In 1938, Harold Holdway, a young designer in Spode’s England office, was asked to design a Christmas pattern for the American market. He was faced with a dilemma…he had never seen a decorated Christmas tree! In his first sketch presents were suspended from the branches. “Wouldn’t that cause them to droop?” he wondered. He amended his sketches when told the American tradition was to place the presents under the tree. Holdway used another Christmas icon in a most delightful way: adorning the top of the tree with Jolly St. Nick! Since the design introduction in 1938, the Spode ® Christmas Tree design continues to be the most collectable Christmas china pattern in America.

Landmark Creations is pleased to announce the reintroduction of the Spode blown glass ornament line: Toys on the Tree. Designed after the ornaments on the tree five years ago, these molds were thought to be lost. However, during one of her European production trips last year, our founder, Jo Ellen Krasnobrod, uncovered many of these “lost” molds and has since entered into agreement with Spode to not only produce but also expand this ornament line! For the first time in four years, many of the original Toys on the Tree glass ornaments are now available for your purchase!

We find the Spode ® Christmas Tree design to be the quintessential Christmas tree, and are proud to continue the Spode tradition of charm, quality and unique design in our line of Christmas Trim.

The Genius of Josiah Spode

In the early 1770’s, a man who as a six-year old had watched his father be buried in a pauper’s grave, eventually opened his own small pottery shop. Over the next thirty years he was to make a unique contribution to ceramic art, and found a tradition of excellence that continues to this day.

In 1784, Josiah Spode perfected the process of blue underglaze printing on earthenware, which as the history books record, was not only enough to ensure his reputation for posterity, but was the essential catalyst for the phenomenal development of English tableware that was to follow.

He then went on to make the single most important discovery in the history of the industry – the formula for fine bone china – which was to make the name Spode famous throughout the world.

To learn more about the history of Spode ® and to view their Collection of fine china and earthenware, please visit www.spode.co.uk .