FORTYSEVEN: The last bottle ovens and kilns of The Potteries
A photographic exhibition by photographer Phil Crow with Keele University and incorporating images from The Warrillow Collection

At the height of the pottery industry, the skyline of Stoke-on-Trent was dominated by thousands of bottle ovens. Before the outbreak of war in 1939, more than 2000 had been documented. The Clean Air Act of 1956 was the beginning of the end for these iconic buildings and by 1964 only 20 were still in use. Currently, 47 bottle shaped structures remain in 27 locations.

“The difference in condition is astounding. Some are loved, most are not, but they are all beautiful in their own way.”

Celebrating the heritage of The Potteries, this photographic exhibition shows the dark beauty of a bygone industry in a modern world and, thanks to the Warrillow Collection, also depicts a thriving industry back in its heyday.

Background
Phil Crow is a professional photographer based in Lincoln. Originally from Newcastle Under Lyme, both his Grandfathers, and subsequently his father, owned a pottery called Coronation Pottery Co Ltd. The pottery was slightly smaller than Gladstone and originally had two bottle ovens and two smaller bottle kilns. Once the Clean Air Act came into force, these were replaced with electric kilns. Stories from The Pottery were part of his childhood and as a matter of course he learned how to throw at
school. This was almost his career choice though photography won out in the end.

“I wanted to show the beauty in their shape and how they interact with the buildings that now surround them. Is there a place for them in modern society? The answer has to be yes! This photographic record will provide a historic visual journey of the remaining sites through a contemporary lens, an archive of their current state and a reminder to all of the importance of the industry to the area in the same way that photographers before me- such as Warrillow- have documented them as working buildings.”

Ernest Warrillow MBE (1909-2000) Warrillow joined The Sentinel newspaper as a junior photographer in 1927 where he worked until his retirement in 1974. Having published a number of books, Warrillow saw and documented the pottery industry for decades. In 1964 he was awarded the MBE for services to the city of Stoke-on-Trent and later received an honorary MA from Keele University where his collection of images now reside.

“Having always known Warrillow’s work, the opportunity to have my images stand alongside his was always the dream. I knew the two eras would gel and provide an exhibition of real interest of the past and present.” Phil Crow

Warrillow Collection enquiries can be directed to: h.burton@keele.ac.uk
Information and Digital Services | Campus Library | Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK ST5 5BG
Tel: +44 (0) 1782 733237 https://www.keele.ac.uk/library/specialcollections/

Image: Acme Marls “The 3 Sisters,” Burslem, by Phil Crow

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