This website is dedicated to preserving the history of Osborne Ivorex, the distinctive decorative plaques and figurines created by Arthur Osborne in Faversham, England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its foundation comes from the work of the late John Smith of Southampton, whose interest in Ivorex began in his early twenties after purchasing several plaques. That early interest developed into a lifelong commitment spanning roughly five decades, during which John built a personal collection of more than 800 pieces.

 
He also researched Arthur Osborne’s life, family history, artistic work, and the many subjects represented throughout Ivorex artware. John carefully recorded his findings and compiled them into an Ivorex CD so he could share his knowledge with fellow collectors and gather additional information from the collecting community.

 
The material presented on this website comes from the original CD. John’s wife, Betty, played an important role by supporting his collecting and research throughout the years. Following John’s passing, Betty gave her gracious approval and authorization for the information from his CD to be shared publicly. This site continues that work by keeping John’s research accessible to collectors, researchers, and enthusiasts while preserving knowledge about Osborne Ivorex for future generations.