Derby Porcelain

The production of Derby porcelain dates from the first half of the 18th century, although the authorship and the exact start of the production remains today as a matter of conjecture. The oldest remaining pieces in the late 19th century bore only the words «Darby» and «Darbishire» and the years 1751-2-3 as proof of place and year of manufacture. More important is the fact that the production of porcelain in Derby predates the commencement of the works of William Duesbury, started in 1756 when he joined Andrew Planche and John Heath to create the Nottingham Road factory, which later became the Royal Crown Derby.。

It is known by William Duesbury's own notes, that Derby had a solid production of exceptional quality porcelain in early 1750s. The proof of the quality of locally produced material is evidenced by the fact that Duesbury, then a known enameller in London, have paid considerably more for pieces manufactured in Derby than for figurines made by rival factories in Bow and Chelsea. It was common at the time that dealers purchased white glazed porcelain from various manufacturers, and send it to enamelists like Duesbury to do the final finishing (enamelling and colouring).

The first printed mention about the Derby factory, however, dates only from December 1756, when an advertisement in the «Public Advertiser», republished several times throughout the month, urged readers to participate in a sale by auction in London, sponsored by the Derby Porcelain Manufactory. Curiously, there are no other references to this supposed «Derby Porcelain Manufactory,» which suggests that the name was specifically invented for the occasion. Although it can be seen only as boasting, the advertisement calls the factory a «second Dresden,» showing the good quality of their products. Of course, such perfection represented the culmination of a lengthy manufacturing process, and nothing in this announcement indicates that this annual sales had been the first of the factory, unlike what would occur with similar advertisements from manufacturers of Bow and Longton Hall in 1757.

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