My friend BKHagar *Kim* bought a “mystery tub” of china from an auction, all wrapped in old newspaper. She sent me a photo of the box as she had received it from the auction, and I pointed out that she had a Royal Albert teacup from the 1930s amongst them. You can see her beautiful 1932 Royal Albert "Petit-Point" teacup here: www.flickr.com/photos/bkhagar_gallery/54482268384/in/phot... or in the first comment below. She asked me how on earth could I know that just from seeing half a cup and a handle sticking out of some newspaper. My answer to her was that I had a teacup in a different pattern with the exact same cup shape and handle in my decorative china collection, and this is it.
This is a Royal Albert trio decorated with the pattern "April Showers" featuring a transfer that was then over-painted by hand. "April Showers" was produced from the 1920s through to the 1950s in a range of colours (I also have a blue variation), featuring a different style of teacup for each decade. This cup shape has the delightful name of "Hampton" and was used during the 1930s. The trio features a square cake plate, implying that this set was made in the early part of the 1930s.
Another friend of mine’s Aunt said that “drinking tea from a thick pottery mug was as good as receiving a slap in the face”. Whilst I don’t necessarily feel quite so strongly about drinking tea from an alternative, I do believe that there is nothing nicer than drinking tea from a fine porcelain cup. I think it is elegant, and keeps alive the fine tradition of taking elevenses or afternoon tea in a gracious fashion. In a world of utility, there is a certain charm in taking tea from a beautifully designed cup, painted with beautiful flowers.
In 1896, Thomas Clark Wild bought a pottery in Longton, Stoke on Trent, England, called Albert Works, which had been named the year before in honor of the birth of Prince Albert, who became King George VI in 1936. Using the brand name Albert Crown China, Thomas Wild and Co. produced commemorative bone-china pieces for Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee, and by 1904 had earned a Royal Warrant. From the beginning, Royal Albert's bone china dinnerware was popular, especially its original floral patterns made in rich shades of red, green, and blue. Known for incredibly fine, white, and pure bone china, Royal Albert was given to the sentimental and florid excesses of Victorian era England, making pattern after pattern inspired by English gardens and woodlands. With designs like Serena, Old English Roses, and Masquerade and motifs inspired by Japanese Imari, the company appealed to a wide range of tastes, from the simplest to the most aristocratic. In 1910, the company created its first overseas agency in New Zealand. Soon it had offices in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Willing to experiment with the latest in industrial technologies, the company was an early adopter of kilns fuelled by gas and electricity. Starting in 1927, Royal Albert china used a wide variety of more stylized backstamps, some with the crown, some without, and others stylized with script and Art Deco lettering. Some of these marks even had roses or other parts of the pattern in them. Patterns from the years between the wars include American Beauty, Maytime, Indian Tree, Dolly Varden, and Lady-Gay. The '40s saw patterns like Fragrance, Teddy's Playtime, Violets for Love, Princess Anne, Sunflower, White Dogwood, Mikado, Minuet, Cotswold, and the popular Lady Carlyle. Royal Albert incorporated as a limited company in 1933, and in the 1960s it was acquired by Pearson Group, joining that company's Allied English Potteries. By 1970, the porcelain maker was completely disassociated with its T.C. Wild & Sons origins and renamed Royal Albert Ltd. Pearson Group also acquired Royal Doulton in 1972, putting Royal Crown Derby, Royal Albert, Paragon, and the Lawleys chain under the Royal Doulton umbrella, which at this point included Minton, John Beswick, and Webb Corbett. In 1993, Royal Doulton Group was ejected from Pearson Group, for making less money than its other properties. In 2002, Royal Doulton moved the production of Royal Albert china from England to Indonesia. A few years later, Waterford Wedgwood absorbed Royal Doulton Group and all its holdings, which currently makes three brands, Royal Doulton, Minton, and Royal Albert, including the Old Country Roses pattern, which is Royal Albert’s most popular design.
