The Leeds pottery firm which eventually became Hartley, Greens & Co. in 1781 first began operating in the 1750s, though no precise date is known. The firm became most celebrated for its cream-coloured earthenware (popularly known as 'creamware') which formed the bulk of its output. This pattern book (and the companion volume, Original Drawing Book No.1, dating from 1778 to 1792, E.576-1941) contains designs and sketches of the domestic pottery - such as mugs, tankards, dishes and tea- and coffee-wares - which the firm produced in this period. The firm also issued printed pattern books for customers in the home market and abroad. Much of their profit came from overseas trade, and the sketches in the two pattern books are annotated in various languages, including German, French and Spanish, often with English translations. The drawings were made on loose sheets which were later pasted into the pages of a used ledger.