THE WORKING GROUP 2020-2022
The TACS Working Group has updated the Tile File from 2020 to 2022, which last received substantial updating last century. The number of entries has been more than doubled, and an attempt has been made to include as many contemporary makers of tiles and terracotta as possible.
The genesis of the Tile File is described in detail in the introductions to the earlier editions, see below, and need not be repeated apart from acknowledging the enormous efforts of Francis Celoria, Peter Clegg, Chris Blanchett and many others. See the Tile File History Page for more details,
The aims of the Tile File have not changed since it was first written (WHO?, WHERE?, WHEN?, WHAT?), but the internet has changed the landscape of information availability. It is no longer necessary to produce a full description of most tile and terracotta makers, as confirmation of their details and some ideas of the location and dates will enable an internet search to uncover more information than could possibly be maintained within the Tile File itself. Therefore the current editing of the File has been aimed more at creating a reliable pointer for further research than writing full histories for each entry.
In the first introduction by Francis Celoria, he welcomes the inclusion of terracotta makers, but since then TACS has interested itself principally with decorative terracotta and not with the makers of plain and sanitary or drainage pipes. Likewise the Tile File is concerned primarily with decorative tiles and not with makers of only plain unglazed building tiles.
Here are some explanations to help understand how the fields within the Tile File were populated.
1) Short Name. This has been written so that a sensible alphabetical listing can be created (eg Clark, Kenneth for Kenneth Clark Pottery).
2) Full Name. In some cases this changed over time and the various names with dates have been given, to the extent these are known. Where some companies changed their name substantially over time, we have maintained a single entry under a single place in the alphabetical list. Additionally, some tile makers operate under the name of their pottery and also under their own name (eg Philippa Threlfall at the Black Dog Pottery). We have tried to list under the full name of the pottery but also to include the names of the potters in the description, so that a search for either will find the right entry.
3) Address by city or county. This has been added to help researchers locate entries within specific geographical areas. There are a couple of anomalies; the old definition of Yorkshire has been used (so South Yorkshire etc do not appear), but we have included those parts of south Staffordshire and the Black Country that are now in metropolitan Birmingham under the Birmingham listing.
4) Full address. Given where known; for some designers who were employed by tile makers, we have not attempted to give an address, many of them will have lived near the works, of course.
5) Date Started and Date Ended. Best known dates. Corrections are welcomed.
6) Primarily involved with tiles or with terracotta or with both.
7) Category. Primary business of the maker. It is hoped that this will help researchers, but some of the definitions are necessarily fuzzy around the edges. While some definitions do not require further explanation (eg ‘ironfounder’), but others are explained:-
Tile maker. A business whose core activity included making tiles, though they might also have made other types of pottery.
Pottery maker. A business whose primary product was pottery (eg tableware), but who at some time or other also produced tiles.
Ceramic artist/studio potter. A maker of studio pottery or other ceramic wares who at some time also produced some tiles.
Artist/designer. An artist or designer who also designed tiles, and in some cases painted them. The category includes independent designers who contracted tile makers to produce their designs, and also artists and designers fully employed by tile makers.
8) Description. A brief description of the activities of the person or business in the entry. In some cases this is a little longer, for example when data from trade catalogues is not readily available by internet searching. In a few cases this is simply a cross reference to another entry in Tile File.
Rob Higgins on behalf of the Working Group 2021
