Ceramica was a museum in
Burslem
Burslem ( ) is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Tunstall, Fenton, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent form part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. It is often referred to as the "mother town" of Stoke on Trent.
T ...
,
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, which explored the history of the area's
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
industry. It was located in the
former Burslem Town Hall.
Exhibits included displays about
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
s manufacturers
Wade Ceramics
Wade Ceramics Ltd is a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Its products include animal figures for its Collectors Club, whisky flagons, and a variety of industrial ceramics.
In the 1950s, the Wa ...
,
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of Engl ...
,
Sadlers,
Dudson,
Steelite,
Royal Stafford
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
,
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
,
Burleigh Pottery
Burleigh Pottery (also known as Burgess & Leigh) is the name of a pottery manufacturer in Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent.
The business specialises in traditionally shaped and patterned domestic earthenware of high quality.
The pottery occupies nin ...
,
Moorcroft
W. Moorcroft Limited (trading as W Moorcroft Ltd) is a British art pottery manufacturer based at Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company was founded by William Moorcroft in 1913.
History
In 1897, Staffordshire pottery manufacture ...
and Cobridge Stoneware.
Cobridge Stoneware
the Pottery Studio There were interactive displays and video presentations for children on ceramic history and local history.
The museum was set up using National Lottery money from the Millennium Commission
The Millennium Commission, a United Kingdom public body, was set up to celebrate the turn of the millennium. It used funding raised through the UK National Lottery to assist communities in marking the close of the second millennium and celebra ...
and managed by a Trust. In March 2011 the museum closed as a result of a significant drop off in paying visitors following the closure of adjacent pottery manufacturers. The Trust was wound up and the buildings returned to the City Council. The main building, the former Town Hall, is now home to Haywood Academy sixth form college whilst the modern extension was demolished as uneconomic to repair.
References
Buildings and structures in Stoke-on-Trent
Museums in Staffordshire
Decorative arts museums in England
Art museums and galleries in Staffordshire
Ceramics museums in the United Kingdom
Industry museums in England
Museums disestablished in 2011
2011 disestablishments in England
Defunct museums in England
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