Shorter & Son (England) ceramics

Shorter & Son was a ceramics manufacturer based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company was founded in 1874 by Thomas Shorter and his son, Guy Shorter. The company initially produced a range of utilitarian ceramics, but soon began to produce more decorative pieces.

In 1916 Clarice Cliff was employed in the company as the decorator. Clarice Cliff’s came up with her "Bizarre" ware, which was a huge success in 1920. Later on, she came-up with new innovative designs boasting bold geometric designs, expressing the Art Deco age. The company had also come up with a ’Fisherware’ range, which was also designed by Clarice Cliff. In the 1930s, Shorter & Son began to produce a range of new designs including Batavia Ware inspired by the Dutch East Indies and Sunray Pottery featuring a sunray design that was created by using a special firing technique. These designs helped to more... make Shorter & Son one of the leading ceramics manufacturers in England. These designs were popular with the public, and helped to keep Shorter & Son in business during the Great Depression.

After World War II, the company faced increasing competition from foreign manufacturers. In 1964, Shorter & Son was acquired by Crown Devon, and the Shorter name was discontinued. less...