Eric's father, Walter Slater (1868-1938) was a pottery designer as was his father, Albert (1846-1914) before him.
Eric was born in 1902 and, at the age of 17,
he joined Shelley Pottery to work alongside his father, the art director.
Eric trained at three local art schools, Stoke for modelling and design,
Burslem for design and Hanley for life classes and design.
In 1923 he won the award for 'Best Student of the Year'. At the time Gordon Forsyth had recently been appointed Superintendent of Art Instruction for these schools
and worked hard to improve the level of design in the pottery industry.
Vase designed by Walter Slater around 1908
Walter Slater
Eric Slater
Queen Anne Archway of Roses 1926
During the 1920s Eric worked alongside his father and his younger brother Kenneth
whose wife Clara Knight was also a designer.
The new "Queen Anne" shape was thought to be a family collaboration.
Kenneth and Clara later emigrated to Canada.
The "Queen Anne" shape was introduced in August 1926, the design shown is 'Archway of Roses'.
On a visit to London Eric had seen a photograph in a large department store window showing a photograph of a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.
The photograph so inspired him that he went straight back to his hotel and created the above design in watercolours. A series called "Garden Scenes" soon followed.
In the 1930s Eric introduced new shapes
named "Vogue" and "Mode" which were very different from anything seen before.
The Pottery Gazette wrote:-
"…they will cause people to stop and think….a more adventurous spirit in the manufacturing circles of the pottery trade. Well, here it is!"
The Mode shape is on the right and the Vogue shape is on the left
Advertisement for Shelley's Vogue design
Harmony Dripware
In 1932, Eric was experimenting with different colour combinations
for the graduated banded ware which had been named Harmony Artware. He was applying the bands of different colours, but on this occasion,
he stopped the wheel before the paint had dried and the colours ran into each other. He liked the effect that the paint runs had made, so he produced more.
He then invited Percy Shelley to view the pieces and he was impressed with them.
The factory then started to produce the dripware on a varied selection of ware including vases, bowls, lamps and later on tea and coffee ware.
The technique used to produce the decoration was discovered accidentally and became known as "Harmony Dripware".
In 1933, Eric was elected on to the committee of the North Staffs branch of The Society of Industrial Artists
alongside Susie Cooper and Reg Haggar.
In 1935 Eric went on to win first prize for a modern styling of dinner ware with his "Eve" and "Regent" shapes.
Shelley "Regent" shape Yellow Phlox design tea set
Shelley "Regent" shape Syringa design
In 1937 Eric succeeded his father as Art Director and on the 1939 register he is living with his widowed mother Jennie
on Weston Rd in Meir.
Not long after, in 1940, Eric married widow (Edith) Mary Hayward née Irving, gained a stepson John and the family
later moved to live on Albert Rd in Trentham.
Albert Road in the early 20th century
Eric (left) with his brother in law Guy Irving at Guy's wedding
In January 1946 Eric Slater was elected along with Ralph Tatton
on to the Board of Directors to serve alongside Percy Norman Shelley the Managing Director.
Eric in the Shelley showroom with the Sales Director Ralph Tatton in the late 1940s
Later in 1946 an exhibition was held to promote products of British Industry and, in the pottery sector,
of the seven Shelley designs, six were by Eric.
Following this, at the 1951 Festival of Britain examples of Shelley China were shown in four pavilions.
1953 saw the centenary of the Burslem School of Art being celebrated by an exhibition of pottery by former students
and teachers, past and present.
Amongst the 184 pieces of pottery exhibited, ten were designed by Eric, demonstrating how highly regarded he had become within the industry.
Eric and Mary Slater on the right at a dinner in 1955
Eric Slater Tankards 1951
Hand painted vase by Eric, exhibited at the Centenary of the Burslem School of Art in 1953
In 1966 - Shelley China was taken over by Allied English Potteries and production changed to "Royal Albert" ware.
Eric spent the next six years working at the renamed Factory "Montrose Works" until his retirement in 1972.
Eric and Mary had two daughters Theresa (Terry) and Louise.
Mary died in 1962 and Eric died in 1984.
Terry Slater's wedding to Andrew Corn in 1964. Her sister Louise is far right, Eric is between his two daughters and on the left are Margaret and Geoff Corn.
There is more about Walter and Eric Slater at www.shelley.co.uk
