66/272

D. Barker (Manufacturer)

This is a travelling basket or crate for transporting pottery in the UK and for export, and for transporting insulators for British Rail’s electrification programme (post World War II). It was made by Mr D. Barker who, in 1966, was the last wooden crate-maker in the Potteries (compared with 350 makers when he started in 1915). It is a large rectangular crate, peculiar to the Potteries, with a birch frame (from Shropshire and Herefordshire) and hazel weaving (from Basingstoke and Guildford). There is a metal plaque on the top reading ‘Bullers Ltd. 58503 // Muton Stoke on Trent’. This crate made 4–5 journeys carrying insulators before being donated to the Museum. These wooden crates were superseded by steel crates with plastic packing materials.

1 basket: wood (hazel) (birch)

MERL ‘Stakeholders’ recording form, December 2013 – Object number: 66/272 // Name of recorder: Karen Lawrence and Annemarie O’Sullivan // General construction method: Assembly // Overall shape: Rectangular – open construction with minimal weaving // Materials: Sawn birch. Hazel split and whole. // Base: 4 pieces of birch, drilled, hazel inserted through base and then brought up to form sides. // Sides: 8 uprights along end (including corners). 10 uprights along side (including corners). Long sides – 3 lots of open weave, 2 rods of hazel starting butt ends, one at each end woven over and back. Short ends – 3 pieces of birch drilled, with hazel slotted through. 2 pieces split and in U-shape. 2 central stakes run through 3 pieces of birch, cranked near base and knotted around birch and hazel at base. // Border: No border. Uprights inserted into interlocked pieces of birch. // Handles: No handles. // Lid: None. // Dimensions: Width 90cm. Height 84cm. Depth 132cm. // Anything else to note about this particular basket: ‘Bullers Ltd 58403 // Muton Stoke on Trent’ on a metal plaque on top. There are 4 pieces of birch on the base. We think one of these has been dislodged (because the hazel holding it has rooted) and it has moved to the side. // Anything else to note about this type of basket: This is featured in ‘The Encyclopaedia of Green Woodwork’ by Ray Tabor. In these types the hazel was often wedged. It is possible that the wedges have rotted/become loose and fallen away. They were made all year round so hazel needed to be soaked for a significant time. Photo online reference: http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk, MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: Basket (travelling, pottery) CRATE, pottery // Acc. No.: 66/272 // Group: MARKETING // Neg. no.: 60/6536 // et seq. 60/11248 49 in file // Place of origin: STAFFORDSHIRE. // Period in use: Present // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Outer frame uprights – coppice birch. The rest – coppice hazel. // Shape and construction: see my note OK by BL. // Dimensions: // Use: For carriage of pottery in the U.K. & for export, & for transporting insulators for British Railways electrification programme. // Dialect names: // Distribution: Peculiar to the Potteries. // Additional notes: Probably an ancient form. // The wooden crate is being superseded by steel ones & the new plastic packing materials will supply resilience. // Other photog. Neg 60/6532 et seq. '

Longport

Wood, birch, Wood, hazel

Wilshers ()
Whitmore and Barker ()
British Rail ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)
Lawrence, Karen (Recorder)
O'Sullivan, Annemarie (Recorder)