Did ceramic designers have access to LSD during the 1930's?

Can anyone shed some light on this pattern.
Never seen anything like it before coming from that era.


Cheers/./.

I thought LSD was invented by the CIA in the 50s but I haven't looked it up so don't quote me.....

William Howson Taylor developed glazes similar to this for the Ruskin Pottery in the early 20th century so there was a lot about. The 8 and 39 might indicate that this was made in August 1939.

LSD was invented by Albert Hoffmann in 1938, and in my opinion should be avoided............

Just in time then to make this dish.

Thanks for the input guys. I am now much wiser on LSD but still know bugga all about the pattern.

It was a fairly common type of pattern that was used by many Staffordshire potteries during the 1930s and the Empire Porcelain Co. were probably trying to copy the Shelley Potteries Harmony range that used this technique. That range was developed by Eric Slater and came into production in 1932. As climberg64 states a similar effect was developed by the Ruskin Pottery in the 1920s. However, that was produced using a more complexed method and being an art pottery not based in Stoke would have been seen as less of a rival to Empire than Shelley, who were competing for a similar market to them.

Your dish was produced in August 1939 and despite the company name is made of earthenware.

Many thanks . Thats excellent info that I can pass down with the dish.
I try to keep a catalogue so the kids will know about these pieces long after I'm gone. Else anything that doesn't come with an iPhone app may just get thrown out.
Thanks also to climberg64.