Rosalind Pulver, a dedicated collector of 19th-century British pottery and porcelain who served as meetings secretary of the English Ceramic Circle, has died at the age of 91.
A Life of Organisation and Sociability
Her son remembers her as gregarious, sociable, and a natural-born organiser. In the 1970s, she revitalised her school's parents' association, with her crowning achievement being a tour of McDonald's headquarters for the pupils, complete with free burgers.
Early Life and War Years
Born and raised in London, she first lived in Paddington above her father's menswear shop on Church Street market, later moving to Hendon. Like many of her generation, World War II disrupted her life. Her father, Louis, joined the Home Guard and was posted to the south coast, changing the family name from Cohen to Collins. Rosalind attended La Sagesse, a convent school in Golders Green, which allowed children to stay until early evening when her mother, Sarah, could collect her after the shop closed.
Career Beginnings at the BBC and ATV
After a typing course at Kilburn Polytechnic, she secured her first job as a secretary at the BBC, working for the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Camden theatre (now Koko) under conductors like Gilbert Vinter and Charles Mackerras. Despite not being outdoorsy, she even joined the BBC riding club, though she was afraid of horses.
She left the BBC to join Lew Grade's ATV at the dawn of ITV in the mid-1950s. There, she worked for Peter Cotes (aka Sydney Boulting) and later Stella Richman, a pioneering female TV executive. Rosalind was known for her impression of Richman's persuasive phone calls to Grade.
Marriage and Family
At a 1960 Christmas party, she met Martin Pulver, marrying him the following year. She soon left full-time work. Martin joined her family's shop, L Collins, working there until his retirement in the 1990s.
Ceramics Collection and Legacy
In the late 1960s, the couple began collecting ceramics, focusing on 19th-century British pottery and porcelain. They thrived in the antiques world, making many friends and gaining prominence. Martin chaired the Spode Society, while Rosalind served for years as meetings secretary of the English Ceramic Circle, the leading ceramics study body.
While her husband enjoyed buying and selling, Rosalind became a skilled researcher, publishing original articles on overlooked figures such as Samuel Morris and John Downes Rochfort.
In the 1990s, she achieved a long-held dream by earning a degree in art history from University College London.
Later Years and Survivors
After Martin's death in 2015, she moved to Hertfordshire to be near her daughter, Elizabeth, living there until early this year. She is survived by her children Elizabeth and her son, and five grandchildren: Edward, Katie, Ellen, Lucy, and Zoe.
