Pictures from the past
If you’ve ever taken the lift to the top floor of Ealing Hospital you will be greeted by a series of large tiled pictures depicting scenes from various nursery rhymes.
The tiles were saved from the children’s ward of a demolished local cottage hospital in 1932.
They were made by Carter and Company of Poole who built a reputation for producing colourful glazed pottery and tiles during the 1900s.
Jesse Carter, a builder’s merchant, bought a struggling brick and tile business from its bankrupt owner in 1873.
Carter has no previous experience of the trade but founded a stylish and innovative company whose work was commissioned by a variety of private and public interests including, hospitals, schools and stately homes.
One of its most famous commissions was the cast iron lions on the railings surrounding the British Museum and it popularised pub facades covered in colourful glazed tiles.
The business acquired a renowned architectural pottery during its expansion along with an artists’ contact book which included some of the country’s most accomplished potters including James Radley Young and William De Morgan whose work can be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The Virtual Museum of Poole Pottery contains many examples of the company’s work.