Waterford Wedgwood through the ages

1770: Josiah Wedgwood, English pottery founder in an engraving by G Shury after a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

A Wedgwood ceiling panel in Dublin Photograph: The Irish Image Collection/Corbis

1809: The Wedgwood and Byerley Room in London Photograph: Philip de Bay/Historical Picture Archive/COR

1930: Production line workers dipping pots into a vat of glaze at the Wedgwood pottery, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images

1937: A pile of commemorative coronation mugs and teapots at the Wedgwood potteries in Stoke-on-Trent Photograph: Alan Webb/Getty Images

1947: Wedgwood earthenware being packed for shipment overseas Photograph: Nat Farbman/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

1968: Tommy Wall of Waterford Glass engraves a coat of arms on a lead crystal vase Photograph: Jim Sugar/Corbis

1973: A woman makes silhouette cameo portaits of Princess Anne at the Wedgwood factory to commemorate the wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips Photograph: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORB

2000: Master glassblower Tom Rowe blows a crystal table centrepiece at the Waterford Wedgwood headquarters in Ireland Photograph: AP

2008: An Indonesian woman inspects teacups in the Wedgwood/Royal Doulton china factory in Tangerang, Indonesia Photograph: Ed Wray/AP

2009: Waterford Crystal glasses on a shelf in a Dublin city centre store as it was announced that Waterford Wedgewood was going into administration Photograph: Julien Behal/PA

Fears are growing for the future of 2,000 Waterford Wedgwood workers in Britain and Ireland after it emerged that production at the famous china and glassmaker, which went into administration this week, could be moved overseas Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

2009: A reduced Wedgwood photoframe. The pottery and glassware firm is the latest victim of the global economic slowdown Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images