Charlotte Rhead was born in 1885 into the well known Rhead family. Her father was the designer, Frederick Rhead. Her first employment was at T & R Boote in Burslem where she learned the art of tube-lined decoration. Tube-lining is the piping of a fine trail or line of soft clay onto the body of a pot, giving an outline for further decoration.

Charlotte, or Lottie as she was sometimes known, spent the rest of her life designing and decorating for various companies in the same area. She stayed at T & R Wood until 1913 when she joined her father who had recently been appointed Art Director at Wood & Sons. In 1920 her father and Harry Wood set up Bursley Ltd, to produce art pottery and Charlotte joined the new company. She moved to Burgess & Leigh, producers of Burleigh Ware in 1926. In 1931 she joined A G Richardson, working first at the Gordon Pottery and then at the newly re-built Britannia Pottery. She rejoined Harry Wood in 1943 and stayed working at H J Wood Ltd in Burslem until her death in 1947.

Her work, which is highly prized by collectors, is usually in muted colours - pinks, blues, greens and browns - and of very high quality.