Belle Vue 'Garden Scenery' platter
Before the Second World War Hull Museums collected several pots made at Hullâs Belle Vue Pottery. Most of these were destroyed in 1943 when the Albion Street Museum was gutted by fire caused by incendiary bombs. This platter is a lucky survivor. The platter is also special because it is one of the few surviving examples of a named Belle Vue design. The printed decoration is called âGarden Sceneryâ. The name of the pattern is stamped on the platterâs base. The Belle Vue Pottery existed on the Humber bank in Hull from 1826-1841. The pottery was near to where Kingston Retail Park is today. Merchant William Bell set up Belle Vue. He bought the site for £1700. Bell decided to name his pottery after a street recently built nearby called Belle Vue Terrace. William Bellâs father was one of the men in charge of building Belle Vue Terrace. William Bell must have chosen the name for his pottery because of its family connections. William Bell began making ceramics on a large scale from 1826. He extended the factory that already existed on the site and employed as many as 30 apprentices. Bell had no previous experience as a potter, but he made his pottery a success. His employees brought recipes with them from former employers. Copper plates for making printed decoration were bought from engravers. The potteryâs location next to the River Humber was essential for its success. It had its own wharf where ships tied up to unload clay for making the pots. Other ships brought coal to power the kilns. The wharf was the only place for ships to collect finished pots for export, mainly to Germany. Disaster struck at Belle Vue in 1840. The Hull and Selby Railway Company opened a railway line along the Humber Bank. The railway cut off the potteryâs access to the river, and it became impossible to run the pottery. The pottery closed in 1841.
