Lorna Bailey

Lorna Bailey (born 1978) is an English potter and businesswoman.

Life and work

Lorna Bailey was brought up in the Wolstanton area of Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, close to the Potteries area of Stoke-on-Trent.

After school, Bailey attended Stoke-on-Trent College. She obtained a B.Tec National Diploma (Ceramics) and then joined her father's new business LJB Ceramics, at the Old Ellgreave Pottery, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, which produced Toby Jugs and other decorated pottery, where she initially worked as a paintress. At the same time, Bailey began designing a series of highly colourful cottage & trees and abstract patterns very closely based on the pottery of Clarice Cliff. These were produced by the Old Ellgreave Pottery in vivid underglaze colours (unlike the on-glaze or overglaze decoration typical of Clarice Cliff ware). In December 1995, when Bailey was just 17 years, her House and Path and Sunburst patterns became the first to be put into full production. These were painted by Bailey and a small team of painters onto a range of traditional and Art Deco shapes, including vases, jugs, teapots, sugar shakers, cruets, candlesticks, and wall pockets. They were then sold primarily to trade buyers. In addition to being marked with a factory stamp, from the outset Bailey has personally signed almost every one of her pieces underglaze with the "Lorna Bailey" signature.

Typical signature, factory stamp and painter's initials

In 1998, Bailey received a considerable boost in popularity following a commercial co-promotion in the July edition of Collect it! magazine, which featured her Astro Rocket Sugar Sifter on the cover which the magazine had commissioned. This was produced in a limited edition of 250 available for purchase only through the magazine (it sold out within hours). Following the huge interest that resulted, the Lorna Bailey Collectors Club was formed in September 1998. By 2006 it had grown to 1000 members. Bailey's commercial success was acknowledged when she was honoured as Midlands Business Woman of the Year for 1998.

Top Bridge Works, April 2004

In March 2002, Bailey married Tim Proctor. This event was marked by the issue of a small ceramic wedding cake which was sent out as a gift to all Collectors Club members. On July 16, 2002, the couple attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

The Old Post Office, Burslem, October 2006

In February 2003, LJB Ceramics changed its name to Lorna Bailey Artware. The following month, the factory moved into new premises at Top Bridge Works, Burslem. In October 2004, it moved again to its site at The Old Post Office, Burslem.

In July 2005, Bailey was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Staffordshire University for her services to pottery design.

In December 2005, Bailey issued the first of a series based on Pop and Rock Legends of the Twentieth Century with a ceramic figure of John Lennon dressed in the outfit pictured in the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Figures of the other Beatles later followed, together with other wares depicting members of the group. These were produced in collaboration with The Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool.

In 2007, Bailey was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) which was ironic as Clarice Cliff had never received such recognition in the 1930s.

In January 2008, Bailey announced her decision to retire from the pottery industry to concentrate on her family life and in May 2008 Lorna Bailey Artware went into voluntary liquidation, with the loss of seven jobs and owing creditors around £40,000.

However, despite being adamant that she was retiring for good, new Lorna designs became available through her website in 2009. Although "new" to her catalogue, they were unreleased designs from her pre-2008 working period.

Gallery

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  House and Path Pattern (1995–1998)

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  Sunburst Pattern (1995–1998)

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  Prototype Charles Rennie Mackintosh Lamp (1996)

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  May Bank Vase (1996–1997)

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  Astro Rocket Sugar Sifter (1998)

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  Twenties Elegance Set (1998)

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  Pagoda Garden Pattern on Miniature Coffee Set (1998–1999)

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  Tropicana Pattern (1999–2000)

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  Giant Teapot (1999)

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  StorAge Display Cabinet (1999)

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  Delta Giant Sugar Shaker (1999)

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  The Couple Wall Mask (2001)

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  Unnamed Prototype Charger (June 8, 2001)

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  "Wedding Cake" (2002)

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  Flora Vase (2002)

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  Fantasia Coffee Pot (2003)

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  Deco Lady Charger Ginger (2005)

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  Legends of the 20th Century (2005–2006)

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  Mogsy the Cat (Kitty Katz range) (2006)

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  Hamil Road Pattern on Wedge Teapot (2006)

Further reading

• Bailey, Lorna. & Lee, Dave (2001). Lorna Bailey: The First Millennium. Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent: LJB Ceramics.
• Bailey, Lorna. & Lee, Dave (2003). Lorna Bailey: Cat-alogue. Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent: Lorna Bailey Artware. (Kitty Katz range)
• Bailey, Lorna. & Lee, Dave (2004). Lorna Bailey: The Cat-alogue II. Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent: Lorna Bailey Artware. (Kitty Katz range)
• Bailey, Lorna, Bailey, Lionel, & Booth, John (2005). Lorna Bailey: The New Millennium: General Patterns. Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent: Lorna Bailey Artware.
• Donovan, Martin (1998). "Lorna Bailey". Collect it! No. 13, July 1998, pp. 19–21.

External links

• Official Website
• Lorna Bailey @ thepotteries.org