Susie Cooper
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Susie Cooper (October 29, 1902 – July 28, 1995) was a prolific ceramic designer working in the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industries from the 1920s to the 1980s.
Life and work
Born in the Stanfields area of Stoke-of-Trent, she was the youngest of seven children. From an early age she developed an interest in drawing, and began her art education by attending night classes at the Burslem School of Art. In 1922 she joined A.E. Gray & Co. Ltd, partially as a means to gain entry into the Royal College of Art.
A. Edward Gray quickly discovered her talents as a designer, and soon enough Susie was producing her hand-painted floral designs. In 1929 she broke away with her brother-in-law Albert "Jack" Beeson to set up her own business.
Susie worked for many other pottery firms over the next several decades, including Wedgwood. In 1940 she was awarded the Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts, and in 1979 she received an OBE. By all accounts Elizabeth, The Queen Mother was an admirer of her work.
At the age of 80 she retired to live on the Isle of Man, where she died in 1995. Like other Potteries based ceramic designers such as Clarice Cliff and Charlotte Rhead, her work has become highly sought after and valued by pottery collectors.
External links
- BBC Radio Stoke Local Heroes (http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/local_heroes/susie_cooper/index.shtml)
- Susie Cooper Information Site (http://www.susiecooper.net/susie-cooper/cooper_main/home.html)
- Susie Cooper Collector’s Club (http://www.susiecooper.co.uk)
- The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery (http://www2002.stoke.gov.uk/museums/pmag/ceramics/infosheets/cerissvc.htm)