Located on the High Street in Poole's old town, close to Poole Pottery Studio on East Quay, the Poole Museum is well worth a visit.  The museum has been refurbished recently and the second floor is devoted entirely to ceramics, much of which, as you'd expect, is Poole Pottery.  Entry is free, maps are below, and opening times are listed on the Poole Museum web site, so if your in the the area there's no excuse for not visiting.

The Museum has a representative range of Poole Pottery's 100 or so years of production, with an emphasis perhaps on earlier pieces.  There are early Carter and Company luster glazed stoneware, unglazed pottery and geometric patterns designed by James Radley Young, and figurines designed by Harold and Phoebe Stabler.  Things you'll never see on eBay (or, I fear in my collection).  Moving on, there are some fantastic Truda Adams designs and output from the Poole Studio right up towards the present day.  

Below are some photos*, which i hope will give you some idea of what to expect, but taking photos through glass isn't easy and many of the best things I've not been able to capture.

*I quite like the thought of you copying the images on the rest of this website, but 

please don't copy the images of the Poole Museum's collection.  

I'm hoping not to be sued myself and have an idea that I'm safer if I'm the only one publishing these, thanks.

Tubelined tiles designed by Arthur Nickols in the 1950's (Poole Museum)

These tile panels once stood at the gateways into Poole and one panel can now be seen in the foyer of the museum

Click on the images to enlarge

A couple of the display cabinets in the Poole Museum

Uber stylish Everest wares designed by John Adams, 1932

 (Poole Museum)

Bookends c1930

Elephants designed by Harold Browsword, springboks by John Adams

 (Poole Museum)

Poole Pottery Museum and Archive Christie's sale catalogue

When Poole Pottery went into administration in 2003, it's own archive and museum collection was put up for auction at Christie's, London.  Moves by Poole Borough Council to buy the whole collection had previously been unsuccessful, but they were able to save a number of pieces from the sale which can now still be seen on public display in the Poole Museum. 

An example (I'm guessing) of Carter Tiles next to the Poole Pottery Studio on Old Orchard

Getting There

               
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Poole Pottery Map Plate of Poole Harbor. 1963.

Brownsea Island, in the center, is where you'll find red squirrels and to the north of there is Poole Quay, and the Pottery.  Silkscreen transfer printed with drawing by Robert Jefferson and hand coloured.  (From my collection)

This map is interactive

Poole Museum is on the corner of High Street And Paradise Street.  The site of the former Poole Pottery on The Quay, is were the apartments with silver coloured roofs now stand.  The Poole Studio is just behind there on Old Orchard.

In 2010, I think, the Victoria and Albert Museum will finally reopen their ceramics galleries.  I'm sure their serving of Poole Pottery wont be quite as generous as the Poole Museum's but I'm hoping they'll have a few nice bits and bobs.