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Collecting Castles
Old Britain Castles Is Classic,Enduring and Romantic By Tara McLellan
A family business and a little old-fashioned ingenuity led to the production of what became one of the most popular china patterns in England and the United States. Brothers Alfred, Frederick and Henry Johnson knew a good thing when they saw it, and when the Charles Street Works dinnerware factory in Staffordshire, England, went on the market due to bankruptcy, the brothers snatched it up. Soon the brothers' new company, appropriately renamed Johnson Brothers, followed in the footsteps of their grandfather's Meakin dinnerware line and began creating top-of-the-line quality china.
Out of this period of experimentation came the Old Britain Castles pattern, a series of designs that reverberated back to a more romantic time and appealed to buyers on both sides of the pond. The original engravings, depicting 45 different scenes of British castles and villages, such as Blarney, Cambridge, Canturbury, Nottingham, Stratford and Windsor Park, were drafted by hand in 1928.
Originally produced in blue, pink and brown, the patterns are now produced only in blue and pink. With its soft finish and warm tones, the rosy pink became a favorite choice with collectors and upon first glance, it's easy to see why it has endured. Old Britain Castles pink, inspired by antique engraved photographs, evokes a more simple time and with its charming landscapes, is just as striking hanging on a wall as it is on the dinner table.
A Collector's Dream
