Alboin Birks

Birks was a decorator for Minton & Co. potter and porcelain manufacturers.

Minto & Co. factory was founded in Stoke-on-Trent in 1793/6 by Thomas Minton (1765-1836), who was succeeded on his death by his son, Herbert Minton (1793-1858). The factory traded under various styles until 1845 when Minton & Co. was adopted. In 1868 the firm split into two parts, one for tiles only, the other for china (though it also made tiles). From c. 1873 the china works was known as Mintons. The two names, Minton & Co and Mintons, are often used indiscriminately.

There were a number of further changes leading to different names for different parts of the business. In 1845 the tile business became a separate department, trading as Minton & Co for encaustic or inlaid tiles which were mostly floor tiles, and as Minton, Hollins & Co for printed or painted or majolica wall tiles

SOURCE - https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O334658/vase-birks-alboin/ (Sept, 2025) & https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG75055 (Sept, 2025)