of the | | | | huge and was in production from the mid-1930s |
| 20th century (Willow pattern doesn't really | | | | to about 1950, But because it was never as |
| count as it is primarily used on dinner wares | | | | popular as the famous Cornishware, Streamline |
| rather than than kitchen ware). When the | | | | pieces are harder to find, especially the |
| popularity of Cornish Kitchen Wares took off | | | | more unusual items. |
| it spawned dozens of 'me too' lines from | | | | |
| competing manufacturers: Kleenware, | | | | TG Green pottery is great to collect as the |
| Fowlerware, Stanley Ware, Bretby Ware, to | | | | range if different pieces is so large and you |
| name a few. But none of them really captured | | | | can build up a really interesting collection |
| the market like Cornishware. | | | | of different shapes and pieces within the |
| | | | same 'family'. And it makes a sensational |
| Blue banded white wares had been around since | | | | display on a kitchen dresser or shelf. |
| the mid-Victorian years and there's no record | | | | |