Pattern 1479 Regent shaped tableware
The earliest advertisement I have selected is for pattern 1479 a coloured lithograph design dating to 1927. It was one of the earliest designs to use the Regent shape for tableware. As yet I have not discovered a pattern name for it but it seems to have been quite popular.
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| The Otago Daily Times 21st November 1928 Copyright owner is Allied Press Ltd |
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| Pattern 1479 on Regent shaped plate |
Pattern 2800 Aztec vase by Charlotte Rhead
It is lovely to see the Rhead attribution in this advertisement from the D.I.C. store in Dunedin showcasing items from the British Industries Fair of 1933. It hardly needs pointing out but there is a sketch of a pattern 2800, Aztec shape 152 vase. It is actually quite a rare pattern/shape combination. I have recorded only three such vases for sale during 20 years of observing these things. Perhaps they are all treasured in New Zealand homes.
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| The Otago Daily Times 16th September 1933 Copyright owner is Allied Press Ltd |
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| Aztec pattern 2800 on shape 152 vase |
Tableware pattern like 2833 on Victory shape in different colours
I am reasonably confident I am on the right track with identifying this pattern. The sketch fits the pattern. The description of yellow border with black inner lines is close, but there is a good chance that the advertisement is describing pattern 2833 in different colours. Perhaps the inverse of the black and yellow example below, but instead with yellow semicircles and black inner band. The pattern number would precede the designs of the surviving pattern books so there is no reference source. It is just a matter of waiting until an example turns up.
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| The New Zealand Herald 11th July 1935 Copyright owner is NZ News & Media |
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| Pattern 2833 |
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| Pattern like 2833 in different colours |
Snow glaze coffee set - probably pattern 4626 Yukon
I do not have a picture of a coffee set but my best guess is that this advertisement would be for a coffee set in the Yukon pattern. The centre lithograph is the only contender for an "English posy design"
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| The Evening Post 7th February 1938 Copyright owner is Fairfax Media |
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| Pattern 4626 Yukon |
Nine different tableware patterns
One advertisement is a research project in itself. It is for James Smith's, the Wellington department store and has descriptions of 9 Crown Ducal tableware designs, most of which can be identified or at least reduced to a small choice of options.
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| The Evening Post 23rd August 1938 Copyright owner is Fairfax Media |
"Sheffield" is the undecorated, ivory glazed Sheffield shaped embossed tableware. For those unfamiliar with the Sheffield shape have a look at the Winston Churchill plate - the last item in this post - which an example of a decorated Sheffield plate.
"Ferncroft" is probably pattern number 5196. Cotswold shape, green glaze with the Ferncroft lithograph border. The example illustrated is not part of a dinner set but the glaze, lithograph and pattern number are the same.
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| Pattern 5196 |
"Rosalie" is a well known long running pattern for which I have never found a pattern number. The Rosalie transfer is usually found on the Florentine embossed ivory tableware shape and with a gold edge. I have written about this pattern in a previous post. https://rhead-crownducal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/crown-ducal-period-advertising.html
"India Tree" lithograph pattern on Avon, Windsor and Ionic shapes with snow glaze is the one in the photograph. It is pattern number 4802.
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| Pattern 4802 large plate |
"Classic" is a little trickier. I have not found this pattern name in Crown Ducal documents, but the description of 'cobalt blue with richly embossed gold border' reduces the options to probably either pattern 5055 "Admiral" or 5056 "Colfax". They are very similar, Avon shape with white glaze. Admiral has a gold inner line whereas Colfax has a gold paste printed inner border.
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| Patterns 5055 Admiral (top) and 5056 Colfax (bottom) |
"Majestic" is another unfamiliar name, but the description, 'powder blue with richly embossed gold border and colourful centre piece of casket of roses", means it is either pattern 5080/81 or 5304. Again, they are very similar, Avon shape with white glaze, the floral centre is the Roma circular lithograph designed by William Johnson. The ambiguity over 5080/81is because 5080 meets the description in the pattern book with powder blue band whereas 5081 has powder pink band but all examples seen seem to have had 5081 on the base whatever the colour. 5080/81 has the powder blue colour extending to a large central lithograph, whereas 5304, has a narrower band and smaller central lithograph so that a large area of the plate is white glaze.
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| Pattern 5081 |
"Dawn" is also an unfamiliar name. I believe it may be pattern 5195, Cotswold shape, with yellow glaze and the Ludlow border lithograph. There were several patterns created using either the yellow or green glaze and having previously popular lithographic borders most of which include scarlet flowers and green leaves. The Ferncroft mentioned above is from this group of patterns. The picture below is the Ludlow border on ivory glaze to show the lithograph design. The way it might be used for "Dawn" is likely to be different with the border applied to the outside rim of the cups.
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| "Dawn" is probably the Ludlow border illustrated here but with yellow glaze |
"Madeira" Is an as yet unidentified pattern. But I would propose that it might be pattern 5101 with a green band. The picture below is pattern 5101 with a blue band and is known as "Concord". Pattern 5102 is very similar but with a second gold paste band beneath the coloured stripe. Both patterns are recorded in the pattern book as having been made with green bands but I have yet to see an example.
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| Madeira may be like pattern 5101 but with a green band. |
"Oxford" The Crown Ducal name Oxford is reserved for a maroon version of 5056 Colfax mentioned above under the "Classic" pattern notes. Since the advertisement suggests it matches the "Majestic" dinner service but without mention of the floral lithograph then the best match would be either the powder blue version of 5055 "Admiral" which would be named "Galway" or the the powder blue version of 5056 "Colfax" which would be "Ashley".
Pattern 5187 cake plate with pictorial print and enamel centre
This is one of the many print and enamel centred cake plate designs that were produced for Gainsborough and Florentine embossed plates. They rarely appear in the UK but seem more common in New Zealand. This description forms part of another advertisement for the James Smith's store.
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| The Evening Post 25th August 1938 Copyright owner is Fairfax Media |
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| Pattern 5187 on Gainsborough shape cake plate |
Pattern 4794 Kashmere
It is an awful picture, but there is no doubt that there is a Charlotte Rhead tube-lined vase, shape 213, in the Kashmere pattern 4794 in this advertisement. The jug and other vase, (shape 212), are described as in autumn tonings but the image does not give a clue as what the patterns might be.
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| The Press 11th November 1938 Copyright owner is Fairfax Media |
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| Kashmere pattern 4794 on shape 213 vase |
Pattern 5540 Pansy chintz
From its earliest days Crown Ducal always had one or two chintz patterns on sale and the 1930s and 40s were no exception. The Pansy Chintz, pattern 5540 was introduced in 1938 and some variations of it with combined with gold floral prints either on the rim or in the centre became quite popular in New Zealand in the 1940s. This advertisement would be referring to the the original pattern.
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| Lake Wakatip Mail 11 July 1939 |
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| Pattern 5540 Pansy Chintz |
Patterns 5800 and 5801 with Delamere print
Here we have another nicely illustrated print design with coloured washband. The Crown Ducal name for the print is Delamere, the name given to its first use pattern 5647. These later versions are named "Juliet" in green, (5800), and "Miranda" in fawn, (5801), on the Avon shape tableware. They were designed in early 1939 and so like some of the other lines it takes about a year for, the showcasing, ordering, manufacturing, distribution and local advertising to run its course.
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| The New Zealand Herald 7th March 1940 Copyright owner is NZ News & Media |
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| Delamere print on Avon shaped tableware Juliet in green (5800) and Miranda in fawn (5801) |
Pattern 6356 Winston Churchill cake plate with photographic print centre
The Winston Churchill plate is one of the last designs to be recorded in the pattern book before war time restrictions brought pottery decorating to a virtual standstill. The pattern number is 6356 and the last pattern entry is 6367. The printed image of Winston Churchill is believed to be created from a photograph taken by Cecil Beaton at 10 Downing Street on 20th November 1940. The embossed plate style comes from the Sheffield tableware range but examples can also be found on square plates from the Florentine tableware range.
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| The Otago Daily Times 3rd August 1942 Copyright owner is Allied Press Ltd |
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| Pattern 6356 Printed Churchill photograph on Sheffield shape plate |
End note
There are plenty more Crown Ducal advertisements to document from this period, particularly yellow or green glazed tableware which seems to have been very popular. The difficulty is that a lot of it was not decorated with enamels or lithographs and the Crown Ducal pattern books are useless when it comes to recording these plainer designs. And, since they did not pass through the hands of enamelers there are no pattern numbers on the base. For example, there are advertisements for the salad or crinkle ware, Queen Anne shape and Cotswold shape in either yellow or green and stitched edge Cotswold tableware in these colours too. The only advertisements I am confident of linking with known numbered patterns are the yellow or green glaze Queen Anne and Cotswold shaped tableware with wide gold edge bands. These are patterns 5082, (green) and 5083, (yellow). The company appears to have used the same pattern number for both shapes.