This paper aims to apprehend evolution of ceramic manufacture strategy in the Johnston‐Vieillard manufactory (Bordeaux, France), which produced white earthenwares between 1835 and 1895. Glazes of fragments of 76 sherds, dated from different periods of the 19th century and found in excavations were characterised thanks to combined chemical and mechanical analysis. A comparative study was carried out for the determination of boron content in glazes by LA‐ICP‐MS and ion‐beam analyses (PIGE). In addition, an innovative study of the mechanical characteristics of the glazes by nanoindentation experiments was carried out in order to see whether or not the evolution of the glaze recipes was accompanied by an evolution of their mechanical properties.