POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

'Rushstone' side plate made by James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd

Object No. 2013/16/98

This 1960s English dinner plate is from a collection of plates designed between the 1950s and 1980s and collected by John Hinds (b1950), an artist based in Melbourne. Initially intended to form part of his multi-media artworks, these plates reflect Hinds' personal taste and interest in 'retro' tableware patterns of 'everyday' production lines popular in mid-century Australia. While the 1950s and 1960s were dominated by British imports from firms such as Broadhurst, Biltons, Wedgwood and Midwinter, it is the dishwasher-friendly Japanese stonewares, often in more dramatic darker colours from firms such as Mikasa, Casual Ceram and Suzukastone that rose to prominence during the 1970s and 1980s. These were supplemented by a limited range of usually more affordable local offerings from Johnson of Australia and from New Zealand's Crown Lynn, Kelston Ceramics and Genuine Ironstone. Hinds would often buy his plates from Melbourne's Camberwell Market but also from second hand shops and garage sales. This is one of 18 plates in the group from James Broadhurst & Sons, a major Staffordshire producer of tablewares for the mass market in the postwar period. Patterns were printed in black by semi-automatic rubber-stamping machines, and then hand coloured before glazing ('stamp and fill' process). Contemporary designs sold in presentation packs of 21 or 54 pieces, aimed at catalogue and chain store markets. According to Leath (p.6), new designs were promoted in Australia in an export drive in 1964. Rushstone was one of Broadhurst's most successful designs, with over 100 million pieces produced. The design was created in collaboration with Reg Chilton, decorating manager who drew the rough outline, while Kathie Winkle developed the artwork. Reference Leath, P., 'The Designs of Kathie Winkle', Richard Denis, 1999 Eva Czernis-Ryl, with Roger Elliott and Marion Barker, 2012.