Robert Copeland’s new book *Manufacturing Processes of Tableware
during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries* is a great addition to the
literature.  Robert is a descendent of a famous family of potters who became
the owners of the Spode Factory in the early nineteenth century.  After
returning from service at the end of the World War II, he rejoined the
family owned Spode Factory and spent three years “at the bench” where he
became mastered the process of being a presser and spent time at various
other processes of production before moving on to working at various stages
of management and marketing.  In 1976, he was put in charge of the Spode
Museum and worked as a historical consultant to the Spode Factory.  Robert
has produced a couple of useful books including *Spode’s Willow Pattern and
other Designs after the Chinese* and *Spode & Copeland Marks*.  It is sad to
relate that the Spode Factory recently closed down and the factory site is
being demolished.



            In 1986, I had the privilege of walking through part of the
Spode works with Robert and something that amazed me was that he was able to
address almost all of the potters we saw by their first name and clearly he
knew them very well.  His book on the *Manufacturing Processes of
Tableware*has a very large number of Spode workers doing various
processes of
production, and in many of these photos, Robert identified the worker
performing the tasks being illustrated.  His descriptions of the processes
of mixing clays, making slip, the making of master and working molds,
pressing, laying on of footrings on oval vessels, slip casting, printing,
glazing, sponge decorating, and firing of the wares are invaluable for
anyone who wants to better understand how pots were made.  Most of the
photographs are in color, and it is great to have color photos of Paul
Holdway doing bat printing.  There is an excellent description of bat versus
underglaze printing.



            Robert’s book is 186 pages long and has been published by the
Northern Ceramic Society and it sells for £25.  Information on ordering the
book can be found at
www.NorthernCeramicSociety.org/publications<http://www.northernceramicsociety.org/publications>only
500 copies have been printed.



Peace,

George L. Miller