Royal Doulton porcelain began its long history in Lambeth, in the south of London, England in 1815 when John Doulton founded the company with John Watts. The Royal Doulton porcelain company first began by making functional items such as flasks, pitchers, jugs, and vases using salt glazed stoneware. For a time, the company also made sewer pipes, and became Victorian England's chief producer of porcelain sanitary items,
Upon the retirement of Watts, John Doulton expanded the company. Royal Doulton started producing more ornamental pieces of porcelain. In addition, the factory created a number of new and innovative glazes and ornamental effects. Many of these techniques sought to replicate the effects seen on porcelain from China and Japan whose secrets were always closely guarded.
Some of these techniques include impasto, a method in which texture is added to the surface when paint is applied very thickly so that the strokes of the brush are easily seen. A white glaze that is appropriate to paint decorations on, faience was created by adding oxide of tin to the lead glaze at the Royal Doulton porcelain factory. Rouge flambe, a glaze known for its bright reds and blacks, was created by Royal Doulton by the addition of copper oxide to the glaze as well as much experimentation with lowering the oxygen levels in the kiln while firing the porcelain.
By 1835, John Doulton's second son, Henry, joined the Royal Doulton entity. With Henry Doulton came new and innovation techniques as well. A pottery wheel operated with steam put Royal Doulton porcelain on a whole new level above its competitors. Soon, stoneware items that were decorated by hand followed.
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The addition of a Royal Doulton porcelain factory in Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent in England in 1877 gave the company access the home of renowned potters. In addition, the Royal Doulton porcelain company now had ready access to the raw materials that were needed in the production of Royal Doulton porcelain. This city was known for its English bone china and was home to a number of other potters such as Wedgwood, Beswick, and Royal Adderly.
King Edward VII allowed the company to call itself “Royal” Doulton porcelain when he approved a charter dictating that affect in 1901. This was a great honor and it enabled the company to include new marks on its goods in addition to its new name. While Royal Doulton was known for its fine bone china, the company also had popular lines of figurines and masks as well.
The Royal Doulton porcelain company used a variety of marks, depending upon in which stage the company was. All marks included the word “Doulton” with early marks also including the words “Lambeth,” “Watts,” and “England.” The marks coincided with the various laws at the time as well as reflected partnerships that the Royal Doulton porcelain company enjoyed. Laws enacted in the late 19th century stipulated that the Royal Doulton porcelain company, along with most other English companies that exported goods, mark their items with the word “England.”
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