Author Topic: Davidson Slag Glass (Read 2933 times)

Tony H · « **on:** January 30, 2006, 06:12:59 AM »

Hi Guys
My wife and I visited a country fair today, it is a public holiday for the Auckland region, there I found a small purple slag glass mug, I have placed some photos in my gallery, this mug has a Davidson trade mark on the base, please would you take a look as I would be grateful for your comments, it has a pattern I have not seen.

Tony H in NZ

Glen · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:32:37 AM »

My gosh, that's a wonderful piece! I certainly haven't seen the pattern before. My first thought was how similar it is to various Carnival designs from Imperial (which would obviously have post-dated the Davidson piece). And that leads me on to a previous thread where we were talking about a mystery (series of) design(s) featuring a windmill etc.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1797.0.html

My photos are no longer there - I will try and find them and re-post them shortly. However, the pic of the celery is still there and will serve to illustrate the point.

Great piece, Tony. Congratulations.

Glen

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:42:02 AM »

Hi Tony,

You see this design with a windmill reasonably frequently in the UK, but in flint glass. This is the first example I have seen in slag glass. We have one made in amber glass.

This design probably dates between 1888 and 1890, as it does not appear in the 1885/1887 catalogue and, as it has the trademark, predates 1891 (Davidson stopped using the trademark in October 1890).

Regards

Chris

Bernard C · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:58:52 AM »

Quote from: "ChrisStewart"

... (Davidson stopped using the trademark in October 1890)...

Chris â€” Is that when Davidson stopped punching the trademark into new moulds?

Bernard C.

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2006, 09:37:04 AM »

Hi Bernard,

In October 1890 a lot of things changed at Davidson. They stopped their monthly adverts in the Pottery Gazette and they also stopped advertising the Lion trade mark in the Gazette as well.

I suspect this is a sign that Thomas Davidson was beginning to take over more completely the running of Davidson.

From a collectors point of view this was not a good move, as the regular adverts were a source of information about the glass being made. After 1896 no more adverts were placed in the gazette until 1929 (not sure of exact date as I don't have a copy of my book handy)

Other than adverts for hobnail, Pearline, 1890 suite daisy suit, the 1885/1887 catalogues are the only know visual (i.e with pictures) source of information about Davidson glass in the 19th century.

Regards

Chris

Tony H · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2006, 10:04:00 AM »

Hi Guys
Thank you all for looking, I agree wih you Glen about Imerial Carnival Glass paterns, I even took a look at Dave Doty's web site, but the windmill is not the same.

Chris.
I am surprised to find it is and old piece, I had thought it may have been from when Davidson tried to revive slag glass in 1964, I had a look at your web page for glass after WWII and saw the Chippendale jug, I had an idea that maybe an old mould was used,the patern has a lot of detail with trees a small house and a bridge, as well as the windmill and church.

Tony H in NZ

Sid · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2006, 02:59:16 AM »

Tony:

Your pictures are terrible, can you send me the mug for a closer look? :lol:

Seriously, great pictures of a wonderful little mug! Pattern Glass Mugs by Mordock and Adams shows a similar mug on page 52 in amethyst. They state it is known in clear, amber and blue. I say similar because the rim of your mug appears different. Their example must not marked with the Davidson mark else they would have mentioned it in the text.

Sid

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2006, 08:30:54 AM »

Hi Tony,

It could be one of the old styles remade in 1964 in slag glass, there is no real way of telling as there are no known catalogues of the 1964 Marble glass.

Regards

Chris