Clarice Cliff & Colley Shorter – Chronology

1882 - Birth of Colley Shorter
1884 - A. J. Wilkinson Royal Staffordshire Pottery founded
1899 - Birth of Clarice Cliff (20th January, Meir Street, Tunstall, Staffordshire)
1899 - Architects barry Parker & Raymond Unwin build the Goodfellow House
1907 - Overseas markets explored by Colley Shorter
1909 - Clarice joins Summerbank Road School
1910 - Colley Shorter marries Annie Rogers
1912 - Clarice joins Lingard, Webster and Co. in Tunstall as apprentice hand-paintress
1914 - Outbreak of WWI
1914 - Clarice joins the Staffordshire pottery of Hollinshead & Kirkham
1914 - Clarice wins scholarship to Tunstall School of Art
1916 - Clarice joins the Burslem pottery of A.J. Wilkinson & Co.
1918 - End of WWI
1920 - A.J. Wilkinson & Co. buy Newport Pottery
1921 - Newport Pottery employs salesman Ewart Oakes
1922 - Clarice employed as apprentice modeller
1925 - Clarice given own studio
1925 - Clarice moves in to small apartment in Hanley, Staffordshire
1925 - Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels
1926 - Colley Shorter buys the Goodfellow House and renames it Chetwynd House
1926 - General Strike
1927 - Clarice attends the Royal College of Art (March 14th 1927)
1927 - ‘Bizarre’ range of ceramics developed
1927 - Area dedicated to ‘Bizarre’ ware production at Newport pottery (October)
1927 - ‘Bizarre’ ware test marketed (October)
1928 - Full page article about ‘Bizarre’ in Pottery Gazette (March)
1928 - ‘Bizarre’ ware officially launched (February)
1928 - ‘Crocus’ pattern introduced (most prolific pattern)
1928 - ‘Bizarre’ painting demo at Waring & Gillow London (August)
1928 - ‘Fantasque’ ware launched (October)
1928 - ‘Bizooka’ advertising image first used (October)
1929 - New glazes developed (‘Honeyglaze’ & ‘Inspiration’)
1929 - Start of economic depression in England (October)
1929 - Wall Street Crash (USA)
1930 - Clarice promoted to art director
1930 - Clarice moves out of family home to a flat in Snow Hill
1930 - ‘Applique’ ware launched
1930 - ‘Age of Jazz’ figures launched (September)
1931 - Workforce permitted to listen to music (increases productivity)
1931 - ‘Bizooka’ advertising horse created
1931 - Conical sugar dredger launched
1932 - Clarice stands at British Industries Fair at Olympia
1932 - Leading contemporary artists approached to design for Clarice Cliff
1932 - Clarice stands at First Avenue Hotel show (September)
1932 - Clarice stands at Barkers Kensington (October)
1933 - ‘British Industrial Art in Relation to the Home’ exhibition (20th June)
1934 - Leading contemporary artists approached to design for Clarice Cliff
1934 - Clarice stands at First Avenue Hotel show (September)
1934 - ‘Modern Art for the Table’ exhibition (October)
1935 - ‘Bizarre’ name dropped
1939 - Germany invades Poland (1st September)
1939 - Death of Annie Shorter (2nd November)
1940 - Clarice marries Colley Shorter (21st December)
1940 - Clarice and Colley move into Chetwynd House designed by Parker & Unwin
1942 - Closure of Newport Pottery
1945 - Germany surrenders (8th May)
1945 - Japan surrenders (15th August)
1949 - Clarice and Colley promote business in Canada and USA
1952 - War-time restrictions lifted – new designs produced
1961 - Coley Shorter retires as overseas salesman
1963 - Death of Colley Shorter (13th December)
1964 - Retirement of Clarice Cliff (December)
1964 - A.J. Wilkinson & Co. sold to Midwinter Pottery (8th December)
1968 - Midwinter merges with J & G Meakin
1970 - J & G Meakin taken over by Wedgwood Group
1971 - World of Art Deco exhibition in Minneapolis featuring Clarice Cliff
1972 - Death of Clarice Cliff at Chetwynd House (23rd October)
1972 - First Clarice Cliff exhibition (Brighton Museum)
1972 - British Museum Clarice Cliff exhibition
1976 - L’Odeon Clarice Cliff exhibition (22nd April opening)
1982 - Clarice Cliff Collectors Club founded
1983 - Christies stage first dedicated Clarice Cliff auction
1994 - Record sale price set for charger auctioned at Christie’s for Ł12,100
1997 - Record sale price set for ‘Age of Jazz’ figure at over $20,000