Fondeville England Homestead - I'm stumped again!

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Permalink Reply by PaperHistory on October 23, 2009 at 9:56am

Mona - I've just joined VV and am looking at older postings - don't know if you've had any success yet with this, but here's what I have to offere:

The way the mark states it, I'm betting that "Homestead ware" was a *shape* that was offered in a number of patterns. Unfortunately, some of these dinnerware makers have had THOUSANDS of dinnerware patterns over the years, so may be hard to nail down a name (if it was ever even given one - lots of times it just got a number.) Given the style of the mark, I would guess it may be 1930s?

I found this current Ebay auction - http://tinyurl.com/yj9s7m2 - the interesting thing is, the handle on the creamer looks the same as yours (even tho' this is designated "Ambassador ware") but the teapot is different! You might look at other Ambassador ware to see if maybe they just renamed the line? The auction set may also be a "marriage" - parts of different sets later put together, even though they're the same pattern applied to different shapes.

Anyway, good luck - that's some very pretty china! (I love a good score like that, don't you?)

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Permalink Reply by Deer Path Vintage on October 23, 2009 at 6:35pm

Lisa, thanks so much for commenting. You're probably right about Homestead being the shape. I've listed it in my store at a ridiculous price compared to what they want on eBay! But I don't have enough info, and I really need to move some stuff. I think it's adorable, but unless it's mid-century or above these days, there's not a big market for 30s-40s pottery. Unless it's to die for, of course! (Like my beloved Homer Laughlin English Garden. (Look closely at the top of the platter and you'll see where I got my banner and avatar!)

Welcome to Vintage Village. I see you'll be a real asset here! Thanks again.

Mona

Lisa Hutton said:

Mona - I've just joined VV and am looking at older postings - don't know if you've had any success yet with this, but here's what I have to offere:

The way the mark states it, I'm betting that "Homestead ware" was a *shape* that was offered in a number of patterns. Unfortunately, some of these dinnerware makers have had THOUSANDS of dinnerware patterns over the years, so may be hard to nail down a name (if it was ever even given one - lots of times it just got a number.) Given the style of the mark, I would guess it may be 1930s?

I found this current Ebay auction - http://tinyurl.com/yj9s7m2 - the interesting thing is, the handle on the creamer looks the same as yours (even tho' this is designated "Ambassador ware") but the teapot is different! You might look at other Ambassador ware to see if maybe they just renamed the line? The auction set may also be a "marriage" - parts of different sets later put together, even though they're the same pattern applied to different shapes.

Anyway, good luck - that's some very pretty china! (I love a good score like that, don't you?)

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Permalink Reply by BrownBat on March 11, 2012 at 8:42pm

Hello, I have three miniature cream pitchers the the same fruit pattern, the same house image and the same "HOMESTEAD"WARE mark beneath the little house.

 Mine, however, are marked Soho Pottery LTD  COBRIDGE ENGLAND an they are stamped THE BERKELEY which I am 'guessing' is  old hotel in Knightsbridge, UK.

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Permalink Reply by A Staffordshire Lad on March 13, 2012 at 6:43pm

Soho pottery was a small, Staffordshire factory operating out of  Cobridge (part of the town of Burslem) up to 1944.

The items do look very 1930's in design.

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Permalink Reply by Deer Path Vintage on March 13, 2012 at 6:52pm

Wow, that's interesting.  I wonder if the cream pitchers where used individually on the hotel's dining room tables?  If they were hotel dinner ware they must have made quite a splash.  They're very pretty.  Thanks so much for the info.

Mona
 

 BrownBat said:

Hello, I have three miniature cream pitchers the the same fruit pattern, the same house image and the same "HOMESTEAD"WARE mark beneath the little house.

 Mine, however, are marked Soho Pottery LTD  COBRIDGE ENGLAND an they are stamped THE BERKELEY which I am 'guessing' is  old hotel in Knightsbridge, UK.

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Permalink Reply by Deer Path Vintage on March 13, 2012 at 6:58pm

I love the name "Soho Pottery" and I'm picturing the area where they were made as very beautiful.  There must have been dozens of potteries working in that area.  Was it the clay?  Here in the U.S most of our potteries were in a section of Ohio known for its abundance of fine river clays.

They do look 1930s to me, too.  Thank you so much for writing.

Mona
 
A Staffordshire Lad said:

Soho pottery was a small, Staffordshire factory operating out of  Cobridge (part of the town of Burslem) up to 1944.

The items do look very 1930's in design.

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Permalink Reply by A Staffordshire Lad on March 13, 2012 at 7:11pm

I'm afraid lots and lots of bottle kilns don't make for a beautiful area. I think we had about 2500 of them firing up, at one time. It was a very industrial and quite dirty area when they were all coal fired (pre 1950-1960ish)

The pottery industry was originally founded on the red clays of the area (marl), but this was going back a couple of hundred years (Josiah Wedgwood et al) and the vast majority of the clays used are the white clays, which are transported in from the south west of the country (Cornwall). Of course, the industry continued to thrive in Staffordshire because of the factories and skills of the local people.

Deer Path Vintage said:

I love the name "Soho Pottery" and I'm picturing the area where they were made as very beautiful.  There must have been dozens of potteries working in that area.  Was it the clay?  Here in the U.S most of our potteries were in a section of Ohio known for its abundance of fine river clays.

They do look 1930s to me, too.  Thank you so much for writing.

Mona
 
A Staffordshire Lad said:

Soho pottery was a small, Staffordshire factory operating out of  Cobridge (part of the town of Burslem) up to 1944.

The items do look very 1930's in design.

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