Category:Johnson Brothers

From Mystic Tea Room

Johnson Brothers has a long history of producing beautiful, high-quality tableware. The company was founded in 1882, when brothers Alfred, Fredrick, and Henry Johnson purchased the Charles Street Works at Stoke-on-Trent in the legendary china-producing region of Staffordshire, England. In 1900, a fourth brother, Robert, established a presence for the company in the United States. Shop our wide variety of iconic Johnson Brothers patterns like Friendly Village, Old Britain Castles, Willow, Regency, and others

Collectors Weekly says that Johnson Brothers was started in 1883 by Federick and Alfred Johnson (so they really were brothers!). They were in Staffordshire which is known to have been a hub for pottery at that time. They wanted to produce a type of earthenware called “White Granite” and they marked those pieces “Semi Porcelain.”

Although Johnson Brothers was formed in 1882 by two of the four brothers, Alfred and Frederick, after purchasing the defunct Charles Street Works factory at a Hanley bankruptcy sale in 1882, their story began earlier as they were Grandsons to the famous Meakin lineage and shared a heritage in the production of fine dinnerware. The purchase of the factory marked the brothers first entrepreneurial venture.

Sometime around 1896 the fourth of the Johnson Brothers, Robert, joined the company and relocated to the United States to further establish a presence in the emerging tableware market. Americans happily filled their cupboards with Johnson Brothers' tableware because not only were the patterns attractive, but the product itself was both durable and very affordable. By 1898 the brothers had a total of five working factories all producing tableware, the original Charles Street Works and the four additions; Imperial Works, Hanley Works, Trent Works and the Scotia Road Works in Tunstall.

By 1888 their older brother, Henry, had joined the company. Collectors Weekly states that a fourth brother, Robert, opened a satellite office in New York. By 1900 there were 5 potteries altogether. With Robert selling the family pottery in America, the Johnson Brothers company went into the new century in the black.

They made excellent quality products but kept the mid-range price which ensured that most people could afford it.

The family continued to grow with the brothers’ sons joining the company followed by grandsons.

The company is most identified with pictures of wild turkeys and scenes in their Historic America series. Summer Chintz was a popular pattern and Old Britain Castles, too.

During the Depression, they closed their original factory on Charles Street and took some time to modernize their factories. Their Friendly Village pattern became highly collected after World War II as were their Christmas Plates.

The 1930's came and saw the original Charles Street factory closed as new, modern technology was implemented where firing was executed by the use of electricity in the new electric tunnel kilns, rather than coal which had been used in the bottle oven kilns. This led to better quality products, even lower prices and by far better conditions for the workers.

After World War II the Johnson Bros. company had to get creative in expansion due to the damage and destruction in England so they expanded the firing and decorating end of the company to other countries including Canada.

They would manufacture the blanks in England in this case the shape is Snow white Regency, shipped the blanks to Canada where the Manor House decorating and firing was done.

Jo. Bros. also purchased a decorating company in Australia.

Johnson Brothers gained Royal Warrants from Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother. During the 1950's award winning designs such as Old Britain Castles and Historic America became popular (and still are) and led to the company being awarded with the Queen's Award to Industry, not once but twice, for their contributions to the British economy. First produced in 1960, Johnson Brothers Regency is high-quality, all-white earthenware that features a graceful embossed swirl design.

During the time of World War II, they continued to stay afloat with their American division. After the war, they opened plants in England, Australia and Canada to decorate, glaze and fire the pieces and they did well for quite awhile until about 1968 when, in a bid to stay competitive in the world market, they joined the Wedgwood Group.

In 1968, along with other famous name potters like Meakin (their Grandfather), Coalport, Adams, Midwinter, Crown Staffordshire and Mason's, Johnson Brothers, in an effort to remain competitive, joined the Wedgwood Group. Some popular patterns and ranges were produced over the following years, including the 1981 introduction of the extremely popular "Eternal Beau", but none were enough to prevent the Hanley Pottery from eventually closing and being demolished in 1995. At this same time Johnson Brothers reviewed the traditional lines and had to reduce the number of patterns they produced. In 2000 the tableware division was moved temporarily to the J. & G. Meakin Eagle Pottery Works.

In 2003, Johnson Brothers products ceased to be manufactured in Britain and the process was transferred to China, sadly, which as I have said before, saw the end of an era as their is only one pottery left in England today producing transferware. The Eagle Pottery Works were demolished in 2005.

MEREDITH,  JOHN  W. 

The fortune cup. See MEREDITH, VERNA A.

MEREDITH, VERNA A.

The fortune cup. [Cross of playing cards] Drawing. © Verna A. & John W. Meredith; 1 2 May 65 ; GU3863O.