WWT founder Sir Peter Scott loved all wild birds, but his particular passion was for wild geese. He sought every opportunity to share his enthusiasm though his paintings, his books and his talks on radio and television.
In 1954 came an unexpected opportunity, another way of sharing his love for these magnificent birds. During World War II, all pottery produced in Britain had to be plain. Decorated pottery was considered an unnecessary extravagance during a time of conflict. This restriction was not lifted until 1952 whereupon Scott was quick to take advantage of the change in the rules. In 1954, he partnered with ceramicist Jessie Tate to create the designs for this splendid set of tableware.
The images feature the Greater White-fronted Goose which then wintered at Slimbridge in their thousands, indeed the huge flocks were one of the reasons he had chosen Slimbridge as the place to set up WWT. However, there is something very special about the geese on the cups and plates. They depict a sub-species of the White-fronted Goose that had been discovered a few years earlier by Scott himself. He had noticed that some of the White-fronts that wintered in Ireland were darker in plumage and had an orange bill instead of the usual pink. Further scientific study meant that they were subsequently confirmed as a separate sub-species.
Scott was always looking for ways to bring his beloved geese to wider attention - now all over Britain families were admiring them at every meal! This service is considered an outstanding example of early post-war tableware and a selection of pieces has been added to the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
See the ceramics and so much more for yourself on a tour of the Scott House Museum, which is free to enter. Guided tours take place daily at 11:00am and 13:30pm, and can be booked here. Alternatively, we're opening the museum up as part of our 80th anniversary celebrations on November 10, 14 and 15. There's no need to book on these days — just drop in any time from 10:30am to 4:30pm.
Thank you to Chris Moore, author of "Peter Scott and the Birth of Modern Conservation", for his insight.
