Derek Emms - potter and lecturer

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Derek Emms was born in Accrington at Clarence Road in 1929 and later lived at 33 Avenue Parade. He was one of 8 children and the only one to receive higher education.

Potter and lecturer Derek Emms who died in 2004 aged 74 was an Accrington born man. An excellent craftsman who had worked at the Leach's pottery in Cornwall, he attended local primary and grammar schools and applied for a scholarship to the Accrington Art School. He attended Burnley School of Art which offered a pottery course leading to a National Diploma in Design. He then qualified as a teacher at the University of Leeds. His work was restrained with beautifully made functional pots. Whilst a teacher at Longton School of Art he taught several major potters including David Frith, Paul Astbury and Geoffrey Swindell. Although born in Lancashire he was lecturer and course leader in ceramics at North Staffordshire Polytechnic - now Staffordshire University - from 1955 and lived in Longton. He retired in 1985 to spend more time producing his own work, moving to his Stone studio.

Mr Emms trained many of the current leading studio potters in the UK and worked on glazes inspired by the Far East, writing about his techniques in Ceramic Review. He was a founder member of the North Staffordshire Guild of Craftsmen and of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain, of which he was one of six honorary fellows.

The photo I have included shows a stoneware tenmoku glazed teapot with illmenite decoration and applied raised dot pattern by Derek Emms. Derek many would agree was one of the best teapot makers of his generation.

Some of his work has been shown at the Haworth Art Gallery.

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