W R MIDWINTER, FOUNDED IN 1910, WAS ORIGINALLY A SMALL FIRM, BASED IN BURSLEM.
JESSIE TAIT BORN 1928, STUDIED @ COLLEGE OF ART, BURSLEM AT AGE OF 13 (c1941). WHEN SHE WAS 17, SHE WAS ASSISTANT DESIGNER TO CHARLOTTE RHEAD. NOT LONG AFTER THIS SHE GOT A POSTITION AT W.R MIDWINTER. EARLY JESSIE TAIT DESIGNS WERE BASED ON BANDING AND GUILDING TRADITIONS.
ONE OF HER EARLIEST HAND-PAINTED PATTERNS WAS "REGAL", OTHER EARLY HAND-PAINTED INCLUDE "PARKLEIGH" AND "WYNNEWOOD". UNFORTUNATLY NON OF THESE WERE STAMPED JESSIE TAIT AS SHE WAS STILL GROWING. OTHER WORKS SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH ROUND THIS TIME INCLUDE "MOONFLEUR" AND "PAINTED FLORAL"
LATER JESSIE TAIT WENT ON TO HELP DESIGN 22 OF THE 36 STYLECRAFT DESIGNS THAT WERE LAUNCHED IN 1953. TO INCLUDE 14 HAND-PAINTED DESIGNS SUCH AS : BULRUSH, CATKINS, CLOUDLINE, COTTAGE IVY, FANTASY, GALAXY, LEOPARD LILY, ORCHARD, PAGEANT, DOMINO, SHERWOOD, SILVER BAMBOO, SPRUCE, TROPICANA.
AND 8 OTHER DESIGNS: FIESTA, FIR, HOMEWEAVE, MING TREE, PRIMAVERA, SHALIMAR, SILVER WHEAT, SUMMERTIME.
OTHER EARLY JESSIE TAIT WORTH NOTTING IS THE JESSIE TAITS NURSERY RANGE TO INCLUDE THE RARE PINK ELEPHANTS TANKARD. OFTEN SELLING FOR OVER £50.
1955 ONWARDS SAW THE LAUNCH OF THE FASHION DESIGN OF STYLECRAFT- SEE MIDWINTER STYLECRAFT FASHION GUIDE.
ALL INFORMATION SOURCED THROUGH S. JENKINS (2003)
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