Please note that some of our lectures continue to be held via video conferencing and all members receive an email notice with the ZOOM link. Otherwise, in-person meetings are held in the greater Boston area and are free and open to the public, unless otherwise indicated.
Next Meeting
Norman Wilson at Wedgwood
On Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. EST, the WSB will host via video-conferencing, “Norman (1902-1985) at Wedgwood”, presented by V&A Wedgwood Collection Assistant Curator, Rebecca Klarner. She will be speaking about the impact of Wilson’s manufacturing improvements, the many great creations he enabled as Wedgwood’s Works Manager, and not to forget his mesmerizing ‘Unique Wares’.
Rebecca graduated with an MA in Art History from Cologne University after writing her dissertation on German copies of Wedgwood’s Jasperware. With her knowledge as a fully-trained goldsmith/jeweler, she specialized in the decorative arts and began her employment at the V&A Wedgwood Collection (then Wedgwood Museum) in 2015. Currently Rebecca is a part-time PhD student at the University of Leeds in collaboration with the V&A, where she is researching Wedgwood’s influence on ‘good design’ in the 20th century.
If you are not a member and wish to enjoy this and future meetings and newsletters, we welcome you to join the WSB. Visit the website at https://wedgwoodsociety.org/ and the Become a Member page.
2022–2023 Meeting and Lecture Schedule
Sunday September 18, 2022 at 2:00 P.M. Members’ Participation: “Annual Wedgwood Bits & Pieces”; to be held in-person at the Dedham Museum and Archives, Dedham, MA
Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 2:00 P.M. Liz Collins: “A Love Affair with Wedgwood Through the Generations”; to be held via Zoom
Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. Dale Bowen, former Wedgwood Master Potter: “My Works at Wedgwood and Beyond: A Discussion with Dale Bowen”; to be held via Zoom
Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. Rebecca Klarner, Assistant Curator, V&A Wedgwood Museum: “Norman Wilson at Wedgwood”; to be held via Zoom
Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. The Elizabeth Chellis Memorial Lecture: Peggy Kerner: “Who Was Eleanor Coade and What is Her Connection to Josiah Wedgwood”; and Annual General Meeting; to be held via Zoom
Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 1:00 P.M. Members & Guest Participation: “Annual Summer Social”; to be held in York, Maine, featuring a lobster/clam bake and visits to two private Wedgwood collections.
Highlights from Previous Meetings
Bits and Pieces
One of the most-attended meetings each year is the WSB “Bits & Pieces” session. Members have the opportunity to display and discuss a Wedgwood object or two from their collection. Sometimes there is a theme focus, other times it’s a most recent acquisition or simply a favorite piece. Shown here is an example which represents the largest Wedgwood object in one WSB member’s collection. This c. 1895 Mountbatten Vase stands at more than 24″ tall.
Wörlitz by Harwood Johnson
Having visited Wörlitz in Germany, Woody Johnson shared the history and images of the Wedgwood objects acquired by Leopold III Friedrich Franz, Prince von Anhalt-Dessau (1740–1817). The 18th century palace and its collections still stand intact to this day. The example here is a pair of Wedgwood & Bentley variegated vases on basalt plinths.
Classic Black by Brian Gallagher
Curator Brian Gallagher of the Mint Museum, Charlotte, N.C., presented “Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries,” an exhibit he staged along with an accompanying book. Shown here is Somnus (the sleeping baby).