The Middleport Pottery of Burgess and Leigh (opened 1888)  

The transfer shop - applying the transfer to the ware

 

Location 23 on the index diagram

 

Moving across the yard from the packing shop to the first floor transfer shop.

Transfer printing was developed in response to a call by English consumers for less expensive, mass produced wares. Customers wanted embellishment on their previously plain utilitarian wares. Initially the patterns were oriental in flavour.

Transfer printing is a process by which a pattern or design is etched onto a copper (or other metal) plate. The plate is then inked and the pattern is "transferred" to a special tissue. The inked tissue is then laid onto the already bisque fired ceramic item, glazed, and fired again.

[ on transfer ware] 

Applying transfer to teapots

Applying transfer to large bathroom set jug

Previous is the packing shop 
Next is the printing machine

You can skip the rest of the transfer section of the tour and go
straight to the stairs which go down to the offices: - skip transfer 

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks