Tiles On The Web:
Featured Artist
William De Morgan


Sunflower 6" x 6" x 5/16"
Ruby Lustre on transparent glaze (crazed)
White earthenware, commercial dust-pressed blank
Fulham Period 1888-1907
Back marked in cobalt blue hand lettering "W. De. Morgan & Co., Fulham, London"


Carnation 6" x 6" x 3/8"
Green (chrome/copper?) foliage and manganese purple flowers
White slip on red stoneware, plastic-pressed blank
Transparent glaze (crazed)
Late Fulham Period (1898)
Back marked impressed "DM, 98" in double circle.

Artist Statement

Sadly, William De Morgan has been dead since 15 January 1917, so he didn't have anything to say for this exhibit. I'll put more info on his work up as time permits.

Tom Colson
28 June 1995

Resume

William Frend De Morgan

Current Position

Famous, Dead, Victorian Tiler, Potter, and Novelist

Personal Information

Born: 16 Nov 1839, London
Died: 15 Jan 1917, London

Married: Evelyn Pickering, 1887
Children: None

Education

Student, Royal Academy Schools, London, 1859
Student, University College, London, 1856-9
Student, Cary's School, London, 1855
Student, University College School, London, 1849

William De Morgan Collections Open To the Public

William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow (London), England
Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England
Leighton House, London, England

General Collections Containing Works By William De Morgan

Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-On-Trent, England
Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire, England
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England
British Museum, London, England
Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK (open to the public in winter only)

Publications: Reference Works Covering William De Morgan

All citations are from the Booklist on the Tiles On The Web Bookshelf.

Austwick, J & B
The Decorated Tile
Collier Macmillan, 1980, ISBN 02-990100-6
cloth, 160 pages
info on back marks

Barnard, Julian
Victorian Ceramic Tiles
Studio Vista, 1972, ISBN 0-289-70251-8
cloth, 184 pages
info on back marks, some color photos, many b/w photos

Blanchett, Chris
William De Morgan Tiles At Knightscroft House, Rustington, West Susex
T&ACB, 1992
paper, 5 pages
xerographic monograph with color plates

Catleugh, Jon
William De Morgan Tiles
Van Nostrand Rheinhold, 1983, ISBN 0-671-60842-8
cloth, 184 pages

Gaunt, William
William De Morgan: Pre-Raphaelite Ceramics
New York Graphics Society, 1971, ISBN 8212-0390-8
cloth, 176 pages
many color photos, info on back marks, bibliography

Greenwood, Martin
The Designs of William De Morgan
Dennis & Wiltshire, 1989, ISBN 0-903685-24-8
cloth, 256 pages
comprehensive collection of the De Morgan design archive at the V&A

Lockett, Terence
Collecting Victorian Tiles
Antique Collectors Club, 1979, ISBN 0-902028-82-0
cloth, 239 pages
broad coverage, with updated price guide

Van Lemmen, Hans
Fired Earth: 1000 Years of Tiles in Europe
Richard Dennis/T&ACS, 1991, ISBN 0-903685-28-0
paper, 180 pages
many excellent color photos

Van Lemmen, Hans
Tiles: 1000 years of Architectural Decoration
Abrams, 1993, ISBN 0-8109-3867-7
cloth, 240 pages
text & color photos of tiles from around the world, a beautiful book

Publications: Writings of William De Morgan

After De Morgan's health failed, he spent increasing lengths of time in Italy. During this time, his pottery business went into a decline from which it never recoverd. De Morgan then went on to a very successful career as a novelist. He wrote several best selling novels including Joseph Vance and Alice-For-Short.

Sources For William De Morgan Tiles

Haslam and Whiteway Ltd, London, England
An extensive and ever changing selection of De Morgan tiles. Other Victorain tiles also available.

New Century Gallery, London, England
 Antiques of the 20th Century, with a good selection of art pottery and some tiles.

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