Charlotte Rhead

Born in Burslem, Stoke, on 19th October, 1885, Charlotte began her ceramics career at Wardle & Co. While at Wardle's, she became something of a master of the technique of tube-lining.

Tube-lining, sometimes known as slip-trailing, is a technique whereby the outlines of patterns are applied to a ceramic body using slip (liquid clay) and a syringe-like tube. It's rather like icing a cake!

Tube-lining's most famous exponent is probably William Moorcroft - the instantly-recognisable Moorcroft style utilises tube-lining to separate the colours and outline the pattern in slight relief.

After leaving Wardle & Co, Charlotte Rhead worked for a series of well-known names, including Keeling & Co and Bursley Ltd. (makers of Bursley Ware). In 1931, Rhead started work at AG Richardson, in Tunstall. Her designs were produced under the Crown Ducal brand and were extremely successful. Although she preferred to keep a lower public profile than her younger contemporary Clarice Cliff, Charlotte Rhead's Art Deco designs were extremely successful and remain desirable to collectors today.