JB Priestley’s 1933 Wedgewood vase surfaces after 40 years

A vase decorated by JB Priestley in 1933 and sold at auction following his death in 1984 has been donated to the University of Bradford’s Special Collections. 

The Wedgewood vase is recalled in the Bradford-born author’s 1934 work English Journey but disappeared into a private collection after his death.

In his 1934 account, Priestley recalls visiting the famous Wedgewood pottery factory and trying his hand at decorating his own vase, noting it was much harder than it looked. 

Indeed, he adds: “I did the flower and leaf decoration at the top very well… but the middle part, in which one had to shave a small slice away at equal distances… was not good. It did not look good then; it does not look good now.” 

He later laments that his “children pretended to admire it”, adding: “Every time I look at it, I wish I could try that middle bit again.” 

The vase in question was sold at auction following the author’s death and disappeared until just a few months ago, when it was donated to the University’s Special Collections by the person who bought it at auction almost 40 years ago.

Archivist Julie Parry, pictured holding the vase, said: “With the Library’s 50th anniversary coming up, this donation is especially poignant. JB Priestley was very proud to have the library named after him in 1975. We have a number of items that belonged to him in the collection, including his shirts, berets, artist materials, a typewriter and a large number of his smoking pipes, so this latest donation will add to that.” 

The JB Priestley Library will mark its 50th anniversary in October, having been opened by the author himself in 1975. The University’s Special Collections houses over 150 collections of archives and rare books, accessible to all in the JB Priestley Library by appointment, by emailing: special-collections@bradford.ac.uk 

City of Culture 2025

The University of Bradford is a strategic partner of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and is engaged in a number of projects, including training community researchers.

Upcoming events include:

• An archaeological dig in Lister Park in June and July on the site of a Somali village that formed part of the famous 1904 Great Exhibition
• Dying to Talk cafes will be taking place to spark conversations and disseminate knowledge about death, dying and bereavement among young people, culminating in a ‘Festival of the Dead’
• Academics will work with small-to-medium-sized businesses to study information that will be crucial to encouraging future growth in the regional economy, for example in through tourism
• Showcasing ground-breaking projects such as Virtual Bradford, the UK’s first digital twin