• The business was first established in Hanley around 1887 and moved to the Portland Tile Works around 1889. 

• The web site 'Tile Heaven' states "Stubbs & Hodgart. In the 19thC they were tile decorators, mostly painting but some printed and painted. In the 20thC it seems most likely they had a few exclusive majolica patterns made for them (probably by Boote) and distributed designs by Boote, Henry Richard etc." ref

Messrs. Stubbs and Hodgart, Portland Tile Works, Burslem

This is one of the firms which has rendered very effective service towards the attainment of that ideal, the "House Beautiful," which has absorbed so much of the artistic attention and capacity of our own and former times. 

The appreciation of form, and the enlarged devotion to the beautiful, which have so strongly characterised the last twenty years have called into play the facilities of artist and designer, and given a great impetus to many forms of art industry, among which that represented by Messrs. Stubbs and Hodgart holds a high place.

The firm was established at Hanley six years back, and removed to its present premises four years ago, the situation being an exceptionally good one near Newcastle Street, the premises offering every good accommodation for the operations of the large staff engaged. A good plate-glass frontage is devoted to the display of some samples of the firm's workmanship.

A large staff of artists is kept for hand-painting in every variety of design, hand-painted tiles for fire-places or walls being the chief speciality of the firm.

Some of the tiles are also painted after having the designs printed on them, two presses being kept for this purpose, and the plan is found to work well where the artistic achievement is not imperative. 

The firm practically restricts itself to enamel and Majolica tiles, slabbed hearths and plaques, many fine examples of decorative work in these being on view on the premises. 

They are just bringing out an entirely new decorative process for tiles and earthenware generally, the process being fully patented, and as by this new method perculiarly rich and soft effects can be produced, the firm are justified in anticipating a ready and widley-extended sale.

Messers. Stubbs and Hodgart are well known to the house, ironmongery and manufacturing trades, with which they do a very large business, and have long enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for effective artistic work. Their object has all along been to invest their decorative work with artistic value, while maintaining a range of prices so low as to be possible only to a firm working on a large scale. 

They have also been extremely desirous to draw largely on the resources of the designer's art, and to keep up a succession of novelties and new patterns to meet every taste and style. In brief their position is one of well-deserved distinction, commercially successful because it is so eminentyl based on artistic capability.