Harry Parr (1881-1966)
Harry Parr could also claim, as Vyse often did, that he had generations of forbears with connections to that singular industry that dominated life in the Potteries district. Germane to this brief biography of Harry Parr, is his father, Joseph Parr (1843-1924), his uncle Ralph Parr (1811-1873), and his Aunt, Mary Parr (1837-n d). All of whom lived, worked in and around the town of Burslem. Joseph Parr was a valued employee of the ‘Royal Potters,’ Davenports of Longport. The pottery situated in the valley that separated Burslem from Wolstanton. Joseph Parr, along with his daytime occupation as flower painter, in the evenings he taught drawing at Burslem School of Art, then accommodated within the Wedgwood Institute. Amongst his friends were Rudyard Kipling, and Septimus Bennett the brother of Arnold Bennett. Joseph Parr’s eldest …show more content…
In 1898, Taylor founded Ruskin Pottery at Oldbury Road, Smethwick in the West Midlands. The pottery was named for the artist, writer and social thinker John Ruskin. After Taylor’s death in 1912, his son, William Howson Taylor (1876-1935), formerly a student at Birmingham School of Art, assumed control of the pottery. Howson Taylor is notable for the innovative use of brightly coloured glazes he used on a range of pots, vases, buttons, bowls, tea services and jewellery. Amongst these and possibly the most highly regarded of all were the Sang de Boeuf and Flambé glazes which produced a blood red effect. The Sang de Boeuf glazes were created using reduction of copper and iron oxides at high temperature. Additionally, Howson Taylor was one of the principal exponents of high fired techniques, and on his death in 1935. He had left instructions that when the studio closed, all his glaze formulae and documentation should be destroyed, in order that the unique Ruskin pottery could not be
Harry Parr could also claim, as Vyse often did, that he had generations of forbears with connections to that singular industry that dominated life in the Potteries district. Germane to this brief biography of Harry Parr, is his father, Joseph Parr (1843-1924), his uncle Ralph Parr (1811-1873), and his Aunt, Mary Parr (1837-n d). All of whom lived, worked in and around the town of Burslem. Joseph Parr was a valued employee of the ‘Royal Potters,’ Davenports of Longport. The pottery situated in the valley that separated Burslem from Wolstanton. Joseph Parr, along with his daytime occupation as flower painter, in the evenings he taught drawing at Burslem School of Art, then accommodated within the Wedgwood Institute. Amongst his friends were Rudyard Kipling, and Septimus Bennett the brother of Arnold Bennett. Joseph Parr’s eldest …show more content…
In 1898, Taylor founded Ruskin Pottery at Oldbury Road, Smethwick in the West Midlands. The pottery was named for the artist, writer and social thinker John Ruskin. After Taylor’s death in 1912, his son, William Howson Taylor (1876-1935), formerly a student at Birmingham School of Art, assumed control of the pottery. Howson Taylor is notable for the innovative use of brightly coloured glazes he used on a range of pots, vases, buttons, bowls, tea services and jewellery. Amongst these and possibly the most highly regarded of all were the Sang de Boeuf and Flambé glazes which produced a blood red effect. The Sang de Boeuf glazes were created using reduction of copper and iron oxides at high temperature. Additionally, Howson Taylor was one of the principal exponents of high fired techniques, and on his death in 1935. He had left instructions that when the studio closed, all his glaze formulae and documentation should be destroyed, in order that the unique Ruskin pottery could not be