Possibly my favourite designer, Susie Cooper was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England in 1902 and was one of seven children born in a well-off family with interests in property and farming.
Having much inspiration from the natural world during her childhood, she spent a lot of her time drawing the natural world around her and in 1919 enrolled at the Burslem School of Arts, where she initially studied typing but changed her course to her much loved hobby of drawing.
In 1922, Susie Cooper started work for A E Grays (Stoke-on-Trent & Hanley), where she started out as a paintress and soon her talents were recognised and she was made art director. During this period, Susie produced some of her moset sought after early designs that have later been given names like "Moon and Mountains" and "Cubist" to name just a couple.
After a few years, Ms Cooper decided she wanted to do more than just paint her creative designs on white ware provided by other factories and that she wanted to mould and design the pottery as well as decorate it. In 1929 Susie Cooper left A E Grays to set up her own pottery works: "Susie Cooper Pottery Limited" and this was the birth of "Susie Cooper Productions".
Susie Cooper went on to make some of the most popular homeware and became a household name. Plagued by a number of unfortunate fires at her works and various circumstances, in 1966, Susie Cooper Pottery Ltd was taken over by the Wedgwood group and Susie Cooper continued on as Director at the Crown Works until just after her husband died in 1972, where she remained as designer until the Crown Works closure in 1980. Angered and upset by the closure, Susie left the potteries to live on the Isle of Man in 1982.
Susie Cooper sadly died in 1995 but her fantastic and inspirational legacy is still strong today.
More information can be found in various places and I currently have some of the most collected and desirable piece from her 83 year legacy as a designer. Visit my website for some lovely examples to buy and add to or start your own collection today.
