Minton Archive still with auction house
Wedgwood owner undecided over archive’s future
The Minton Archive, owned by luxury products company WWRD, which also owns the Waterford Wedgwood brand, has now been held by Bonhams auction house for almost six years.
Prior to the Wedgwood Museum entering administration, the Art Fund had been in talks over bringing the Minton Archive together with the Wedgwood collection.
The Art Fund is currently focusing all of its energies on saving the Wedgwood collection, a spokeswoman told Museums Journal, but it does not believe that the Minton Archive is at risk of being sold.
The archive consists of thousands of watercolours and drawings by artists associated with the Minton pottery company.
A spokesman for Bonhams said: “The archive is still held at Bonhams. It was consigned by Waterford Wedgwood in 2008 and is being held here pending their instruction to sell.”
Anthony Jones, the chief financial officer for WWRD, which took over Waterford Wedgwood in 2009, said: “We have to take one step at a time. We are currently in the middle of a £34m redevelopment of the Barlaston site, which will integrate the Wedgwood Museum with the World of Wedgwood visitor experience.
“WWRD owns Royal Doulton and Minton so there is a bigger question over whether to bring other brands into Barlaston.
“The phase one launch [in April 2015] will be exclusively Wedgwood. But there will be an opportunity down the line, when we are up and running to look at the role of the Minton Archive.”
The Wedgwood collection will be the subject of a news analysis in the October issue of Museums Journal.
Prior to the Wedgwood Museum entering administration, the Art Fund had been in talks over bringing the Minton Archive together with the Wedgwood collection.
The Art Fund is currently focusing all of its energies on saving the Wedgwood collection, a spokeswoman told Museums Journal, but it does not believe that the Minton Archive is at risk of being sold.
The archive consists of thousands of watercolours and drawings by artists associated with the Minton pottery company.
A spokesman for Bonhams said: “The archive is still held at Bonhams. It was consigned by Waterford Wedgwood in 2008 and is being held here pending their instruction to sell.”
Anthony Jones, the chief financial officer for WWRD, which took over Waterford Wedgwood in 2009, said: “We have to take one step at a time. We are currently in the middle of a £34m redevelopment of the Barlaston site, which will integrate the Wedgwood Museum with the World of Wedgwood visitor experience.
“WWRD owns Royal Doulton and Minton so there is a bigger question over whether to bring other brands into Barlaston.
“The phase one launch [in April 2015] will be exclusively Wedgwood. But there will be an opportunity down the line, when we are up and running to look at the role of the Minton Archive.”
The Wedgwood collection will be the subject of a news analysis in the October issue of Museums Journal.