Selected Letters of Josiah Wedgwood

Notes:

Provides transcriptions of selected outletters of Wedgwood, structured by 23 subjects and supported by extensive indexes. An introductory essay [pp1-22] provides a biography of Wedgwood [and little else]. The introduction reads 'The extent of Wedgwood's friendships and interests are in great measure, revealed in these letters. The tremendous influence which he exerted in the industry, notably in Staffordshire but in America and on the Continent, is evident only in part, because the present selection is intended to illustrate his relationships with family and friends. The wares he made, his stature as a public figure, have been treated in greater detail in more specialised works'. The subject categories are: 'Wedgwood establishes his reputation' [pp23-40]; 'Plans for expansion' [pp41-61]; 'Move to Etruria' [pp62-86]; 'Organisation and sales promotion' [pp87-97]; 'Declining trade' [pp98-112]; 'New ventures' [pp113-25]; 'Difficulties with employees - the logic of planned production costs' [pp126-43]; 'The Russian Service; ornamental and queensware catalogue' [pp144-61]; 'Development of Jasper' [pp162-76]; 'The Champion patent and Cornish clays' [pp177-87]; 'Experiments, journeys and miscellaneous incidents' [pp188-200]; 'Problems spiritual and temporal' [pp201-14]; 'Affairs, public and private' [pp215-26]; 'Hackwood's success; pearl white wares; chemistry lessons' [pp227-39]; 'The children - their health and education' [pp240-9]; 'Politics, portraits and personalities; death of Bentley' [pp250-62]; 'Wedgwood as a scientist, pamphleteer and patron of the arts' [pp263-78]; 'The General Chamber of Manufactures (1) - the Irish Commercial Treaty' [pp279-88]; 'The General Chamber of Manufactures (1) - the French Commercial Treaty and after' [pp289-305]; 'Wedgwood's sons - anti slavery' [pp306-14]; 'Darwin's poetic tributes - the French Revolution' [pp315-20]; 'The apex of Wedgwood's career' [pp321-31]; Wedgwood in retirement. Amongst hundreds of correspondents includes notably: Thomas Bentley; Matthew Boulton; James Watt; Richard Champion; William Cookworthy; Lord Gower, later Marquess of Stafford; Association of Manufacturers of Earthenware