Adams & Bromley majolica corn platter
One of the most prolific makers of majolica in Staffordshire was the Adams & Bromley pottery at Victoria Works. First operating under the name of John Adams & Co., the two potteries made majolica from 1860 to 1885. The name though is not well known outside of ceramic circles because of their choice to not mark the majority of their ware. The company’s output, however is familiar to anyone with an interest in Victorian pottery.
Born in 1834, John Adams grew up in the pottery trade. His father worked at Wedgwood where he later also took a position. There he met two of the men who would later join to form Adams & Co.
In 1863 he entered into a partnership with John Bromley and Henry Cartledge, who were these coworkers at Wedgwood and designer Thomas Greenbatch to create Adams & Co. They manufactured a variety of wares at the Victoria Works in Hadley. including majolica. In 1869 the partnership was reorganized after Greenbatch left the firm.
The company enjoyed wide success both with their majolica and their jasperware selling both domestically and abroad. They exhibited in international exhibitions such as those in Paris and London, increasing their reputation for creating quality ware. In 1873 The company changed its name to Adams & Bromley and continued manufacturing large quantities of majolica.
Adams & Bromley majolica Lion Pillar Fountain
Adams & Bromley cattail jardiniere
Adams & Bromley majolica cupid centre
Engraving from The Ceramic Art of Great Britain
Adams & Bromley trade ad
Engraving from The Ceramic Art of Great Britain (1878)
The majolica made by the company is variable in quality. Designs are usually created for table or garden use. The company submitted few designs through the English Registration system. They developed a glaze color palette of yellow, green and brown that was used on most pieces with cobalt, turquoise and lavender used less frequently. Linings of hollowware were usually majolica pink, while bases were mostly sponged brown and/or solid golden ochre.
One of the two reverse glaze treatments most commonly
found on Adams & Bromley majolica.
As mentioned earlier, the majority of ware was unmarked. When a mark does appear it is unusual, so the primary means we have of identifying their pieces is through this afore color palette or style similarities with known ware. To complicate matters of identification, many designs, like their corn ware, water lily or pineapple, were contemporarily copied by other Victorian potteries.
Adams & Bromley impressed mark
Adams & Bromley jardiniere and stand,
also made by Brownfield
Adams & Bromley dissolved their partnership in 1885. John Adams then opened a tile manufacturing plant while John Bromley continued operating the pottery and acquired in addition the defunct Victoria Pottery which he operated until 1893. Potter Thomas Heath then purchased the molds of the potteries and continued producing the shapes at the Albion Works in Longton.
Adams & Bromley made a number of well known majolica designs. Some originated with Adams & Co. and were continued through the company's name change. Since the company underwent changes in name and ownership we have no way of knowing which designs originated with Adams & Company, or Adams & Bromley unless they are specifically marked as such. To complicate matters, the molds having been sold to a third party after the close of the pottery, we have no way of knowing which pieces continued manufacture after 1893. For the sake of simplicity, I will identify them all here as Adams & Bromley.
Let's begin with their pineapple series.
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple tea set
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple butter pat
Adams & Bromley majolica Pineapple bread tray
Adams & Bromley pineapple butter dish
Adams & Bromley pineapple sardine box
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple dessert stand
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple carafe
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple trivet Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple dessert plate
Adams & Bromley pineapple condiment set
Another well loved pattern is their corn themed ware, certainly one of the most sought after designs in the cannon. The jug, an original registered design of James Ellis & Son, the mold was purchased by Adams & Bromley after the company failed
Adams & Bromley majolica corn bread tray
Adams and Bromley majolica corn cheese bell
English registration photo from Ellis & Son
Ellis & Son parian corn jug with cover
Adams & Bromley registered corn jug, a copy of one
made by Ellis & Son
Adams & Bromley majolica corn vase
Their swan themed series is most unusual for its pieces with swan handles.
Adams & Bromley majolica swan handledcenter bowl
Adams & Bromley majolica swan teapot
Adams & Bromley majolica swan wall pocket
Adams & Bromley majolica swan
Adams & Bromley majolica center bowl
Adams & Bromley majolica swan centre
Adams & Bromley majolica Émail Ombrant swan cake tray
The company made a popular, often copied, series of pond lily pieces.
Adams & Bromley majolica pond lily plate
Adams & Bromley majolica beard tray Adams & Bromley small majolica heron compote
Adans & Bromley fruit/water lily majolica dessert stand
Adams & Bromley tall heron compote
Adams & Bromley intermediate size heron compote
They also made a series of pieces with apples and pears on it, currently being reproduced by Mottahedeh. Here is how it, and the pineapple design, were described in the November 1 issue of Pottery & Glass Trader's Journal:
"Adams and Co., Hanley, have recently commenced to manufacture tea ware in Majolica. The articles have rather a novel appearance and are well calculated to please. Only two designs have present been got out, consisting of apple fruit and foliage, and pine apple fruit and foliage. For choice, perhaps the former will selected. This design has the most taking appearance, and will no doubt find favour in the eyes of the ladies. The service, which is complete, is decorated with a very bright brown ground, pink lining, with fruit and foliage in relief, colored naturally."
Adams & Bromley majolica fruit plate
Adams & Bromley majolica fruit platter
Adams & Bromley motto bread plate
Adams & Bromley fruit dessert stand
Adams & Bromley majolica fruit pitcher
Adams & Bromley fruit tea set
Adams & Bromley fruit trivet
They potted a group of popular fish themed pieces which included two different oyster plates.
Adams & Bromley majolica oyster plate with cracker well
Eight well Adams & Bromley majolica oyster plate
Adams & Bromley majolica fish platter
Adams & Bromley majolica fish cheese bell
Adams & Bromley squared majolica fish pitcher
Adams & Bromley majolica fish pitcher
Adams & Bromley majolica fish Stilton cheese bell
Another pattern that is attributed to Adams & Bromley that was popular, based on the number of presently available examples, is a multicolored begonia or leaf pattern, sometimes plain and sometimes against a wicker ground.
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker syrup
Adams & Bromley majolica wicker cheese bell
Adams & Bromley cake tray
Adams & Bromley majolica pitcher
Adams & Bromley majolica creamer
Adams & Bromley majolica jardiniere
Adams & Bromley majolica compote
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate
Adams & Bromley majolica server
Adams & Bromley leaf plate Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate
Adams & Bromley begonia bread plate
Majolica leaf on wicker syrup attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker mustache cup
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker plate
Adams & Bromley leaf on wicker butter pat
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker platter
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker cuspidor
The company made numerous pieces in smaller series as well.
Adams & Bromley cow cheese bell
Adams & Bromley cow Stilton cheese bell
Adams & Bromley cow butter dish
Adams & Bromley majolica begonia tea set
Adams & Bromley majolica holly jug
Adams & Bromley corn and wheat garden seat
displayed at the 1871 London Exhibition
Adams & Co. water lily plate
Adams & Co. majolica lily plate
Adams & Bromley majolica cucumber jug Water lily basket attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica blackberry plate
Majolica fan tea set attributed to Adams & Bromley. Also made by Forester.
Fan mustache cup and saucer attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica face teapot
Adams & Bromley majolica registered foxglove jug
Strawberry dish attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica pear ink well
Gothic Revival bread plate attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley Egyptian majolica pitcher in
commemoration of erection of Cleopatra’s Needle in London in 1877
Shell sardine box attributed to Adams & Bromley
Grape leaf on wicker attributed to Adams & Bromley
Majolica shell plate attributed to Adams & Bromley
Majolica shell low dessert stand attributed to Adams & Bromley
Bread plate attributed to Adams & Bromley
Ram's head pitcher attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica farm platter
Majolica émail ombrant type farm plate marked Adams & Co.
and probably also manufactured by Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica Renaissance Revival ewer
Holly cheese bell attributed to Adams & Bromley
Adams & Bromley majolica Passion flower plate
With the exception of a few pieces, Adams & Bromley is easily within the reach of the average collector. With the large selection of designs to choose from there is something to please any buyer, but beware reproductions.
Reproduction corn pitcher
Base of the above reproduction
The popularity of their designs is supporting a burgeoning reproduction market today, primarily originating in Asia. The most common reproduction of an Adams & Bromley piece is the Ellis & Son designed corn pitcher. It is often marked with a blank English Registration mark and crescent, implying a George Jones mark. The craftsmanship however is terrible.
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