Biography
Frances Emma Richards (b. 1869 -d. 1931) was one of the pioneer women studio potters of the early 20th century. She studied pottery under Richard Lunn (d. 1915) at the Royal College of Art. She invited his daughter to set up a studio together but Dora Lunn (1881-1955), who was much younger, decided to work independently. Richards worked from her home at 178 Archway Road, London where she had a kiln in the garden. She made thrown pots and bowls glazed in a wide range of colours. Occasionally she also decorated pieces with abstract patterns. She exhibited regularly at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society after 1916 and sold work through Heals and the Three Shields Gallery where she had a solo exhibition in 1928. Her work was illustrated in The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art, 1917, 1927,1928.
