About this piece
back to topA Minton & Co 96 Tile Panel of Little Moreton Hall by John Wadsworth.
Dating from the mid 20th century, this large-scale tile painting is mounted across four boards. Signed and dated in the lower-right corner to 1948.
Little Moreton Hall, also known as Old Moreton Hall was created over 100 years, starting in 1504. Its fascinating history is vast and was confiscated from its inhabitants by the government during the British civil war. Fortunately, due to being rented for 200 years by working farmers, there was little desire or funding to modernise making this one of the most complete Tudor buildings remaining in the UK. The building was gifted to the National Trust in 1937 and remains a popular tourist attraction.
This piece was rescued from the Campbell Tile Works building in Stoke-on-Trent before its destruction in the 1980s. The panel is illustrated in situ in the Pottery Trade Gazette August 1950, with its companion panel of Trentham Gardens which was only partially saved when the building was destroyed.
John William Wadsworth (1879–1955)
Born in Macclesfield, Wadsworth studied art which led to winning a scholarship the Royal College of Art in London. In the early 1900s, He was hired by Minton in Stoke-on-Trent, one of the largest tile companies at the time. Working alongside Léon-Victor Solon, Wadsworth pioneered Art-Nouveau designs which were incredibly popular during the 1920s.
Minton & Co.
To this day, Minton & Co. are considered one of the major pottery and porcelain manufacturers of British history.
Established in 1793, the company was founded by Thomas Minton (1765 – 1836) in Stoke-on-Trent. Until 1845, the pottery manufacturers traded under various styles before adopting the ‘Minton’ name.
When Thomas Minton died, the business passed to his son, Herbert (1793 – 1858) who expanded business by entering into partnership with Michael Hollins. The ‘Minton & Co.’ name was dedicated to encaustic and inlaid tiles while the ‘Minton, Hollins & Co.’ partnership was for printed, painted or majolica wall tiles.
Minton exhibited at trade exhibitions across the globe, establishing a firm reputation for excellence in pottery and earthenware.
Additional DimensionsÂ
Each board 92cm H x 61.5cm W x 3.5cm D and made up of 6 inch tiles.
Each panel is 13 kg totalling 52kg.
