Henry and Barbara Sandon played a huge role in the development of the Museum of Royal Worcester. Barbara went to St Peter’s School which was later taken over by the factory and is now the museum. Henry came to Worcester in 1953 and took over as curator of the museum in 1966. Barbara was his secretary in the 1970s.  Henry’s first tasks as curator were to get to know the craftsmen and to move the museum from its old building to the current site. As well as researching, purchasing and displaying porcelain, Henry organised tours, briefed tour guides and took round VIPs himself. He also did a series of archaeological digs on the old factory site at Warmstry House in the early 60s. Henry finished as Curator in 1983 but continued to be its greatest supporter till his death in 2023. He was widely considered to be the world’s greatest expert on Royal Worcester porcelain.

EXTRACT Henry describes the buzz at Royal Worcester in the 1960s.  Duration 1.02

Copyright Museum of Royal Worcester

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