Topic: Henry Greener lustre candlestick RD 231927, 12 August 1869 – P8

[agincourt17]

A part-frosted candlestick by Henry Greener, Sunderland, with lozenge for 12 August 1869 – Parcel 8, corresponding to registered design number 231927. 9 inches tall. One of a pair.

(Permission for the re-use of these images on the GMB granted by John Lynch).

Described by Jenny Thompson as a ‘lustre candlestick’ but now apparently lacking all the lustres (which would presumably have hung from metal rings inserted through the holes in the body).

This was an early Henry Greener design (coming between their ‘Gladstone’ and ‘Peabody’ commemorative wares, and I can’t recall ever seeing the design illustrated before. Does anyone have photos of this candlestick design complete with its lustres, please?

Fred.

[agincourt17]

Another example, this time in amber glass, alas, still lacking the drops.

(Permission for the re-use of these images on the GMB granted by Susie Melville)

There are, however, some minor differences compared to the part frosted clear example shown in my first post:

in addition to the registry date lozenge for 12 August 1869, there is also the Greener 1st lion trademark (used between about 1875 and 1885) so this piece was presumably manufactured in- or post- 1875);

this piece has no frosting,  the frosted background being replaced with a stippled background.

This is the first Henry Greener piece that I have come across in amber glass, though some Greener & Co. pieces (from 1885-1895) are not uncommonly found in amber glass (usually of a somewhat darker tone).

Does anyone else have photos of pre-1885 Henry Greener pieces in amber glass to show, please?


Fred.

[Paul S.]

Fred  - Unlike most of their contemporaries, Henry Greener provided the Board of Trade with actual photographs rather than drawings  -  the Gladstone and Peabody Registrations were also sepia type photos.

As you can see from the attached National Archive pix, Greener's design, submitted to the Board of Trade in August 1869, lacked the wires and drops.            Although now not possible to say, it may have been the case that this item was sold without them, and it was left to the customer to fit their own  -  although that seems a little odd, but this may have been an issue of practicalities  -  i.e. difficult to pack, transport etc. with the drops in place.      I could be very wrong with that suggestion - just a thought on my part.
Also worth considering is the possibility that Henry Greener did not, themselves, make drops.   

In view of the age of this item, then a stick still retaining its original drops may well be an impossible thing to source - drops seem often to go missing, or become replaced with non-original parts.

[agincourt17]

Thank you, Paul, for the design representations - very helpful. The photos are very good quality for the late 1860s.

I agree that the drops may well have been sourced from third party specialist manufacturers or agents - there certainly seem to have been a plethora of small glasshouses manufacturing drops for lustres and chandeliers, often with the final finishing, cutting  and polishing outsourced to specialist workshops.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

quote................"The photos are very good quality for the late 1860s."  ...........    I agree - in fact a lot better than some we get on the Board now

[Paul S.]

browsing CH's 'British Glass 1800 - 1914' (page 50)  ...   I see that he shows an extract from a page of designs of some 'Candlesticks' from the Webb Richardson books.
Although the period of which he speaks is c. 1830's - rather earlier than the date of this Greener design - his comments concerning the supply of drops, is interesting and may well apply to the stick discussed here.

CH says  ...  "Of the thirty-six designs, spread over three pages, six are shown with droppers although the notes beside some of the patterns imply that each design could be fitted with droppers if required."