Diary of a Royal Worcester porcelain maker

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

A 223-year-old diary of one of the founders of Royal Worcester porcelain reveals how he stole the secrets for the world famous brand - by spying on French potters.

The remarkable log was kept by John Flight, who ran the factory with his brother Joseph during the late 18th Century.

He kept the journals, handwritten in a tiny, elaborate script, from at least 1785 until his untimely death aged just 25 in 1791.

Revelation: The diary written by John Flight, who ran Royal Worcester, details when he went to France during the French revolution and stole the blueprints for manufacturing porcelain

During that time, the factory was beset by a number of technical issues as it tried to keep up with competition from the Far East and Europe.

But its fortunes changed after Flight travelled to Europe to learn the secrets of his company’s competitors.

The extracts were written in 1789 when he snuck into France to spy on the porcelain makers at the start of the French Revolution a year after the company was granted a Royal warrant.

In the passages, young John Flight writes of his apprehension about travelling abroad to learn more about porcelain manufacture, but he also records much of the goings-on in the Worcester-based factory.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2178330/Royal-Worcester-porcelain-Remarkable-diary-porcelain-maker-1791-details-stole-trade-secrets.html#ixzz21ajhmXcY