E. Radford

Early hand thrown Art Deco pieces from the E. Radford pottery command a wide collecting base today. Patterns incorporating floral imagery, trees and landscapes lent well to the distinctive matt glazes used by the factory. A single painter, James Harrison is accredited with a prolific pattern called 'The Trees'. The company's core output were vases, jugs and bowls though at a later date animal fancies were introduced with paintresses often allowed a free reign with regard to the design of the pieces themselves.

Son of Edward Thomas Radford (a worker at Pilkingtons pottery, Manchester 1903-1936), Radford was born in 1882. He followed in his father's footsteps in 1905 when he joined Pilkingtons. Radford returned to the pottery industry after World War I in the capacity of a trade agent and in 1930 founded the Radford Handcraft Pottery in Burslem, Stoke on Trent until 1948 trading under the umbrella company of H. J. Wood Limited continuing production of moulded, as opposed to hand thrown wares.

So he could concentrate on ecclesiastical matters with his wife, Radford retired in 1948 with a brief continuation of interest in the trade by taking a post of pottery teacher before his death in 1969. Radford's spirit of community (a refection also of the potter's importance at the time) manifested in his roles of scout leader and councillor.