The V&A Wedgwood Collection Archive contains over 100,000 manuscripts relating to the Wedgwood family and factory.
Located in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, the archive is housed on the same site as the still operating Wedgwood Factory. Described by UNESCO as 'one of the most complete ceramic manufacturing archives in existence', it contains business records such as pattern books, shape books, orders, ledgers, catalogues and correspondence relating to the output of the Wedgwood Factory. But the records held go far beyond business and manufacturing; the collection also records the lives and times of the people linked to Wedgwood, from Josiah Wedgwood I (1730 – 1795) and his descendants, to the people that were employed by the company from the eighteenth century to the present.
Access
The V&A Wedgwood Collection Archives will reopen to the public from 1 November 2023.
Access is by appointment, and we ask that you submit an application for access at least two weeks before you wish to visit. Opening hours are 10.30 – 12.30, 13.30 – 16.30, Wednesday to Friday. In exceptional circumstances, such as overseas travel, we may be able to accommodate visits outside these times.
Search the Archive
A selection of our catalogues are available on Search the Archives, with more currently in development.
Contact us
To enquire about the archive please contact wedgwood@vam.ac.uk