Topic: Thorneycroft paperweight

[David E]

Another weight I picked up recently - the label indicates A. Thorneycroft as the maker, but apart from this there's very little I can find. The telephone number dates this prior to 1990.

Tried searching via Google, and nothing appears on a search of this board, so I am a bit stymied.

Size is 7.7cm diameter.

[daveweight]

Hi David - Al Thorneycroft often signed his weights like this or AJT and I have never seen one with a label. I think he worked at the London Glassworks then became a teacher in glassmaking at the University of London
Dave

[David E]

Thanks again. I'm fairly sure the label is genuine, but cannot see a mark otherwise. Do you have dates when he was active?

[aa]

Hi David - Al Thorneycroft often signed his weights like this or AJT and I have never seen one with a label. I think he worked at the London Glassworks then became a teacher in glassmaking at the University of London
Dave

My recollection is rather hazy and I am not sure which of the glass studios in London you mean, Dave, because unfortunately over the years people have not been entirely imaginative in their choice of names: The Glasshouse, London; London Glassblowing Workshop; Glassworks, London; as well as London Glassworks, to name but a few.

However, I think that Al was the technician at what used to be called Middlesex Polytechnic from at least from as early as 1982, up to his retirement, but I cannot be sure of this. I think they changed the name to Middlesex University at some point. 

[Lisa R]

I have an Al Thorneycroft paperweight. It is signed with his name on the bottom with the year 1977. That was the year he had a shop in Covent Garden and I watched him making the paperweights as I passed the window. I went in and bought the one I have now.

Another weight I picked up recently - the label indicates A. Thorneycroft as the maker, but apart from this there's very little I can find. The telephone number dates this prior to 1990.

Tried searching via Google, and nothing appears on a search of this board, so I am a bit stymied.

Size is 7.7cm diameter.

[David E]

Hi Lisa and welcome to GMB.

Would be nice to see your 'weight if you can upload a photo. 

[Lisa R]

I will take a photo of it and post it on here for you.

I have an Al Thorneycroft paperweight. It is signed with his name on the bottom with the year 1977. That was the year he had a shop in Covent Garden and I watched him making the paperweights as I passed the window. I went in and bought the one I have now.

[w84it]

I was going to post a pic of my own A J Thorneycroft paperweight, but then found a mention of him on page 183 of John Simmonds' book Paperweights from Great Britain.  There's a picture of several of his weights.

Regards

Keith