Passionate Potters - from De Morgan to Leach

William Morris led a revolution against the products of the machine age. The first of our ‘passionate potters’, William de Morgan, was a friend of Morris who rediscovered the secrets of Near Eastern lustre glazes. In contrast, the eccentric and argumentative Martin Brothers created a range of elaborate salt glazed pots unparalleled in their imaginative breadth. Sir Edmund Elton, the ‘potter baronet’, made pots which combine startling glazes with exotic forms. And finally, Bernard Leach, the father of English studio pottery, not only married the arts of Japan and England but created a legacy that is still alive today.  This lecture explores the lives of these truly passionate potters and celebrates their extraordinary and beautiful creations.

About the speaker

Julian Rich studied archaeology at Reading University and has since worked as a professional commercial archaeologist for English Heritage, the BBC and as an independent. He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1992 and has an honorary doctorate. Having long been involved in teaching and with outreach projects, he lectures widely in continuing education (focusing on special needs pupils) and societies. His career in broadcasting involved researching and presenting Meet the Ancestors and Blood of the Vikings for BBC2 and Mapping the Town for Radio 4. He has also written a number of English Heritage publications on Stonehenge, including the previous and current guide books to the monument and landscape. Museum work includes curating Stonehenge related exhibitions in the UK and abroad (Germany and Austria) and he has just curated the new permanent ceramics gallery for Salisbury Museum. He has no intention of retiring and is still passionate about Stonehenge, pots and old cars.

This event is free to members.

Visitors are welcome to join us - £5 on the door.