How Wedgwood Changed the Dinnerware Industry

Due to the high demand for more artistic yet cheaper kitchen wares, In 1756 manufacturers of dinnerware evolved into a more state-of-the-art process enabling them to produce more complex designs that is affordable for every family in the society.

Wedgwood is one of those manufacturers that evolved in that year and with their new taste for art they have created new inventions, sturdier and more complex designs available in the market. For some reason, blue color ceramics is the most popular in that era. It is called “Flow Blue” because it produces a pattern of blurry, runny figures blending into each other creating a cosmic swirl. This is new to the market and it boomed too suddenly that every housewife want one on their table.

They say it was fate, because creating this blue swirl was a mere accident. There was a mistake at the kiln when the blue ink was used for second and third firing. Because of the high temperature, it could not withstand the heat and it ran. It was originally thrown out and was taken home by an employee. But when it was seen by others, it became popular and not too long accounted for most of the production of the time.
Josiah Wedgwood was considered to be the world’s most popular potter of the 18th century. Not only because of his new experiments and transfer process, but also with his talent in marketing. His marketing genius is what separates him from other potters. He knows the power of celebrity endorsement. Like advertisement today, he gave a complete set of his Wedgwood Fine china to the Queen of England Queen Charlotte. From then on, he was named Potter to Her Majesty and his works soar all over Europe. Like a real businessman would do, he little by little raised the prices of his works to make a fortune.

It was not a walk in the park for Josiah Wedgwood, he was raised from a family of potters and every rich family was using imported dinnerware from china. With numerous errors due to continuous experimentations he finally made a dinnerware that is sturdier, stronger and with fine smooth finish. Good alternative to the more expensive china and silverware that rich families are using in that time.

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