Clarice Cliff Feature Articles

One of the most pleasurable aspects of my working life is when an item or items with a story or piece of history attached to them in relation to my favourite pottery designer, Clarice Cliff come to me either with the seller in person or via email at the auction house or via claricecliff,com.  Obviously these are rare moments and are much cherished, as a story unfolds from someone who has actually had contact personally with Clarice Cliff, or as is more often the case nowadays, their parents have had that unique experience.

Recently via our claricecliff.com website I received a message from a lady called Carolyn, a former west London resident, who was enquiring about some tableware items she had in her possession and wanted to find out more information about them with a view to selling.  The tableware had been well used by her family over the years and obviously because of this they were not in perfect condition, but it was her family connection with Clarice Cliff which was so fascinating……….

When I replied to her after receiving photographs of her various everyday tableware items I was able to assist with more information about her pieces including the name - GREEN TARTAN.  “How marvellous to actually have a name for this china after all these years” Carolyn exclaimed, and then told me of her family’s unique link with Clarice Cliff.

She modestly told me that her family were very ordinary people; Grandad being a Post Office employee.  Her mother, Hilda Grace Deacon had been born in 1910 in Ealing, west London.  Like Clarice, when she left school she was determined to ‘better herself’ and got into art school.  She would have been 16 or 17 at the time so we are talking about 1926 or 1927 or thereabouts.  It was always said that she somehow encountered Clarice there, although as we know Clarice was only in London for a short while and there would have been quite a difference in their respective ages.

It was the family story that the dinner service had been a wedding present to Carolyn’s parents from Clarice in 1933.  Carolyn continued… “Both my parents worked in London at the time - my mother Hilda as a graphic artist on the Daily Mirror and my father Guy Pemberton on the advertising staff of George Newnes, of Southampton Street, publishers of several magazines including Country Life, Lilliput and Men Only. “

“I have a marvellous piece of artwork done by my mother for a brochure advertising the Daily Mirror, and a copy of the leaflet, together with a caricature drawing of her done by “Sallon” on the Daily Mail stand at Olympia in July 1933.”

Returning to the subject of Clarice’s tableware….Clarice and Carolyn’s mother Hilda had obviously created a very special bond of friendship for Clarice to give Hilda such a special gift for her wedding  in 1933. Hilda had obviously made a very substantial impression on Clarice.

“It was in daily use during my childhood and has a certain amount of damage,” says Carolyn, “and must be an extremely uncommon design” as she had been unable to trace the pattern in any book or website. “There are 3 meat plates, 5 10-inch dinner plates, 4 8-inch plates, 2 vegetable tureens and a (gravy) jug.  Most of the damage is from chips on the rim but hardly visible from the front and therefore good decorative items,” says Carolyn.

Sadly, Hilda died in 1960 when Carolyn was only 20 and at an age when she  was not interested in “old stuff”.  The dinner service was put away and out of daily use by then.

However, in more recent times Carolyn has certainly been busy researching the history of her family’s past life.  She has recently been in touch with the current owner of a house in which her family lived in 1948, which is built in the Art Deco style, and “he was very pleased with some old photos of the house back then, which I sent him.  He is busy trying to re-create the furnishings of that time and I am going to give him a Susie Cooper tankard with a black and wavy design, which once lived in the house.  Sadly it is badly cracked and has little value but we are both delighted to think of it returning there.  My research shows it to be from the same 1933 period.” 

Carolyn is of a mind to offer to sell him the dinner service which would have been in daily use there.  “I would like to think of it as ‘returning’.  Your valuation is of immense help in giving me an idea of what to ask.  I am at an age where it is time to move some of a lifetime’s accumulations along!”

Clarice Cliff and Hilda Deacon must have formed a warm and very special friendship when they met at art school for Clarice to have sent this rather personal gift to her on the occasion of her wedding in 1933.  It is these rare glimpses of the past which makes my job very special…………….

Will Farmer

Editor's note:  Pattern name: Green Tartan.