History of Royal Albert China
Around 1894, Thomas Clark Wild established a small pottery company in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent in England, the birthplace of Royal Albert Bone China. Wild and his sons, Thomas and Frederick, built up the family business. They created their first royal commemorative items in 1897, to honor the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. "T.C. Wild & Sons" was incorporated as a limited company in 1933. Royal Albert was the trading name of the company. Does this Spark an idea?
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Famous Ties
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"Royal Albert" is named for Prince Albert, who was crowned King George VI in 1936, upon the abdication of his brother, Edward. Albert was the father of Queen Elizabeth II. Royal Albert's products were originally called Albert Crown China. The company added "Royal" to the brand name in 1904.
Geography
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The first Royal Albert overseas agency was set up in New Zealand around 1910. Australia, Canada and the United States followed in quick succession as export markets. Today, Royal Albert bone china is known and sold throughout the world.
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History
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In 1970, the company was renamed Royal Albert Limited and in 1972, it became part of the Royal Doulton group. In 2002, Royal Albert production moved from England to Royal Doulton's state-of-the-art facilities in Indonesia.
Significance
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Two royal warrants permit Royal Albert to issue commemorative bone china creations. In 2002, Royal Albert marked the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with a specially designed commemorative collection.
Time Frame
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The "100 Years of Royal Albert" collection of fine bone china marks the centenary of the brand. The collection comprises 10 patterns, one for each decade of the 20th century. Centenary products include brooches, figures, mugs and tea ware in special packaging.
Identification
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"Old Country Roses" is the Royal Albert signature design by Harold Holdcroft. The designer portrayed English roses in full bloom in both bright and soft colors with gold stipple and a gold rim. This pattern has achieved sales of over 100 million pieces since its introduction in 1962.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Maureen Katemopoulos
