4. 1910–12: Approaching a Crossroads

The accession of George V marked the dawn of a new age, and immediate high-profile interest in the pottery industry from Queen Mary. These years saw the launch of some of Moorcroft’s most ambitious designs, displaying a new palette of rich colours and particularly sophisticated decoration. A highly regarded exhibit at the Brussels International Exhibition of 1910 consolidated his international reputation, and brought renewed prestige (and increasing trade success) for Macintyre’s. His popularity continued to grow in North America, even as the UK’s pottery exports were in steady decline. Diary entries reveal Moorcroft’s tireless promotion of his work in both artistic and commercial circles; this was a highly unusual combination of roles. Contemporary reviews continued to identify Moorcroft as an individual artist (as opposed to an industrial designer). This is all the more significant as the future of ceramic art was increasingly associated with the work of individual potters rather than that of industrial studios. But against this background of artistic and commercial success, the tensions with Watkin continued to grow; surviving documents suggest that this was not simply a clash of priorities, but a more personal antagonism. As Moorcroft’s reputation grew and his working conditions deteriorated, separation from Macintyre’s was becoming inevitable.