Established in 1890 as an earthenware manufacturer, Wiltshaw & Robinson began to produce Carlton Heraldic China. They developed their lustres after the First World War, having perfected twelve colours by 1924. The firm went into receivership in 1931 and merged with Birks, Rawlins & Co. Ltd the following year.
Renamed Carlton Ware in 1957, the firm was purchased by Arthur Wood & Son (Longport) in 1966. The firm was then purchased by County Potteries Plc in 1987, going into voluntary liquidation in 1991. The assets were acquired in 1997, and Carlton Ware is still being made today in Stoke on Trent. No Guinness ware is made, but there are a wide range of collectables. Head office - Francis Joseph, 108 Canberra Rd, London, SE7 8PE.
GUINNESS advertising ware has been the target of unscrupulous forgers since 1991. The story of the
forger's demise
is also fascinating (extracts taken from "Carlton Times" and with the express permission of Carlton Ware Collectors International, PO Box 161, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 6GA, England).
My item has a Carlton Ware backstamp. How can I be sure it's authentic?
Not all Carlton Ware Guinness items have been targeted by the forger so follow these 3 simple rules to set your mind at rest:
Firstly, check that your Guinness item has indeed been produced by Carlton Ware by visiting the
GCC Carlton Ware Gallery. All items known to have been produced by Carlton Ware on behalf of Guinness are on display (subscription required). If it's not displayed, go no further because it must be a fake!
If we now know that it does indeed exist as an authentic Carlton Ware item, we must find out if your particular has been targeted by the forgers. Below is a gallery of all Carlton Ware Guinness items that are known to also exist as forgeries. If your item is not shown below but IS displayed within the GCC Carlton Ware Gallery, it is pretty safe to assume that your item is genuine. If it is displayed below, read on!
OK, so now we need to determine if your item is authentic or not (because forgeries of it exist) and to assist you in this, begin by selecting the item in question. Once selected, study carefully the enlarged image and compare it to your own item, paying particular attention to the small, intricate hand-painted detail.