Topic: Pilkington Babycham Paperweight

[Alsretro]

This Ebay purchase arrived today to swell my Babycham collection and it seems to fit with what are thought to be Pilkington glass museum/ shop/ frigger type objects.
This thread http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50582.msg294002.html#msg294002 talks of weights seen with people's and club names but here's one with a commercial product name on it. Maybe whoever it was made for was a fan of Babycham too 
Alastair

[Lustrousstone]

Oh interesting one. Best hide it in case you get done for breach of copyright 

[Alsretro]

It was thanks to your paperweight gallery Christine, that I realised it was likely to be one of the weights referred to as Pilkington. I had wondered if it was something to do with Pirelli/ Vasart what with their connection to Babycham glass deer and glasses. 
Alastair

[paperweights]

My thinking exactly.  I wonder if Angela Bowey has an opinion here since she has researched the Pirelli connection to Babycham.

[Angela B]

Hi,
What a fascinating paperweight. It definitely wasn't made at the Pirelli workshop in Potters Bar (they only did lampwork). It could have been made at Vasart or Strathearn as a souvenir for someone associated with Babycham but I have never seen anything like that from either place, so I doubt it very much. The colouring of the base looks a bit like something produced by Perthshire paperweights, but the lettering and the flowers and the general casual finish don't look like anything from Pertshire Pwts. So if Pilkingtons had someone doing that kind of American-style souvenir writing that's what it probably is. It would be a nice one to research with some former Pilkington's glass workers. There must be lots of them around. Definitely one to keep, Alastair.
Best wishes
Angela

[Alsretro]

It shall be kept Angela. It feels at home with the umpteen Babycham glasses, three Pirelli Babycham deer, an unopened bottle of Babycham, a Babycham tray and maybe some other bits. Tried drinking the stuff once but quickly gave up
Alastair

[chopin-liszt]

Back in my boozing days, I found it made a good mixer for brandy.

[KevinH]

The weight is typical of those produced at Pilkingtons by the Czech (and other?) workers - regardless of the lack of confirmation by the company.

Angela has confirmed it was not made at Pirelli Glass and doubts very much it was from Vasart Ltd or Strathearn Glass (where there was an agreement with Pirelli for various items).

The greenish-yellowish colour of the dome ties in with many of the Pilkington weights and I think that rules out any idea of one of the Czech workers going to Vasart or Strathearn and making it as part of a Pirelli commission with those companies.

So we return to Pilkingtons with a few possibilities:
- made under commission from Pirelli and officially approved by Pilkingtons
- made under commission from Pirelli but via a personal contact with one of the workers
- made by one of the workers on request from soemone who happened to like / collect Babycham items
- some other explanation

[Anne]

Possibly a frigger, Kev? Pilks workers seem to have produced loads of those, I remember seeing all sorts of friggers there when we went on a school trip to Pilks in my long-ago schooldays! Just wish I'd had a camera way back then!

[KevinH]

Yes, possibly simply a frigger - which would fit for my third possibility - made for someone who liked or collected Babycham items.

Many of the "name" weights would be classed as friggers - made by the workers for friends and family.