The First World War in Objects
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, in a moment of inspiration, the Stoke-on-Trent-based Falcon Pottery, owned by William Henry Goss, started manufacturing white porcelain models which were generally embellished with the coat of arms of a particular town, city or county. In so doing, Goss created a whole new ‘souvenir’ market, his pieces of crested china, ‘fancy ware’ as they were often called, being eagerly sought after by tourists and collectors alike to mark a memorable holiday or national event. For almost half a century, Goss’ products, and those from a number of other firms, formed the basis of a burgeoning seaside souvenir industry. It was one, though, that was drastically curtailed by the outbreak of war in 1914.
‘In an attempt to stem their dwindling sales,’ the crested china specialist Robert Southall wrote, ‘many manufacturers from the small Stoke-on-Trent potteries turned their attention to things martial. From postcards and photographs, written descriptions and hearsay and the pages of newspapers and magazines, they culled inspiration for their china models. No stone was left unturned and models representing all aspects of the war were produced: f…
