{"product_id":"anthony-oliver-victorian-staffordshire-figure-first-edition","title":"The Victorian Staffordshire Figure: A Guide for Collectors by Anthony Oliver | 1971 First Edition Signed by Author","description":"\u003ch3\u003eSigned by Anthony Oliver first edition of Staffordshire collector reference.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin: 22px 0 20px 0; padding: 8px 14px 6px 14px; border-left: 3px solid #334FB4; background-color: #f8faff;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #334fb4; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;\"\u003eCollector’s Note\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong collectors of Victorian Staffordshire pottery, Anthony Oliver's \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Victorian Staffordshire Figure \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis widely regarded as one of the foundational reference works on the subject, often mentioned alongside Gordon Pugh's classic studies of Staffordshire figures. First published in 1971, this important collector guide helped establish many of the identification, attribution, and collecting standards still referenced today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat distinguishes Oliver's work is its blend of scholarship, social history, and practical collecting advice. Rather than simply cataloging figures, Oliver explores the people who made them, the culture that inspired them, and the methods collectors can use to distinguish authentic nineteenth-century examples from later reproductions. For collectors building a serious Staffordshire library, this remains one of the essential books on the subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1756\" data-start=\"1494\"\u003eThis copy of\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cem data-end=\"1567\" data-start=\"1507\"\u003eThe Victorian Staffordshire Figure: A Guide for Collectors\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003eAnthony Oliver\u003c\/strong\u003e is a \u003cstrong data-end=\"1613\" data-start=\"1591\"\u003e1971 First Edition\u003c\/strong\u003e published by William Heinemann Ltd., London. Adding to its desirability, the book is \u003cstrong data-end=\"1755\" data-start=\"1699\"\u003epersonally inscribed by the author on the title page\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2219\" data-start=\"1758\"\u003eDescribed as \"A Guide for Collectors,\" the volume is richly illustrated with approximately \u003cstrong data-end=\"1886\" data-start=\"1849\"\u003e250 photographs and illustrations\u003c\/strong\u003e, including \u003cstrong data-end=\"1920\" data-start=\"1898\"\u003eeight color plates\u003c\/strong\u003e, and goes far beyond a simple survey of Victorian Staffordshire figures. Oliver paints a vivid picture of nineteenth-century England and the social, political, theatrical, and cultural events that inspired Staffordshire potters to create some of the most beloved figures in British ceramic history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2614\" data-start=\"2221\"\u003eA remarkable range of figures is illustrated and discussed, often accompanied by information about the designers, source engravings, magazine illustrations, and historical events that inspired their production. In several instances, the original printed source used by the potter is reproduced alongside the ceramic figure itself, providing fascinating insight into Victorian design practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2634\" data-start=\"2616\"\u003eThe book explores:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-end=\"3150\" data-start=\"2636\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2707\" data-start=\"2636\"\u003eThe famous Staffordshire Potteries and the craftsmen who worked there\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2788\" data-start=\"2708\"\u003eThe six pottery towns of Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Fenton, Longton, and Stoke\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2862\" data-start=\"2789\"\u003eManufacturing methods and materials used in Victorian figure production\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2942\" data-start=\"2863\"\u003eEarthenware, porcelain, bone china, semi-porcelain, and hybrid ceramic bodies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2993\" data-start=\"2943\"\u003eIdentification techniques for authentic examples\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"3029\" data-start=\"2994\"\u003eForming and managing a collection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"3081\" data-start=\"3030\"\u003eFakes, forgeries, reproductions, and restorations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"3150\" data-start=\"3082\"\u003eThe social history of Victorian pottery workers and their families\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3502\" data-start=\"3152\"\u003eParticularly fascinating are Oliver's discussions drawn from the \u003cstrong data-end=\"3279\" data-start=\"3217\"\u003e1843 Royal Commission on Children's Employment in Industry\u003c\/strong\u003e, providing firsthand accounts of working conditions in the Potteries. Through contemporary reports and quotations, readers gain rare insight into the lives of the men, women, and children who produced these iconic figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3729\" data-start=\"3504\"\u003eWhether used as a practical reference guide or enjoyed as a social history of Victorian ceramics, this volume remains an invaluable resource for collectors, dealers, historians, and anyone interested in Staffordshire pottery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHISTORICAL NOTE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin: 22px 0 14px 0; padding: 8px 14px 6px 14px; border-left: 3px solid #6A7A8A; background-color: #f4f6f8;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #4a5560; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0 0 6px 0;\"\u003eHistorical Note\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 6px 0 4px 0;\"\u003eNot all pieces commonly called \u003cstrong\u003e“Staffordshire figures”\u003c\/strong\u003e were actually made in Staffordshire, however. Scottish potteries—staffed in part by workers who had migrated from the Potteries—produced figures so similar in style and technique that they are often grouped under the same umbrella. This overlap reflects how widely Staffordshire methods spread and how influential the region became.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 6px 0 4px 0;\"\u003eStaffordshire pottery takes its name from a compact area of North Staffordshire known as the \u003cstrong\u003ePotteries\u003c\/strong\u003e—the six historic towns of Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Fenton, Longton, and Stoke. This Midlands region became a powerhouse of ceramic production beginning in the 17th century, when local clay, coal, and an increasingly skilled workforce fueled rapid growth. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3412\" data-end=\"3426\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brown clothbound hardcover in \u003cstrong data-end=\"4517\" data-start=\"4494\"\u003eexcellent condition\u003c\/strong\u003e. This copy retains a clean, bright interior with tight binding and sharp pages. The title page bears a \u003cstrong\u003epersonal inscription by Anthony Oliver\u003c\/strong\u003e. Dust jacket not present. A handsome and highly usable collector reference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin: 20px 0 20px 0; padding: 10px 14px 8px 14px; border-left: 3px solid #9C8F81; background-color: #f4efea;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #6e6258; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;\"\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4082\" data-start=\"3757\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnthony Oliver\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the most respected authorities on Victorian Staffordshire figures and nineteenth-century British ceramics. Through his research, collecting expertise, and publications, he helped establish many of the standards used by collectors and dealers to identify, classify, and evaluate Staffordshire figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4443\" data-start=\"4084\"\u003eHis work combines careful historical scholarship with practical collecting guidance, making complex subjects accessible to both beginning collectors and advanced enthusiasts. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"4295\" data-start=\"4259\"\u003eThe Victorian Staffordshire Figure\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eremains one of his most influential contributions to the field and continues to be cited by collectors more than fifty years after its publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca title=\"Biographies, Reference Books, Textbooks and Educational Materials\" href=\"https:\/\/thetownhouseantiques.com\/collections\/reference-instruction-books-field-guides\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eBiographies \u0026amp; Reference Books\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e for additional resources on Staffordshire, pottery, antique ceramics and Victorian decorative arts. \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\" title=\"P.D. Gordon Pugh Staffordshire Portrait Figures Collector Guide. The definitive Staffordshire collector reference revised 2nd edition with 900 photos and 62 color plates.\" href=\"https:\/\/thetownhouseantiques.com\/products\/pd-gordon-pugh-staffordshire-portrait-figures-book\"\u003eStaffordshire Portrait Figures of the Victorian Era by Gordon Pugh\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis also available in a separate listing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"William Heinemann Ltd., London","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43369771434051,"sku":null,"price":52.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0114\/3262\/4186\/files\/VictorianStaffordshireFigureAnthonyOliver048.jpg?v=1781099383","url":"https:\/\/thetownhouseantiques.com\/products\/anthony-oliver-victorian-staffordshire-figure-first-edition","provider":"The Townhouse Antiques \u0026 Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}