Josiah Wedgwood

Pottery, Staffordshire. Wedgwood founded his firm in 1759 and combined craft with method: thousands of recorded glaze and clay experiments, a factory at Etruria where work was divided into specialised tasks, and strict standards that famously led him to smash flawed pots. That let him sell fine creamware and jasperware to both aristocrats and the middle classes. His discipline also meant long hours and close supervision for his workers.