Topic: Davidson Glass with Quote

[petet63]

Hi, I have seen similar pieces attributed to Davidson but cannot find this piece. It is 12.5cm in Diameter with the quote 'A good name is better than riches' Is this a Davidson piece and does anyone have an idea on age.

[jsmeasell]

I have this same item in transparent blue. This example has embossed characters on the underside that read as follows: 'REGISTERED DESIGN NO 2971'. I don't find this recorded by either Jenny Thompson or Raymond Slack, although Thompson and Slack do list 297157 for Thomas Webb & Sons, Manchester, in 1875. Any thoughts? Much appreciated!

[Paul S.]

very interesting.......     Despite seeming very obvious that the wording refers to a British Board of Trade Registration No., it's an idea that almost certainly is a non-starter.          A four digit No. of this similarity would have been Registered in early March 1884, a few months after the use of lozenges had been abandoned permanently, and as James has commented there is nothing - at least in the reliable sources of Registrations - showing such a number - for CLASS III glass for anyone.
The nearest Davidson Registration I can see off-hand occurs in March 1888, and is a five digit number.

This is either from a mould of another factory, or might it be a George Davidson factory pattern design number? - but doesn't look to have anything to do with Board of Trade Registrations.

[pamela]

I do not believe that this information could be helpful but I've got a white plate exactly the same as Pete's also without any Rd mark - I might recall that I bought mine down-under... Australia or New Zealand 

[Paul S.]

hi Pamela  -  assume from your comments that yours is a white opaque vitro-porcelain example...........    as you say, it doesn't really get us any further forward

just as a matter of curiosity, I will look at 2971 when I'm at Kew early next week.         Davidson not really my area, although believe that some of their C20 Board of Trade designs carried both a U.K. Reg. No. and ditto for Oz - but don't think this method of dual Registration was active in the C19. 

[pamela]

Hi Paul and Pete, sorry no, my plate is clear transparent white, never would have thought that yours, Pete is vitro-porcellain   

[Paul S.]

sorry Pamela  -  the confusion is no doubt my fault.             If we use a glass description of 'white', in English, then we'd be implying it was opaque and probably white vitro porcelain.               If we are speaking of something like your example then we'd simply say it's clear glass.
Pete's plate might be described as transparent pale amber, I think, I hope

[pamela]

 
I most liked James' description: transparent (blue in his case) 

[jsmeasell]

Paul, please have a look at 297157 (22 Dec. 1875 for Thomas Webb & Sons, Manchester). I think this could be a case of the last two numbers not being put in the mould for some reason.

[Paul S.]

Unfortunately, unrelated, as you can see.