Wedgwood's past caught on camera (PICTURES)

PHOTOGRAPHS taken of the Wedgwood Black Bank works more than a century ago are to be unveiled to the public for the first time.

The black and white photos show the pottery factory in 1900 on the site where The Sentinel now stands today.

They were taken by professional photographer Thomas Warham, from Audley. His daughter Lou has now decided the public should be able to see them and has asked for them to be exhibited at Newcastle Museum and Audley library.

Thomas Warham was born in Betley in 1863 and worked as a photographer from 1880 until he died in 1938 aged 76.

He set up his photography business when he moved to Audley and had two houses with shops built in Church Street, one of which 93-year-old Lou lives in now.

The photos which will go on public display feature images of staff making and painting pottery, men in the 'sliphouse' with grinding pans and various pieces of equipment, and external images of the works, including part of the canal basin. One photo shows the oak tree around which the workshop was built. Carved on it are the initials JW, of Jesse Wilbraham, a modeller of portrait medallions.

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The tree was removed when the Etruria works was demolished and is now in the museum at Barlaston.

Thomas Warham was known to people in Audley as 'The Drawing Mon' because of his interest in photography.

He took photos of views of Audley and other neighbouring villages, many of which were published on postcards.

He used to travel round on a low-powered Levis two-stroke motorcycle with his camera and wooden tripod strapped to his back.

When amateur photography became popular he sold cameras and films in his Church Street shop and developed and printed customers' own photographs.

Lou, who used to be a headmistress at Alsagers Bank School, told The Sentinel: "The photographs are very important to me. I have some great memories of my father and these photos he took of the Wedgwood Black Bank works are extraordinary.

"He was a big fan of Wedgwood. He was very pleased when he was commissioned by the firm to take a series of 15 photographs of their original pottery at Etruria and their potters at work.

"They were published in the Roma series of postcards in 1903.

"He won medals in competitions for several of his photographs.

"One of his hobbies was painting in oils or watercolours, and when he was on holiday in North Wales or Scotland, he would photograph scenes which he liked and then copy them later in paint.

"He also taught people in the village to paint. He was a very talented man."

Lou's close friend Alan Scott, whom she met through her love of photography, has contacted museums and libraries on her behalf to see if they are interested in displaying her father's photographs.

Mr Scott, who produces local history films, said: "I thought the public should have access to them because they are such fantastic photos.

"It is a shame for people not to see them. What makes it so interesting is that they are photos of the Wedgwood factory where The Sentinel is now.

"The only thing which still remains is the roundhouse. Everything else has gone. I think people would be very interested to look at the photographs."