Commerce

Folio (325 x 250 mm), [8]pp., followed 30 numbered chromolithographed plates and one further "extra sheet" with 10 mounted albumen photographs, a couple of sheets with slight fraying to blank fore-edge, loose in publisher's printed boards, worn, re-backed with tape. Minton's Ltd, was a major ceramics manufacturing company, originated with Thomas Minton (1765-1836) the founder of "Thomas Minton and Sons", who established his pottery factory in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England, in 1793, producing earthenware. Herbert Minton began experimenting making encaustic tiles in 1828 in addition to the established Mintons pottery and china business, and produced their first catalogue of 62 designs in 1835. "The Tiles in this book are, with the exception of those shown on Sheet 16, which are printed patterns, and on the extra Sheet of Photographs, all Enamelled by a Patent process, know as "Reynold's process," which was adapted in 1848 by the late Mr. Herbert Minton, and has ever since been carried on at Mintons (Limited) China Works... The process for the decoration of Tiles was early favoured by the late Mr. A. Welby Pugin, "the great restorer of Gothic Arts," in the Houses of Parliament and in many other places, and the patterns in that style of ornament in this book are all from his hand. Since the days of Pugin the use of these enamelled Tiles for decorative purposes has greatly increased, and there are now few houses without some examples...".