About this product

A Rare Shelley Vogue pattern bowl.

Shortly before the 1st World War two of Percy’s sons, Percy Norman and Vincent Bob, joined the family company. Kenneth Jack, the other son, went to Birmingham University. All three were known by their middle name and later on all three had a cup shape named after them i.e. Norman, Vincent and Kenneth. Norman and Bob joined up and both returned safely from the war. Jack stayed on at university. All three then started working for the company, Norman was concerned with production, Bob took over warehouses and stock control, Jack with his accountancy training took charge of the finances. In 1919 Eric Slater, Walter’s son joined the company. After completing his training he started to produce designs which in later years proved a huge success for the company. During 1920 money was invested in developing the works and an extension that included an office block and showroom was completed (this was the three-storey building in front of the factory) The investment and improvements that were started in 1920 were now in evidence as quality and overall production at the factory continued to improve. In 1925 the showroom was described as one of the best in the Potteries.

The company was still called Wileman & Co, even though it had been controlled by the Shelley family for over fifty years and on 1 January 1925 the Shelley name and trademark was registered.

The period of the mid twenties until the start of the Second World War was Shelley’s most productive years. It was during this time that the Art Deco period was proving to be very successful with the various Deco shapes that were designed. Another factor that was helping the company was that the bone content in the china had enhanced the quality and in cup shapes the phrase ‘eggshell china’ was commonly used. Shelley was promoting its ware through advertising and employed a company called Smedleys Advertising Services Ltd. Smedleys were futuristic in the way they promoted the ware in catalogues, magazines, newspapers and even at cinemas. This again helped in keeping the Shelley name in everyone’s mind.

In the mid twenties Shelley broke with tradition and employed a well known illustrator of the time, Hilda Cowham, to produce a range of nursery ware. Cowham designed a series called Playtime; the design was a simple representation of children’s activities. A second series of designs were produced in 1927 and in 1928 a tea set with a seaside theme was produced. The teapot was a bathing tent, the sugar bowl was a sea side bucket and the milk jug was a shell with a seaweed handle.

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