Harry Bird
BIRD, Harry
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Harry & Doris Bird
both the dress in the photo and her
wedding dress were made out of a silk parachute
Marriage Certificate - 6th August 1933
Harry and Doris emigrated to New Zealand on the "SS Rangitata"
They and their son (Clifford) and daughter (Gina) arrived in Wellington, travelled up to Auckland by train and stayed in the Ryecroft Hotel, till the house in New Lynn (which Crown Lynn Potteries was building especially for them) was finished. This house has since been demolished and "Ceramic House" was built there.
When Doris first started working at Crown Lynn Potteries in New Lynn, Auckland, N.Z., she was working on the production line in the decorating department. She was later promoted to Forewoman of that department and later promoted to assistant designer to David Jenkins.
Harry retired, on Thursday, 12th March 1970.His diary entry (on his birthday) says - Birthday & retirement celebration very much enjoyed at Crown Lynn Potteries; after completing 21 years, 8months service. The gift of a watch was given to me by Mr. Tom. E. Clark and the Company, and a Depth sounder for the yacht "Iona" was given to me from the Staff of Crown Lynn Pottery.
A 3ftx2ft colour brochure on the making of Crown Lynn Dinnerware contains the following:"In 1854 Mr R.O Clark arrived from England to become an early settler in the Hobsonville district near Auckland. To drain his land he fashioned his own pipes by wrapping clay around logs and firing them with charcoal. From these beginnings grew an important N.Z. Industry - Crown Lynn Potteries.
Crown Lynn employ 650 people in their Auckland potteries. They manufacture around 17,000,000 pieces of dinnerware annually, in 5 different shapes and 82 patterns. This is a major N.Z. industry which draws more than 90 percent of its clay and other materials from the N.Z soil. Export sales have reached half the company's total output- one of the highest export records in the country.
"We were mighty proud"
This colourful Coronation Mug, produced in 1953 to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, was a real team effort.
It was modelled by Englishman Peter Cooke, and included the design work of chief designer David Jenkin.
The bowl of the mug was hand thrown by the then hand potter, Ernie Shufflebottom, who had joined Crown Lynn from the Wedgwood factory in England.
The gold handles and trim, all hand burnished, were done by Mrs Doris Bird, then assistant to David Jenkin. Mrs Bird is married to the present grading manager, Harry Bird.Only a thousand of these souvenir mugs were produced, and they were sold at £2-10-0 each. Now a hand-made piece like this, would need to fetch £5-0-0.
These pieces are indeed collectors' items now. Back in 1953, when they made their first appearance, Crown Lynn was 'mighty proud'.
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