SPODE - Key Persons

Josiah Spode founded a company that was to change the course of British ceramics forever. He designed and crafted the most beautiful blue and white ceramics that were revered across the globe - designs, such as Blue Italian, that are now seen as iconic and the ultimate style statement… designs that are Unmistakably Spode. This thirst for designing the most desirable ceramics has continued for 250 years and today Spode has a covetable collection of fabulous designs for those who love to express their unique sense of style at home. This thirst for designing the most desirable ceramics has continued for 250 years and today Spode has a covetable collection of fabulous designs for those who love to express their unique sense of style at home. Josiah Spode I (1733-1797) founded Spode in 1770 in the heart of a thriving industrial Stoke-on-Trent. A true craftsman, it was Josiah I who brought to perfection a commercially successful method of manufacturing blue and white ceramics (known as blue under-glaze printing) and it was his son, Josiah II, a man with great commercial acumen, who discovered the correct formula for the new English porcelain, bone china. Different though they were (Josiah I being dedicated to his craft, while his son was an inspired entrepreneur), these pioneering men together critically redefined the British pottery industry to such an extent that British ceramics became revered across the globe. Different though they were (Josiah I being dedicated to his craft, while his son was an inspired entrepreneur), these pioneering men together critically redefined the British pottery industry to such an extent that British ceramics became revered across the globe.

Job Titles:

• Morris & Co

In 1770 Spode rewrote the ceramics rulebook. By doing things differently, Spode has become one of the most enduring brands of all time. Spode has always been the leader of unique style, standing apart from other brands for over 250 years, and today it boldly follows in its forebears' footsteps with a brave and distinct approach to homeware design.