Maling history

The late 1800s - Maling goes 'up-market'

By the late 1880s, CT Maling had been joined in the business by his three sons. Possibly at their suggestion, the factory, while still producing a prodigious amount of white wares, began to take a bigger interest in decorated domestic wares.

New patterns were introduced, perhaps from in-house designers. What is certain is that, in the 1890s, Maling employed their first designer who can be named with confidence. He was a Frenchman - a Mr Miguet - and he was brought in not only for his design skills, but also to supervise the factory's move into the production of colour transfer-printed wares. Previously, any colour - if required - had been applied by hand, as can be seen in the example of a 'Ming & Chang' pattern mug, below left. This technique continued in tandem with colour lithography.

Mr Miguet specialised in flowers and, in a further drive to go 'up-market', his designs were applied not only to pottery, but also to porcelain items which Maling imported either from Staffordshire or even Limoges from around the start of the new (i.e. 20th) century. The tea cup is a typical example and dates from approximately 1900.