Josiah Wedgwood had come from a long lineage of creators, in fact, over two centuries of his family history were either farmers or potters. Born in 1730, he was the 12th child of Mary and Thomas Wedgwood with 6 other siblings that survived childhood. His father was thought to not be a rule pusher, he had no personal ambition or acumen. Interestingly, Josiah differed greatly from him. He had smallpox as a child, leaving him with a weak right leg (eventually led to an amputation later) that made it impossible to use the pottery wheel. Nevertheless, he excelled at pottery, specializing in finishing work called “stouking” – an example would be adding a spout to a vase. After apprenticing in his family business, he explored various partnerships before joining Thomas Whieldon's factory at Fenton Vivan, where he was encouraged to fully develop his skills.
Wedgwood, a Unitarian in the 18th century, questioned norms and sought his own understanding of the world. From a young age, he experimented with pottery, applying a scientific approach to the art form. His first form of brilliance is with the use of colored glazes with pottery. He invented a high-temperature thermometer for the firing process, ensuring precise temperatures and improved pottery quality. By 1759, he was so successful with this technique and pottery work that he set up his own business. In 1766, he rented another factory to support his growing business.
In the factory he was known to be a micro-manager, evident in some of his writings to his brother complaining about his staff not holding up to his high standards. His employees at one point did a soft strike, demanding higher wages and he actually declined them and threatened to replace them. He maintained subject matter experts in the workplace to preserve technical expertise and to prevent proprietary information or processes from being accessible to competitors. He knew his work was valuable to other artisans and was paranoid of someone copying his work. He was always around talented people, notably his close friend Thomas Bentley, a strong abolitionist and feminist who greatly influenced him.
A notable achievement occurred when Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III, commissioned a creamware set from him. Creamware, a durable cream-colored pottery superior in strength to traditional china, he gained significant recognition through this order. He also initiated his marketing brilliance but rebranding creamware as “Queenware” and updating all of his letterhead and bills to read, “Josiah Wedgwood, Potter to Her Majesty.”
In 1769, Wedgwood established a factory in the village of Etruria, which was named after the Etruscan style inspired by the discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii. These sites, buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the late Roman Empire, were being excavated at the time, sparking widespread interest in Roman culture and lifestyle. This fascination spread throughout Europe and influenced many, including Wedgwood. Consequently, numerous works produced by Wedgwood exhibit clear Greco-Roman influences.
Sensing declining demand, Wedgwood was inspired to innovate and developed jasperware in the 1770s and production quickly ramped shortly after. Initial products included seals, cameos, and intaglios, quickly expanding into items like buttons, buckles, medallions, lockets, egg cups, lamps, and candlesticks due to high demand. It was a perfect combination of his genius invention but also, his marketing acumen. He opened a London show room where he showcased his pottery work. He offered a lot of the marketing tactics that we know today. “Free Delivery!” “Buy One and Get One Free” “Your Money Back Guaranteed”. In 1773, he created an illustrated catalogue in order for clients to chose from his wares and take orders through mail. He also took their information into a sophisticated accounting system where he would demand sense certain products.
At 64 years, he had passed away peacefully at his home (called Etruria Hall) celebrated for his work and accomplishments.
References:
Hunt, T. (2022). Radical potter: The Life and Times of Josiah Wedgwood. Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Compay.
Smithsonian. (2014). The Industrial Revolution. Episode 10. The Industrial Revolution. Retrieved from https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S93C5490515.