Ramekin Forks

Eventually most dinnerware is upgraded for more affluent diners.  This is also the case with ramekins.  Silver tableware had been around for quite a few centuries but in America towards the end of the nineteenth century, a number of makers started producing sterling silver ramekin holders with porcelain inserts.  Usually produced in the Eastern United States to cater to the burgeoning middle classes, these sets were made by the top silversmiths, for example, Tiffany sold their own sets made with Lenox porcelain.  To go with these myriad sets, ramekin forks were developed. 

 A ramekin fork is probably best described as a hybrid spoon.   Known in the US as flatware, they have short wide tines and a lightly curved bowl attached to a handle because they are meant to only pick up a small amount of food at a steep angle from inside a ramekin bowl. 

Collectors can be deceived because some unscrupulous people will remodel an old teaspoon and call it a ramekin fork.  This was done by some of the original makers to use up their old stock and some made by individual makers.  It will have the right hallmarks but could be a modern forgery.  Some are old forgeries because some seconds were remade at the time.  Some later ramekin forks were made in stainless steel.  There are also some European makers of sterling silver ramekins, such as Limoges but in the main it appears to be a particularly American trend, mostly in the New England area and around New York.

Not only did these makers produce ramekin forks, they also made myriad other forks for specific purposes.  The following is a list of many, but probably not all of them.

Asparagus	Corn	Luncheon	Salad
Baked Potato	Crab	Mango	Scallop
Barbecue	Desert	Meat	Seafood
Berry	Dinner	Melon	Serving
Bird	Escargot (Snail)	Olive	Souffle
Breakfast	Fish	Oyster	Spaghetti
Cake	Fondue	Pastry	Strawberry
Canape	Fruit	Pate	Tea
Carving	Garden	Pickle	Toasting
Cheese	Grille	Pie	Terrapin
Cherry	Ice Cream	Pitch	Viande
Cocktail	Lettuce	Place
Cold Cuts	Lobster	Ramekin

Way back in the seventies, that decade that style forgot but keeps talking about, splayds were an essential gift for any newly married couple.  They are the closest thing to a ramekin fork today, but are much larger.  Look up other images for ramekin forks and you will see what I mean but don’t look for any more of them on my site because they can be quite expensive.  I copied these pictures.

Evans (Byrne) Jill

Designer	Jill Evans
Maker	Jill Evans
Marks	Painted signature “Jill E” in black to base
Material	Clay
Description	Wheel thrown curve shallow sided bowl with short trumpet handle angled outward at dimpled end.  Glazed foot-ring.  Off-White gloss glaze to exterior with harlequin gloss glaze to interior.  Striped decoration to handle with wavy line to exterior of rim in black.
Condition	Good, spur marks to base
Number	No number
Production Date	1950s
Width at rim	110mm
Width at Base	75mm
Depth	35mm
Length (with handle)	143mm
Weight	220gm
Volume	250ml
Acquisition	Australian Pottery at Bemboka
Rameking Reference Number	JEV-001-004

Nothing known about this lady except what is written by Geoff Ford.  Any other information would be appreciated.  "Evans Jill (1935-)  (Later Jill Byrne).  In the early 1950s, she studied pottery and art under Mary Atkin at the Gordon Technical College in Geelong.  She made a few wheel thrown vases, bottles etc. thickly glazed and was a member of the Geelong Ceamic Club.  Some pieces were marked “Jill E” early to late 50s, inscribed or painted “Jill Byrne’ early to mid 60s."  From Ford, Geoff Encyclopaedia of Australian Pottery Marks (1998) Salt Glaze Press, Australia ISBN 0 646 31071 2

Gulson

Designer	Marcus Daniels
Maker	Marcus Daniels/Gulson Goulburn
Marks	Stamped “Gulson Goulburn” inside oval cartouche with initials JD impressed to right beside stamp to outside if base.
Material	Grey clay
Description	Gloss glazed earthenware circular bowl with rim squared.  Unglazed flat foot ring.  Dark brown gloss glaze to interior, exterior and handle with striped double “V” pattern to exterior inside brown banding at upper and lower exterior.
Condition	Very good.  One handle broken in transit
Number	No number
Production Date	1980s
Width at rim	11omm
Width at Base	100mm
Depth	65mm
Length (with handle)	206mm
Weight	490gm
Volume	650ml
Acquisition	E-Bay
Rameking Reference Number	GUL 001-007

Gulson Brick & Pottery Company was begun in Goulburn by potter Francis Gulson (1841-1927) and operated from February 1884.   Francis and his wife Elizabeth first came to Goulburn from Albury in 1880 and started to Wollandale Brewery.  It shut down after four years.  Who would have thought you would lose money running a brewery in Australia?  The problem was the water, and, as all Tasmanians know, in beer, it’s the water that makes the difference.  Drought had turned the water sour. 

The company known originally as Gulson's Brick & Pottery Company Pty Ltd manufactured other clay products including tiles, stoneware pipes, fittings and terracotta wares.  Originally the clay was prepared by being milled in a horse-drawn pugmill.  Bricks were pressed by hand.  This continued until 1914 when a brick-making machine was imported from England.  Newer kilns had been built by this time. 

Gulson is a name long associated with brick-making.  Back in Kelvedon, Essex in England, Fredericks grandfather William Gulson managed a brickworks for the local Lord of the Manor.  (Some of the brick-making machines at Gulsons came from Kelvedon.)  Sons Francis and Luke came to Australia and began the Albury Brickworks.  Younger brother Thomas followed later and became a partner with Francis.

Goulburn is Australia's oldest inland city dating back to the earliest days of the colony. Many of the buildings in the town have been built using bricks from the Gulson Brickworks.   Brother Luke had run a brick-works in the border town of Albury.  Although Gulsons no longer operates as a brick-works, it became a tourist and craft centre for a while.  Like many brickworks around Australia, Gulson not only made bricks, pipes and tiles, but also a variety of other pottery including domestic wares. 

Francis died in 1927 and the brickworks continued under the management of four generations of the Gulson family until 1989 when it closed and became the Gulson Craft Village.  Allan (Lyn) Gulson had managed the Illawarra Fireclay & Brick Co. but came back to Goulburn in 1922 to run the Brickworks. 

Marcus Daniels with a young Gulson

Craft-village pottery was made by potters working alone (or in small groups), producing unique items in small quantities, typically with all making carried out by one person.  These ramekins date from that time.  The craft village contained a tea room, potter and wood turner, housed in the vaulted ceilings of the salt glazed interiors of the old kilns.  These are some of the best surviving examples of rectangular downdraught kilns.   

The Wood-Turning shop at Gulsons 1999

A lot of studio pottery is functional like these ramekins but increasingly studio potters produce non-functional decorative or sculptural items.  This appears to be the case with these ramekins.  “MD” is potter Marcus Daniels, who has now left the industry and is now living in Queensland.  

Marcus Daniels was born in Darwin, Northern Territory and educated at St Patrick's College Goulburn.  On completion of his secondary education, he enrolled at the East Sydney Technical School, where many famous Australian potters studied.  A grant from the Arts Council allowed Marcus to complete further training at the Sturt Gallery under Ian Mackay, near Mittagong in New South Wales.  Les Blakeborough had been in charge at the Sturt Gallery in the early 1950s.  On his return to Goulburn in 1984, he set up shop as a full time potter.

Florenz

Designer	Ron Cooper
Maker	Florenz Pottery Pty Ltd
Marks	Incised signature “Florenz” across base
Material	Clay
Description	Wheel-thrown rounded bowl with short trumpet handle.  Light grey gloss glaze to interior with brown blaze to lower 2/3 of bowl.  Unglazed flat base
Condition	Very good
Number	No number
Production Date	1970s
Width at rim	95mm
Width at Base	97mm
Depth	45mm
Length (with handle)	155mm
Weight	330gm
Volume	300ml
Acquisition	Australian Pottery at Bemboka 19 Nov 2012.
Rameking Reference Number	FLO 001-004

Designer	Not known
Maker	Florenz Pottery Pty Ltd
Marks	Incised signature “Florenz” across base
Material	Slipware-Clay
Description	Mould pressed rounded corner square bowl with short tab handle and curved sides.  Clear glossy gloss glaze to interior and exterior of bowl.  Flat base. Faux transfer print, aboriginal stencil design in black to interior base of bowl and top of tab handle.  Set of six contained in white-painted metal tray with turned metal handles at each end.
Condition	Very good
Number	No number
Production Date	Early 1960s
Width at rim	111mm
Width at Base	100mm
Depth	36mm
Length (with handle)	147mm
Weight	216gm
Volume	360ml
Acquisition	Mill Antiques Geelong 2 April 2019.
Rameking Reference Number	FLO 005-011

The story of Florenz is in some ways the story of Australia.  Named after her Grandmother, Florence Maude Mills was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1894 to John Brier Mills and Mary Blanche Mills.  There was also brother Arthur and sister Mary.  The family lived in the suburb of Claremont.  John was a Major in the Artillery and tragically died of wounds received at Gallipoli in 1915.  For my overseas readers, the campaign at Gallipoli during the First-World War has become a defining moment in the history of both Australia and Turkey. A visit to Gallipoli is a rite of passage for young Australians traveling to Europe and the Middle East.  Many Australians still have an ancestor or relative that served at Gallipoli and count it as a badge of honour.

In 1916 Florence married George Robert Bertie Williams, a Draughtsman turned artillery officer.  The couple moved to 20 Dudley Street in Haberfield, an inner western suburb of Sydney.  They had 3 children Joan, Marie and George.   It was in Sydney that Florence studied pottery.  They established Florenz Pottery Pty Ltd in 1934 in their garage (some people say stable but Florence said garage) at Marrickville, home of many of Sydney’s great potteries, such as Fowler, Diana and Studio Anna.  George, ever the technician had built an oil-fired kiln, different to the traditional coal fired ones in use by most other potteries at the time.  Their daughter Marie also worked at the pottery.  Florence was experimented with firing lace to produce Dresden like figurines.  Over the next few years they perfected this process.

During the Second World War, Florenz, like other pottery companies turned production over to war work, gaining government contracts to make, among other things, porcelain insulators for radar.  Wartime restrictions meant that only utilitarian pottery was to be produced, that is why so little decorative ware is found from this time.  After the war Florenz had fifteen employees and started making resistance blocks for electric stoves purchased by the Housing Commission of New South Wales.  They also made insulators for the power industry.  Ceramic insulators are used in electrical equipment to support and separate electrical conductors without letting current through themselves.   Next time you are walking around the streets, look up and you will see just how many ceramic insulators are on power poles.

In 1942 the company went into voluntary liquidation, a common and legal business practice, and recommenced immediately at the same site as Florenz Potteries (000 164 214).   The couple were then living just up the road at a property on the corner of Robinson Crescent and Illawarra Road Marrickville.  The pottery was at 303 Illawarra Road, now the site of the “Good One” Vietnamese Barbeque (eat in or take-away).   Many well known potters trained at Florenz, including people such as Harry Mammot.  They made both hand thrown and slip cast   ceramics as well as laboratory and hospital porcelain.

Florence died on the 18^th of September 1948 and George on the 1^st of June 1957.  In 1951 the pottery was sold to Johann Harves, a post-war German migrant,  (Whose son Peter is now at the Coolangatta Pottery), Max Archer and Mr Pitcher.  Johann’s son Peter now runs Coolangatta Pottery.  Altogether, the pottery operated from 1934 until 1980 when it was sold to Ron Cooper who owned K C Industries, (Casey Ware) who later made high quality porcelain insulators.  In 1962 the company relocated to Brookvale, north of Sydney and continued under the Harves management until 1980.

The following comes from the KC Industries website (yes they are still in business, not all potteries died in the sixties and seventies).   “A privately owned, wholly Australian Company formed in 1947 by Ronald Gordon Cooper and a business associate. Originally founded to produce various glazed earthenware lamp bases and pottery vases most of which were sold through the major retail chains around Australia.  In the early 1950's Ron Cooper acquired 100% of the company and quickly changed its direction towards Technical and Industrial Ceramics, the field in which we continue to excel today. On the death of Ron Cooper in 1969, the current Managing Director, John Cooper took over the running of the business.”

OK, enough about Florence.  In the words of Monty Python “and now for something completely different”.  What can I tell you about Johann; well Johann Freidrich Harves was a German Scientist who migrated to Australia post second world war in early 1950.  He had worked for Schobel (Electricity Meter and Allied Industries Pty Ltd) as a meter specialist.  At least that is what his immigration record says.  In reality he was a ceramics specialist recruited by the Australian Government post-war and smuggled out of Haldenslaven in what was then Russian controlled East Germany.  Arriving in Sydney with his wife and two children, he worked under contract for the Commonwealth Ceramic Engineering Co for two years before  starting H.A.P.Insulators and taking over Florenz.   Don’t believe me? Check out an interview with him in 1970 in the Sydney Morning Herald. (March 15^th)

Johann Halves

How’s the serenity?  This is a quote from the 1997 Australian film classic, “The Castle.”  This is the question you ask when you visit Australian Pottery at Bemboka.  Another quote that springs to mind is that elementary law of the old west, “no matter how good you are, there is always someone better.”  Judith and David are in that category.  I think that I have a reasonable collection but theirs is far and away the best collection of modern Australian ceramics that I have ever seen.  Why is this relevant?  Because I bought these ramekins there and if you get the opportunity, I recommend a visit.

Janet Grey

Designer	John Barnard Knight
Maker	John Barnard Knight
Marks	Incised “Janet Grey Studio” to unglazed base.
Description	Small mould formed steep sided bowl with mainly crown shaped ornamented handles angled down the outside.  Harlequin interiors with plain gloss glazed exteriors.
Condition	Some age related cracking due to thickness of material.  Crazing to interior glaze.
Number
Production Date	1954
Width	87mm
Depth	45mm
Length (with handle)	130mm
Weight	160gm
Volume	200ml
Acquisition	Australian Pottery at Bemboka
Rameking Reference Number	BAK 006 BAK 007 BAK 008 BAK 009

In February 1954, the young Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia.  The Rameking was there perched on his fathers shoulders to get a look at the royal couple.  Hard to believe today, but the whole country went crazy during the tour, how some things change.  I still have the small Australian flag that I waved. 

Souvenirs were made and sold by the million and among the seemingly endless flow of tat, were these ramekins made to cash in on the frenzy.  Made to his standard bowl shape with the crown shaped handle added as a bit of relevance, thus making dating easy. 

John Arthur Barnard Knight was born in Warracknabeal, Victoria on the 9^th of April 1910.  His parents were Arthur Knight and Mabel Alice Barnard.  He was active from the early 1930s to the late 1970s. During most of this time, he taught pottery at what is now the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Prior to this, he and Klytie Pate had worked at Hoffman following their introduction of “Melrose” ware in 1930. 

John had previously studied art at what was then the School of Applied Art at the Melbourne Technical School; it is now the RMIT University.  He also studied the production methods at the pottery at Hoffmann Bricks in Brunswick and at the nearby Maribyrnong Potteries.  He worked in the studio of Napier Waller from 1932-33.

After graduating, he and Klytie joined the staff, teaching pottery, modelling and drawing.  She left after ten years while he continued on until 1975.  In 1939, he took charge of the Pottery Department. In 1940 he married Isabel Gwenda Grose, one of his students, and they established the Janet Grey Studio at South Yarra. They lived nearby at 43 Thanet Street Malvern. 

He served in the RAF from 1942-1945, then continued to expand the Janet Gray Studio and to re-organise the teaching of pottery at the school, establishing courses for the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, and upgrading classes to certificate and diploma courses in 1949 and 1950. He is best known as an educator, continuing to teach at RMIT until 1975. His own work is signed 'J. A. Barnard Knight (painted or incised).

He was a man of firm opinion. An example of the can be found in “ACROSS THE DITCH:  Australian Ceramics in the Post War Period; It was at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology that Peter Rushforth, who had spent some years as a prisoner of the Japanese, was introduced to Leach's book (A Potter's Book ) by the ceramics teacher Jack Knight. As a firm believer in earthenware, Knight found this interest in stoneware and oriental ceramics difficult to comprehend; he sat outside in the sun reading a newspaper while Hamada demonstrated at RMIT in the 1960s, saying that they were 'always talking about stoneware ... can't understand them.” 

John also had his workshop in Malvern, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne where he sold his work under several pseudonyms, one of these being "Janet Grey".   I do not know how he arrived at the name, but Dr Janet Grey was responsible for the now defunct milk for school children program in Victoria.  John retired with his wife to Flinders on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. He died in Victoria in 1993.