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Author Topic: Re: E. Downey  (Read 24114 times)

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Offline Frank

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #30 on: June 23, 2011, 01:35:02 AM »
Hi Richard,

Can you confirm if E Downey was his son and if he was a designer?

Offline RDowney

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #31 on: June 23, 2011, 02:29:34 AM »
The only Elizabeth Downey I know of was a daughter of William Henry Downey. She was born in 1848 and died in 1918. She married and became a Mrs Shirley. In the records I have I have not seen references to involvement with glass. My ancestors were mostly engravers of bookplates, stamps and banknotes. One or two did cartoons for Punch magazine. Alfred james Downey had two sons being Alfred Lloyd and Leslie Ernest (the latter being my father).

Downey & Co was started by my grandfather and sold to Wolfenden in the 1920's. My grandfather did exhibit bookplates at the Royal Academy in the 1920's.

Hope this helps.

Richard Downey

Offline Frank

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #32 on: June 23, 2011, 11:50:20 AM »
Thank you Richard, clearly a different line of the family name. It has been assumed E Downey was male as it would be unusual, though not unheard of, for this person to be female. He/she was employed by Vitrea (Merchants) Limited and period concerned was possibly 1920s to 1960s - so it could not have been your family's Elizabeth.

Unfortunately our Downey has sunk into obscurity and seems to have been considered important as a designer only in Czechoslovakia where many of the designs he produced were manufactured.

Longshot... perhaps you could pass these details to your relatives as we might get lucky, but thanking you for your clarification.

Offline Anne

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Re: Re: E. Downey
« Reply #33 on: August 05, 2011, 04:55:12 PM »
Possibly no connection, but cross-referencing to this topic just in case:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,42228.0.html
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline Anne

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #34 on: August 06, 2011, 01:11:38 AM »
Vitrea (Merchants) Ltd
Showrooms at 12-16 Clerkenwell Road, London E.C.1
Definitely still there in 1964. But when they started?

Finding more odd pieces to slot into the puzzle so am adding them here so we can find them again when needed...

From the Companies House registers...
Vitrea (Merchants) Ltd, Company No. 00218603
Date of Incorporation: 31/12/1926
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Status: Dissolved 30/06/2009
They are now shown as a dormant company

From an article in The Times dated Tuesday, Oct 23, 1984, pg. 11
Vitrea, who import Czechoslovakian furniture... Further information from Vitrea (Merchants) Ltd. Fanshaw House, Fanshaw Street, London N1

In The Times dated Thursday, Mar 15, 1951; pg. 11, Vitrea are shown as being members of the Federation of London Public Wharfingers Limited

Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline AndrewPerrott

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #35 on: November 03, 2012, 07:32:17 AM »
I joined Vitrea Merchants as a salesman in 1958. At that time Vitrea had premises in Charterhouse Square and Edwin Downey
was a full time employee. He was commissioned by Glassexport and importers to design glass objects that would subsequently
be produced in Czechoslovakia and imported to the U.K. He was an outstanding draughtsman and designer and had the ability
to produce one dimensional drawings that were such that the capacity of an object was always correct as desired. In the early
sixties Vitrea moved from Charterhouse Square to Clerkenwell Road London E1 and Glassexport  (Skloexport) moved from Wenceslas Square Prague to Liberec north Bohemia. I became a director of Henry Marchant Ltd , wholly owned by Glassexport,
and Downey designed for me a number of items including a water set and a fruit set that were produced in Lednicke Rovne which
proved to be very successful with major retailers in the U.K. In the early sixties Downey left Vitrea and commenced working with
an importing concern named Max Emanuel who were located in the Hatton Garden area of London. I lost touch with Downey
shortly afterwards.
Andrew Perrott.

Offline AndrewPerrott

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #36 on: November 03, 2012, 11:29:14 AM »
In 1958 Vitrea Merchants were located in Charterhouse Square London E1 and I and Edwin Downey were employed by Vitrea.
The then managing director was Antonin Vomacka .In the early sixties Vitrea moved to Clerkenwell Road E1 where Downey
continued as draughtsman and designer. At that time Downey resigned from Vitrea and was employed by an importing concern
by the name of Max Emanuel and they were located in the Hatton Garden area. I subsequently became a director of Henry Marchant Ltd (wholly owned by Glassexport)and Edwin Downey designed some items that we imported at that time
I lost touch with Downey in the late sixties.

Andrew Perrott.

Offline Frank

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2012, 11:39:21 AM »
Many thanks Andrew for clearing up all the loose threads on this topic.

Offline Anne

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Re: Re: E. Downey
« Reply #38 on: November 03, 2012, 07:30:17 PM »
Hello Andrew, welcome to the board, and thank you for adding your really interesting information.

Would you have any photos of the designs you mention, which you'd be able to add into this topic for us please, as this is such an interesting yet less well-known area, and we'd love to see what his designs were. If you need technical help with adding pics please do feel free to email me directly. :)
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline Frank

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Re: E. Downey
« Reply #39 on: November 03, 2012, 08:57:23 PM »
Another footnote:

Max Emanuel Company are another general pottery and glass importers established in 1880s. Covering most of Europe and including table glass from Czechoslovakia in the 60s.

 

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