Arnold Machin RA
Born 30 September 1911
Died 9 March 1999
Active: 1937 - 1956
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, ceramicist, teacher
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. After leaving Mintons in c. 1930, worked at Derby Porcelain Works from c. 1931. Studied at Derby Art School in the evenings from c. 1933-1935 and full time from c. 1935-1937. Studied at the Royal College of Art from c. 1937-1940.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
St John the Baptist
1944 (Circa)
Sailors
1937 (Presumed)
Pigeon
1937 (Presumed)
Pig
1941 (Presumed)
Shireen
1941 (Presumed)
Portrait
1941 (Presumed)
Madonna and Angels
April 1941 - May 1941
Giraffe
1941 (Presumed)
Zebra
April 1941 - May 1941
Bear
1941 (Presumed)
Bear
1941 (Presumed)
Seated Figure
1941 (Presumed)
Madonna and Child
1941 (Presumed)
A Cocktail Lady
1941
Flora
1941 (Presumed)
Weasel
1941 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 67 Northwood Lane Clayton Newcastle-under-Lyme | View on map
1945 (Circa)
Address Barlaston Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1946
c/o his employer Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd.
Address Modddershall Oaks Moddershall Stone | View on map
1947 (Circa)
Address 15 The Villas Stoke-on-Trent | View on map
1951 - 1958
Studio located at 5 Stamford Bridge Studios Wandon Road London | View on map
1940 (Circa)
Studio located at The Lea Studio Barlaston | View on map
1948 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Society of Staffordshire Artists. Fourth Annual Exhibition (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1937
'Pigeon'
Exhibited at Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists (City of Stoke on Trent Museums and Art Gallery, Hanley), 1941
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal College of Art Exhibition, 1938
15 July 1938 - 30 July 1938
Exhibited an untitled work under the 'Sculpture Schools' section.
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1940 - 1966
Exhibited 16 times (6 times up to 1951), often showed 6 works in one year, about 62 works in all
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Annual Exhibition, 1861-1951
1945 - 1964
Exhibited 6 times (an average of 2 works per show)
Selection committee member of The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The One Hundred and Eightieth (Summer Exhibition), 1948
6 April 1948 - 14 April 1948
Served on the Selection Committee, and was responsible for the arrangement of sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1948' (1949), p. 20.
Institutional and Business Connections
Adjudicated on a panel at The Edinburgh College of Art
1950 - 1951
For the award of Diplomas in the Sculpture School
Apprenticed to Minton and Company
1925 (Circa) - 1930 (Circa)
See Haggar, 'Dictionary' (1947), unpaged.
Note that Wilkinson suggests that Machin was 'head modeller' at Minton from c. 1925-1929 [Wilkinson 'Ceramic Artists' (2007), p. 98].
Elected ARA Royal Academy of Arts
24 April 1947 - 21 February 1956
Elected RA in 1956.
Elected RA Royal Academy of Arts
1 October 1986
Then became Senior RA.
Employed at Wedgwood (Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd.)
1939 (Circa) - 1977 (Circa)
Modelled figures. Known particularly for his models for Queen's Ware: see Reilly and Savage, 'The Dictionary of Wedgwood' (1980), p. 225.
See numerous letters from the 1940s and photographs of his Queen's Ware figures in the Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive: for example, a photograph of 'The Thrower', dated 1941, a Queen's Ware hand painted figure. There are also a number of undated photographs of terracotta busts and figures by Machin and photographs of the artist.
Principal of Stoke School of Art
1941 (Circa) - 1942
See Haggar, 'Dictionary' (1947), unpaged, and Wilkinson 'Ceramic Artists' (2007), p. 98.
For the end date of his employment see a photograph of a letter from Gordon Forsyth to Josiah Wedgwood, 24 December 1942, in which Forsyth discusses Machin's choice to leave the school: see Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive, LET286.
Studied at Stoke School of Art
1925 (Circa) - 1931 (Circa)
See Haggar, 'Dictionary' (1947), unpaged; listed as an evening student.
Studied at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
1937 - July 1940
Reilly and Savage gives the dates 1937-1940; see 'The Dictionary of Wedgwood' (1980), p. 225.
Machin is listed as a graduate from the 'School of Sculpture' in the College's 1940 'Distribution of Diplomas' list. He also recieved a 'Medal awarded for special distinction' in sculpture, and the 'Travelling Scholarship' for sculpture, in the same year.
Studied at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
15 July 1938
Participated in the 1938 student exhibition.
Teacher at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
1951
Listed as a tutor in the School of Ceramics in the College's prospectus from 1951-1952.
Teacher of modeling at Royal Academy Schools
1958 - 1966
Master of the Sculpture School. See Popp and Valentine, 'Royal Academy of Arts Directory of Membership', (1996), p. 78. Note that Machin put himself forward for election for the position of Master of the Sculpture School in 1950. He was unsuccessful, and the post was awarded to M. Lambert. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1950', (1951), p. 19.
Visitor at Royal Academy Schools
1948 - 1949
Listed as a visitor to the School of Sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1948', (1949), p. 24.
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Frank Owen Dobson
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Richard Louis Garbe
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Charles Thomas Wheeler
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Edward Brantwood Maufe
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Laura Knight
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Arnold Mason
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Malcolm Osborne
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Dod Proctor
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominated by Alfred Thomson
25 March 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Sources
A Century of Art Education in the Potteries. With notes on the Artists, 1953 Local Studies
1953 (Circa)
p. 45.
A Dictionary of Ceramic Artists
2007
p. 98.
Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1937
December 1937
p. 6.
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, c.1939-c.1961
1961 (Circa)
p.182.
Royal College of Art Calendar, 1951-1952 Royal College of Art
1951
p. 9.
Royal College of Art Exhibition, 1938
1938
p. 11.
Royal College of Art, Distribution of Diplomas in July 1940
12 July 1940
p. 1.
Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Staffordshire Artists, 1941
April 1941
p. 6 and p. 7.
The Dictionary of Minton
1990
pp. 283-284.
The Dictionary of Wedgwood
1980
p. 225.
The Wedgwood Museum Digital Archive
See numerous letters from the 1940s and photographs of his Queen's Ware figures.
Citing this record
'Arnold Machin RA', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1217502430, accessed 10 Jun 2023]
