So on the back of some email enquiries, I have managed to get to Derby Museum to meet Spencer Bailey the curator. I have come to look at predominantly the Pinxton Porcelain, but there were other things that fascinated me and were useful which I will cover in a separate post. After quite a long chat, we got to open the cabinets in the display and I was so exited to handle and photograph some of the porcelain. Ironically on closer inspection, there seemed to be many faults in the glaze and with the finish of some of the pieces themselves. Spencer told me that was actually one of the reasons for closure of the works...quality control. The work wasn't seen to be fine enough and there was problems with glaze pitting.
I visited a museum not far from the Derby museum called Pickfords house. Joseph Pickford, was an Architect who worked on Holkham hall in Norfolk and also knew the Coke family at Pinxton. This was a fascinating period town house. however, squirrelled away in some cabinet draws I found some beautiful designs for ceramics of the same period I had been researching.
Interestingly there was an exhibition curated about industry in relation to the paintings of Joseph Wright and more modern representations of industry in art which I couldn't have times better!
I was also fortunate enough to get access to some of his drawings as a 'special guest'
