Dresden Spray
Dresden Spray was first introduced in 1935 as pattern number 1001. Originally designed for Harry Wood of Wood
&Sons, he decided that the pattern was too difficult to reproduce as a lithograph. Susie decided to produce the design herself and
ended up with one of her best selling patterns.
Version 1017 with blue/green shaded wash border is the most commonly encountered
variant. The pattern appears on most shapes produced by Susie including Kestrel dinner, tea, coffee ware and associated items, Rex shape
tea and coffee ware, Doric coffee cups, lamp bases and chargers.
pattern facts
pattern name: Dresden or Dresden Spray
decoration technique: lithograph transfer with wash banded or lithograph transfer detailing.
first introduced: 1935 as pattern number 1001
production period: only on earthenware and in production from 1935, production ceased
somewhere around the end of the 1950s / early 1960s
pattern numbers and introduction dates
Example of the factory mark often found on Dresden which includes pattern name and number. Dresden Spray was so successful that it can be found with a wide range of various Susie Cooper Productions factory marks.
No. |
description |
year |
| 1001 |
chestnut brown wash |
1935 |
| 1002 |
gladiola green wash |
1935 |
| 1003 |
meir & swan orange wash |
1935 |
| 1004 |
canton blue wash |
1935 |
| 1005 |
pastel pink wash |
1935 |
| 1017 |
blue/green wash |
1935 |
| 1140 |
thin bands in green and pink, pink band always to
outside |
1936 |
| 1141 |
Five sprays around rim, green finish |
1936 |
| 1171 |
Dresden transfer with no other finish |
1936 |
| 1251 |
Blythe sky blue shaded (In Susie Cooper An
Elegant Affair this is listed as produced for Fondeville ) |
1936 |
| 1277 |
Blythe sky blue shading |
1936 |
| 1279 |
Yellow shaded |
1936 |
| 1295 |
Dresden centre with gold band and line |
1936 |
| 1581 |
centre transfer with centre in celedon glaze,
four evenly spaced sprays around edge |
1938 |
| 1582 |
as 1581 but finished in apricot |
1938 |
| 1583 |
as 1581 but finished in salmon (listed in Susie
Cooper an Elegant Affair as cancelled, so may never have gone into
production) |
1938 |
| 1754 |
Chinese blue shaded possibly exclusive to Spiral shape |
1939 |
| 1846 |
aerographed turquoise outside, lined in pink |
1940 |
| 1847 |
as 1846 but lined in turquoise |
1940 |
| 1876 |
aerographed in pastel pink, sgraffito to match
pattern 1005 (sgraffito used to represent a hand banding effect?) |
1940 |
| 1877 |
similar to 1876, but aerographed shading |
1940 |
| 1896 |
wide sky blue band with thin band in chestnut brown |
1940 |
| 1897 |
as 1896, but pink and sage |
1940 |
| 1898 |
as 1896, but sage and pink |
1940 |
| 1899 |
as 1896, but yellow and oak apple |
1940 |
| 2122 |
aerographed in smoke blue |
1947 |
| 2123 |
as 2122, but celedon green |
1947 |
| 2124 |
as 2122, but pastel pink |
1947 |
extra information
In the October 1939 issue of 'Peter Jones & John Lewis Fashion and Household Gazette' Dresden Spray in wide pale pink or green was available at the following prices:
Early morning set 9pcs. nine shillings, three & a half-pence.
Tea set 21 pcs. nineteen shillings & one halfpence.
Dinner set 26 pcs. fifty six shillings, eight & a half-pence.
100 piece set comprising Dinner, Tea and Breakfast, seven pounds, nineteen shillings and sixpence.
(Old English currency. One shilling=5p new pence, 12 old pennies=one shilling, 240 old pennies=£1.00 )
At auction in May 1996 a staggering £2070.00 was paid for a complete Rex shape tea set for six with a pink wash border. The price was
fuelled by huge Japanese interest in Susie's work at this time. Since then prices have fallen back considerably, today a tidy example of
a Kestrel shape teapot can be bought for under £100.00
Sources & Credits:
Graham Stewart pattern research. Susie Cooper a Collectors Guide - A.Casey. Susie Cooper an Elegant Affair - B.Youds. John Lewis Partnership
Archive. All other material Mark Clemas / susiecooper.net
