How did Bernard Leach turn a small pottery in St Ives into the centre of a new ceramics movement?
In the second episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as he returns to Britain with Shōji Hamada and establishes the Leach Pottery in St Ives. We explore the challenges of those early years, the development of his distinctive approach to making, and the ideas that would eventually be captured in his influential A Potter’s Book.
As Leach’s reputation grows, so does his influence. Through teaching, writing and a new generation of apprentices, his pottery becomes a meeting place for ideas drawn from East and West.
This is the story of how Bernard Leach helped transform the status of the studio potter — and began building a movement that would reach far beyond St Ives.
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Featured Artworks:
Bernard Leach 1913 early Raku Vase, The V&A Collection
Photo of Bernard Leach with Shōji Hamada and Sōetsu Yanagi, 1952
St. Ives Harbour and Porthminster Beach - Cornwall – UK
Cornwall - St. Ives, Back Lane - 1920's Photochrom Postcard
The Leach Pottery, St. Ives, Cornwall
Blueprint of “The Leach Pottery Japanese Style of climbing Kiln. Design by Tsurunosuke Matsubayashi”, 1923. Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts
Grade II Listed Climbing Kiln, Leach Pottery
Raku Firing Kiln
Bowl, early 20’s, Bernard Leach
Barbara Hepworth & Bernard Leach, 1968, St Ives Museum
1934 (relief), Ben Nicholson, 1934, Tate
Shōji Hamada, 1894-1978
Tsurunosuke Matsubayashi, 1894-1932
D W & L K Elmhirst,' 1893-1970, Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Two Bowls by Bernard Leach and Teabowl By Shoji Hamada
Herbert Read by Mark Gerson, 1967, The National Gallery
A Potters Book by Bernard Leach, 1940
Salmon Vase, Bernard leach, 1950
Slipware Plate, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s
Early Slipware dish, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s
Early Jar with Firing crack, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Charger, 1929, Bernard Leach, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
The Mermaid dish, 1670-1689, Thomas Toft, The V&A Collection
A Dartington Pottery Salt Glazed Stoneware Flagon
Photo of David Leach, 1911-2005
Teapot, David Leach and Charger, Bernard Leach, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Vase, c. 1959, Bernard Leach, The V&A Collection, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Standard Ware, c. 1941, Bernard Leach, The V&A Collection, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Bernard Leach Returns to England
00:01:30 St. Ives: A Haven for Artists and Traditional Craft
00:07:48 Building the Pottery: Early Struggles and Failures
00:14:06 Hamada's Departure and the Kiln Rebuilt
00:15:02 The Elmhursts and Dartington: Patronage and Philosophy
00:17:36 Pottery as Art: Breaking Down the Barriers
00:22:25 The Leach Aesthetic: Japanese Meets English Slipware
00:30:44 A Potter's Book: The Ceramic Bible Published
00:35:44 David Leach Takes Over: Professionalization and Production
00:36:58 Legacy: The Apprentice Model and Global Influence
Credits:
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Editor: Sam Bond
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
