Topic: E.Varnish mercury glass with embossed seal, circa 1849

[KevinH]

[This post may seem a bit over-complicated or unclear in some of the text. If so - sorry. ]

Another book find that sounds interesting but might not be very useful ...

English Glass ... by R. J. Charleston, 1984, ISBN 0-04-748003-3

From Pages 213/4:

... ... 'gold enamel' ware introduced by Thomas Hawkes of Dudley (pl. 58a). This designation too was a misnomer, for the technique ... seems ... to have called for a double-walled vessel. The outer skin decorated by cutting and the inner by applied gold and colours. ... ... Hawkes's double-walled gilt glasses may have suggested ... ... the double-walled silvered glass for which Frederick Hale Thomson and Edward Varnish took out a patent in 1849.

The plate 58a item shows a splendid lidded vase with wonderful curved lines in a "solid" shape and a "heavy" look to the outer cutting. It is 37.2 cm (14 5/8 inch) high and attributed as "Probably Dudley (Thomas Hawkes); about 1830-40".  V. A. M.

So of course I went straight to the V&A search page and found - nothing to match! What is frustrating about my failed search is that in the book, the next image is connected via the above quoted text to a ruby Varnish &  Co vase which is easy to find in the V & A pages.

The double-walled Hawkes (probably) vase was suggested by Charleston to be linked to Hawkes's "gold enamel" wares (see quote above) but those wares seem to have been a single layer of glass with cutting to the upper surface and gilding [also with enamels?] to the underside. The cutting revealing the underside decoration through the upper surface. [But I could have misunderstood the details.]

Hajdamach, British Glass 1800-1914, page 66, discusses Hawkes's glass and covers the "gold enamel" wares. He also says, in the lower half of the page:

A variation of the technique, in the form of a double-walled vase and cover in the Victoria and Albert collection is also attributed to Hawkes ...

The text goes on to suggest two separate items are blown, one bigger than the other; the larger decorated on the inside and the smaller on the outside; after which, they are fitted together with the decoration sandwiched between the two parts. It is not stated how final shaping of the joined parts is achieved. But the text continues with:

It is quite common to find the decoration peeling away from the glass where air has entered the interior space.

I am not clear in my mind about the actual processes required for that form of "double-walled" ware! But Hajdamach is confirming the general ideas stated by Charleston. What Hajdamacjh does NOT state ,anywhere that I can find, is the idea of the Hawkes's double-walled pieces being a possible hint for the Thomson-Varnish pieces.

It would be interesting to find examples of Hawkes's "gold enamel" wares and the (probably Hawkes;s) "double-walled items.

Perhaps the (probable) Hawkes vase is no longer in the V & A? Or maybe it has been re-attributed. It would have been good to see an image with better detail to see if Charleston's "forerunner" idea could have been reasonable. However, as yet, I cannot find other references to that sort of work by Thomas Hawkes of Dudley.

[flying free]

That double walled process that Charles Charleston is describing,  imho, is nothing like Thomson's double walled pieces i.e those blown and then manipulated to form double walled pieces with a pontil mark hole left in the bottom of the hollow double walled item.

What is does sound VERY much like again imho, is the double-walled glass made in Bohemia (and I think iirc and I'm sure I do,that they were made by one Russian glass maker as well).  They are sometimes called Zwischengold glasses and I am not referring to the ones with the 'medallion' set in.  These were made in the way you described above iirc, a small glass blown and decorated and then dropped into a slightly larger glass.
I'll try and find some examples to show you and post again separately.
m

[flying free]

here we go

https://www.cmog.org/glass-dictionary/zwischengoldglas

This is a good example:
https://www.cmog.org/artwork/beaker-zwischengoldglas
you can see the decoration is still totally intact, it is done on the outer surface of the inner beaker, then the inner beaker is set inside a slightly larger beaker of the same shape, then the join at the rim, or sometimes below the rim with the outer beaker being shorter than the inner, then sealed with 'cement' of some sort.

[flying free]

OMG!! Look what I just found!! (full source at bottom of post) - this was written in 1853

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pantropheon or, History of Food, its Preparation, from the Earliest Ages of t, by Alexis Soyer



https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51259/51259-h/51259-h.htm

This appears on page 406 and page 407 of the linked book. (the page numbers are very very small on the right hand side)

The York Banquet which from reading the previous paragraphs appears to have taken place 25th October 1850 in the 'gothic Guildhall of York':

Quote
'...
 We will now resume our description of the York Banquet. In front of the principal table, on a raised platform, covered with purple cloth, was a collection of maces, swords, &c., estimated by competent judges to be worth £12,000. The most conspicuous ornament was placed immediately behind the great circular table; it was designed by the author, and is represented in the accompanying engraving. It consisted of a large emblematic vase, twenty feet in height, painted and modelled by Mr. Alfred Adams. Around the base are Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, presenting specimens of industry to Britannia. From the centre of the base springs a palm tree, surrounded by the arms of the cities of London and York; medallion portraits of her Majesty and Prince Albert, encircled by the shields of the principal cities and towns of the United Kingdom, form the body of the vase; two figures of Ireland and Scotland the handles; the Prince of Wales’s emblem the neck, and the royal arms the apex. Appended were graceful wreaths of flowers, in which the symbols of the Houses of York and Lancaster (red and white roses) predominated; and when a brilliant flood of gaslight, aided by powerful reflectors, was thrown upon this splendid decoration, the effect was truly magnificent.

'Having illustrated this volume with a murrhine vase, belonging to the House of Brunswick, and a curiously worked crystal cup, as gems of ancient production, we give here, as modern works of art, an engraving representing three superb drinking cups,—one for his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and one each for the Lord Mayors of London and York: the first is in ruby glass, a portion of the stem and base internally checquered with silver, and on the sides bearing white sunken medallions of her Majesty and the Prince Consort, and the royal arms of England. The other two cups were of the same size and shape, but, instead of being ruby and silver, the colours were emerald and silver; and on the sides were the private arms of each of the Lord Mayors, together with the usual heraldic emblazonments of the cities of London and York respectively. They were presented by the author of this work in the name of the Patent Silvered-Glass Company. This banquet was of so interesting a nature, that we could not omit giving some particulars of it in this work; at all events, the pomp and splendour of modern times, as far as banqueting is concerned, must prove that—from the Greeks and Romans, down to the middle ages—we have not been exceeded, except, perhaps, in waste and extravagance. The national entertainments given within the last fifty years, to commemorate striking events, are too fresh in our memory to pass them ...'

Image here!  plate 35 (the title to the plate is listed under each of the glasses in the photo as follows:

LORD MAYOR OF YORK’S CUP.    HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT’S CUP.    LORD MAYOR OF LONDON’S CUP.


https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51259/51259-h/images/ill_pg_407_sml.jpg

A goblet in green and silver apparently matching one of the green goblets described in this book is shown on page 260 of Charles Hajdamach's British Glass 1800-1914.  Charles say on page 272 that the ruby goblet described above (I think) is in the Osborne House collection.

This information is new information as Charles does not mention the third glass for the Mayor of York and does not say the banquet was held in York.  Neither does he mention the Patent Silvered-Glass Company


I'll take a bow now 



Source:
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pantropheon or, History of Food, its Preparation, from the Earliest Ages of t, by Alexis Soyer

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license


Title: The Pantropheon or, History of Food, its Preparation, from the Earliest Ages of the World

Author: Alexis Soyer

Release Date: February 21, 2016 [EBook #51259]

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PANTROPHEON ***

[KevinH]

  hmm. Nice find. How do you do get search results like that???

[flying free]

I don't know 

Here's your V&A listing for the possible Hawkes lidded vase:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O249611/vase-and-cover-thomas-hawkes-co/

No picture unfortunately but I'm sure it described the piece you refer to.

m

[KevinH]

Yes, that's it. Shame about no image for online viewing.

[flying free]

This link to the Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition has more detailed explanation of what 'Varnish & Co' showed.  It described the items with the colours of some of the pieces.

No information on Mr Mellish in this version.

'Varnish & Co' were on page 701 as no 27.
Click here to view


photograph of Varnish & Co entry attached

[flying free]

[Mod: This post has been reconstructed from parts of this and later posts covering discussion between “m” and “KevinH” on the meaning of part of a newspaper report. Following agreement that there is confusion, the full discussion has been removed in favour of this condensed version.]

What ever happened to Mr Mellish?

Spectator April 10, 1852

Mr Mellish was found Not Guilty but suspicion of doubt was cast about that outcome. He was given the benefit of 'very great doubt'!!
So there you go - not guilty but maybe not really.

The newspaper report (see link and photo below) finishes with:

The Jury consulted for half an hour, and then gave a verdict of “Not Guilty”; the Foreman adding, that they gave the prisoner “the benefit of a very great doubt.”  So one supposes that the first sentence on the first trial will probably be carried out.

An exact interpretation of those last two sentences is hard to determine – was the “very great doubt” relating to guilt or innocence? And it seems very strange that the Spectator surmised that a prior trial result could stand above a later (re)trial verdict.


For reference, the dates of the trials and Spectator reports are I think as follows:

Trial 1:
28 November 28th, 1851. Scroll down to Case 60 

The Spectator reported the court case from 1851
in their issue 6 December 1851. Scroll down to end

Trial 2:
5 April 1852

10 April 1852 Spectator report on case of 5 April 1852

Trial 3:
12 May 1852 scroll down to 502


Reminder note re the third trial
Kevin H said:

In Reply #109, Christine said: "There is a continuation of the May 1852 court case still to find". Is that correct?

M replied:

I have not been able to find anything further on another trial for Mellish.  The trial on 12th(?) May 1852  had 'Not Guilty' written at the end of it.

[flying free]

Thomson's making of the silvered glass in the Great Exhibition, recorded here:

I just thought I'd add this record I found of the Great Exhibition, written 1851 by Charles Knight.
It mentions that the silvered glass items were made by Thomson.  Finally Mr Thomson had some recognition in his own right.
Click here to view
page 1540

Photograph added - First one appears at the bottom of the left hand column, and the rest of the para concludes at the top of the right, so had to add two photographs so it can be read in full.

m