FORT YSEVEN PHIL CROW
FORTYSEVEN: The last bottle ovens and kilns of The Potteries
“I
wanted to show the beauty in their shape and how they interact with the buildings that now surround them. Is there a place for them in modern society? The answer has to be yes!
Accompanying book of the exhibition
P
hil Crow ABIPP based in Lincoln has documented and created an exhibition on the lost age of British ceramic production in Stoke On Trent. The display shows Phil’s photographs of now derelict factories and brick kilns, along with archive images from the heyday of the industry supplied by Keele University’s Warrillow Collection.
Phil’s connection with the bottle ovens goes deeper than just photography: his grandfather and subsequently his father owned a pottery called Coronation Pottery Co Ltd based in Newcastle. Their pottery was slightly smaller than Gladstone and originally had two bottle ovens and two smaller bottle kilns. Once the Clean Air Act came into force, these were replaced with electric kilns. Stories from The Pottery were part of his childhood, and as a matter of course, he learned how to throw at school. This was almost his career choice though photography won out in the end. 40 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Two
Image of Minkstone Works, Longton © Phil Crow
Issue Two / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 41
