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The Pickman family started exporting china and glassware from England to Spain at the beginning of the 19th century. By setting up branches of their company in the main port cities, they were also able to reach inland areas more easily.
In the year 1822 Charles Pickman arrived in Cadiz to take over the business set up by his brother William, who had died the previous year. He continued trading with ceramic products manufactured in England which at the time were extremely successful in the Spanish market.
During this period, the introduction of English designs in china and ceramic pieces exerted a great influence in the preferences of Spanish consumers which led to a spectacular increase in the demand for refined English ceramic pieces , particularly dinner service sets and ceramic dressing table pieces.
However, the already cumbersome restrictions imposed on imported ceramic products increased after the introduction of a new Tariff law. This, together with the fact that special measures were introduced to encourage the setting up of ceramic factories in Spain were the main reasons that led Charles Pickman to start manufacturing the products he was already importing in Spain itself.
Taking advantage of the expropriation of church assets ordered by Mendizábal in 1841, Pickman installed a ceramic factory in the Carthusian monastery of Santa María de Las Cuevas, thus creating a link between his family name and La Cartuja de Sevilla which has continued until the present day.
After the foundation of the factory in 1841, the introduction of new manufacturing techniques imported from abroad led to the development of industrial plants which were radically different from the concept developed by the traditional ceramic craftsmen based in Triana, near to the monastery of La Cartuja. Charles Pickman pioneered a series of innovative industrial principles and techniques such as the importing of raw materials from other countries, the extensive use of moulds, and specialised machinery such as mechanical arms and printing presses to decorate the pieces. These innovations, the introduction of specialised ceramic workers from England, and the vast experience as a ceramist of the founder himself, were the main reasons of the initial success of the factory.
The second half of the 19th century was a golden period for Pickman with the company receiving numerous prizes and gold medals at international expositions: Paris (1856, 1867 and 1878), London (1862), Porto (1865), Vienna (1872), Seville (1858, 1929 and 1949), Barcelona (1888), Bayonne (1864), Philadelphia (1876), etc.
An important milestone which recognised the quality of the products manufactured in the factory was reached in 1871 when La Cartuja de Sevilla was appointed an official Supplier to the Royal House by Amadeus I of Savoy who, in 1873, granted the title of Marquis of Pickman to the founder of Pickman La Cartuja de Sevilla, for his important contribution to the modernisation of industrial processes.
Thanks to the quality and style of its pieces La Cartuja de Sevilla has long been a supplier to the main Spanish royal houses and aristocratic families, and many monarchs visited the factory over the years: Isabel II (1862), Alfonso XII (1873), Queen Regent María Cristina (1892), Alfonso XIII (1904).
The characteristic shapes, designs, and colours have created a unique style which has shaped the identity of La Cartuja de Sevilla. Today, faithful to its origins more than a hundred and fifty years ago, |
La Cartuja de Sevilla continues to offer decorative pieces and tableware, produced to the highest quality standards whose traditional style and design
give them a unique character. |
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History
