| Activity | Potter. Born in the Far East and learned his craft in Japan. Returned to England in 1920 with Shoji Hamada and set up his pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall. He was one of the first artists with whom Dorothy Elmhirst made contact after she and Leonard bought the Dartington estate in 1925 and he first visited Dartington Hall in 1927. He advised Leonard Elmhirst on his growing collection of Chinese ceramics and studio pottery. The Elmhirsts tried to persuade Leach to move from St Ives to Dartington, but he would not do so at that time. He recommended his former assistant Jane Fox-Strangways, who agreed to move to Dartington and stayed from 1926 to 1929. She transformed the artistic life of the estate.
Leach was the first teacher of pottery at Dartington Hall School where he came to work in 1932 as a teacher and to also set up a pottery business at Shinners Bridge under Dartington Hall Ltd. He was joined by his son David the following year. In 1934, financed by Dorothy Elmhirst, Leach went travelling with his artist friend Mark Tobey, with whom he shared the Bahai faith, and stayed for a year in Japan. Leach used the experience to write 'A Potters Book'. Bernard left Dartington in 1940 and returned to St Ives to run the business while David served in the army up to 1945. In 1940 he published 'A Potter's Book', which greatly expanded his reputation. He was one of the directors, and main instigators, of the International Conference of Craftsmen in Pottery & Textiles held at Dartington Hall in July 1952. The participants came from around the world.
Involved in the International Conference of Craftsmen held at Dartington Hall in 1952. |