G. Woolliscroft (George Woolliscroft) Rhead

Born in North Staffordshire in the mid-1850s, George Woolliscroft Rhead came from a family deeply connected with the pottery trade. He trained at Minton's art pottery works and later studied in London, where he was taught by Ford Madox Brown. Alongside painting and etching, he worked in stained glass and ceramic design, building a career closely linked to the Arts and Crafts movement.

Rhead was also a prolific writer and illustrator. Sources for his published work and biographical records show that he wrote on subjects such as costume, pottery, and design, including books like History of the Fan, Chats on Costume, Staffordshire Pots and Potters, and The Treatment of Drapery in Art. That range helps explain why his books still feel useful: they were written by someone who knew both the workshop and the wider history behind the objects.

He died in 1920, leaving behind a body of work that sits between art practice, design history, and popular education. For audiobook listeners and readers, he is especially appealing as an author who could turn specialist knowledge into clear, engaging writing.