Bernard Leach - The Making of a Master - Part 2 - St. Ives

How did Bernard Leach turn a small pottery in St Ives into the centre of a new ceramics movement?

In the second episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as he returns to Britain with Shōji Hamada and establishes the Leach Pottery in St Ives. We explore the challenges of those early years, the development of his distinctive approach to making, and the ideas that would eventually be captured in his influential A Potter’s Book.

As Leach’s reputation grows, so does his influence. Through teaching, writing and a new generation of apprentices, his pottery becomes a meeting place for ideas drawn from East and West.

This is the story of how Bernard Leach helped transform the status of the studio potter — and began building a movement that would reach far beyond St Ives.

To see images of the pots being discussed on this podcast, please switch to video in your podcasting apps.

Featured Artworks:

Bernard Leach 1913 early Raku Vase,   The V&A Collection

Photo of Bernard Leach with Shōji Hamada and Sōetsu Yanagi, 1952

St. Ives Harbour and Porthminster Beach - Cornwall – UK

Cornwall - St. Ives, Back Lane - 1920's Photochrom Postcard

The Leach Pottery, St. Ives, Cornwall

Blueprint of “The Leach Pottery Japanese Style of climbing Kiln. Design by Tsurunosuke Matsubayashi”, 1923. Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts

Grade II Listed Climbing Kiln, Leach Pottery

Raku Firing Kiln

Bowl, early 20’s, Bernard Leach

Barbara Hepworth & Bernard Leach, 1968, St Ives Museum

1934 (relief), Ben Nicholson, 1934, Tate

Shōji Hamada, 1894-1978

Tsurunosuke Matsubayashi, 1894-1932

D W & L K Elmhirst,' 1893-1970, Dartington Hall Trust Archive

Two Bowls by Bernard Leach and Teabowl By Shoji Hamada

Herbert Read by Mark Gerson, 1967, The National Gallery

A Potters Book by Bernard Leach, 1940

Salmon Vase, Bernard leach, 1950

Slipware Plate, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s

Early Slipware dish, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s

Early Jar with Firing crack, Bernard Leach, c. early 1930’s, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh

Charger, 1929, Bernard Leach, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh

The Mermaid dish, 1670-1689, Thomas Toft, The V&A Collection

A Dartington Pottery Salt Glazed Stoneware Flagon

Photo of David Leach, 1911-2005

Teapot, David Leach and Charger, Bernard Leach, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh

Vase, c. 1959, Bernard Leach, The V&A Collection, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh

Standard Ware, c. 1941, Bernard Leach, The V&A Collection, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Bernard Leach Returns to England
• 00:01:30 St. Ives: A Haven for Artists and Traditional Craft
• 00:07:48 Building the Pottery: Early Struggles and Failures
• 00:14:06 Hamada's Departure and the Kiln Rebuilt
• 00:15:02 The Elmhursts and Dartington: Patronage and Philosophy
• 00:17:36 Pottery as Art: Breaking Down the Barriers
• 00:22:25 The Leach Aesthetic: Japanese Meets English Slipware
• 00:30:44 A Potter's Book: The Ceramic Bible Published
• 00:35:44 David Leach Takes Over: Professionalization and Production
• 00:36:58 Legacy: The Apprentice Model and Global Influence

Credits:
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Editor: Sam Bond
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac