Crown Lynn: Pottery for the People

Overview

It’s been over 20 years since Crown Lynn Potteries closed its New Lynn factory doors but the diverse range of ceramics at this company continues to fascinate New Zealanders both young and old. Collectors increasingly pay large amounts for items of second-hand crockery while artists and designers pay homage through their own work.

Crown Lynn: Pottery for the people explores our ongoing obsession with the company that became a common household feature in the 1960s and has since gone on to obtain a kind of iconic status. From its simple 1920s origins as brick and pipe manufacturers, the company expanded into the domestic market and went on to become the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest pottery producer.

The exhibition showcases nine different personal collections spanning from tableware to hand-potted vases to production equipment. A variety of public events will also accompany the exhibition. Hear, for example, collectors and potters describe their impressions of Crown Lynn pottery or take the walking tour of Crown Lynn sites in New Lynn and learn more about the part this influential company has played in our creative history.