Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: vidfletch on July 19, 2005, 10:49:30 PM
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Does anyone have info or pictures of the textured glass vases John Clappison made in the early eighties for Ravenhead? I know he is more famous for pottery but he worked for Ravenhead too.
Did Ravenhead do catalogues or brochures etc?
Cheers.
Vidfletch :idea:
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I wasn't aware that he did and would very much like to see some.
He did some quite daring designs for Hornsea Pottery I think in the 50s.
I'm having trouble finding any images of any Ravenhead glass online !!!
Ravenshead doesn't crop up very often here. It was so very much a part of ordinary British people's lives in the late 60s and 70s going by my own memories. After that I didn't have much contact with Ravenshead glass.
This sad footnaote may be of interest.
Hansard (UK Parliament)
House of Commons
29 Mar 2001 : Column 1195
Ravenhead Glass
Mr. David Watts (St. Helens, North): I am grateful for the opportunity to raise an important issue on behalf of many of my constituents. I should inform the House that Ravenhead Glass, which went out of business three weeks ago, has a long history in St. Helens--it has had a factory there for more than 150 years. In its heyday, it employed more than 5,000 people, but when it closed two weeks ago, it employed 200.
Many of those people, after 30 years' service, would normally have expected gold watches, enhanced redundancy payments or even good pensions. Most of the staff are aged over 50 and, as I have said, most have more than 30 years' service with the company. Three weeks ago they were made redundant and were told that they would receive only statutory redundancy pay, and that they would have their pensions reduced by about 20 per cent., as the pension scheme contained a £5 million black hole.
These workers are not numbers; they are people. An example is Mr. Dave Rotherham, who contacted me recently. He had worked in the plant for 30 years, and his father had worked there for 50 years. His life has been turned upside down in recent weeks. He has lost his job, he has no enhanced redundancy payments, and he faces a family crisis and a bleak future. That is after 30 years' hard work for the same company.
The Ravenhead company is owned by a parent company, Durabor, which is owned by the Belgian regional government. Ravenhead went into administration in November 1999. It had massive debts and an undervalued pension scheme. The Ravenhead plant at St. Helens is one of only two glass manufacturing plants in the UK. The other is in Chesterfield and is also, by coincidence, in receivership. It is quite possible, therefore, that within a few weeks Britain will have no glassware industry at all. That will be the end of another British industry. It will be lost for ever, thanks to the current problems that the industry is experiencing.
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The Ravenhead brand was acquired by Rayware in 2000. The name lives on if the factory doesn't! They are based at Speke, Liverpool.
www.rayware.co.uk
It might be worthwhile contacting them I suppose. The vases are mentioned in Lesley Jackson book "20th Century Factory Glass". I think I know which ones they are but need to clarify it!
Vidfletch :idea:
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Hello,
I've no idea who designed these tumblers, but I know they're Ravenhead. I like them lots, and picked them all up (in sets!) from charity shops. I use them all the time. I'd really like to know who designed them! The picture makes them look bigger than they are, the biggest ones hold my 250ml bottle of ginger beer, just. I have to drink it down quite a bit to get my chocolate chip ice-cream float in!
http://tinypic.com/96damt.jpg
http://tinypic.com/96datz.jpg
What I want to get hold of more of are the Anette Meech "Apollo" large glasses. I had lots of them back in the '70's, bought from Boots. I broke them. :cry: I only have 2 now.
http://tinypic.com/96db1e.jpg
Thanks, Anne! This seller seems to think they're called Nevada. There's no mention of Nevada in Lesley Jackson's book.
Vidfletch, Very Happy Is it White Fire you want a picture of? My cats' current drinking bowl?
White Fire and Siesta are all currently widely available in your local charity shops. (At least, they are here!). I've got loads of Siesta, too, but drinking glasses and "those" little fruit bowls, not vases. The glasses are useful, but I don't even know how I managed to acquire the little fruit bowls. Do you need pictures of Siesta? I know what White Fire and Siesta are, because I see so many of them still in their boxes, in charity shops. Mostly all unused fruit sets - big bowl and little bowls. I'm not so fond of them. From the number in charity shops, unused, neither were the people who had them!
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Here's my box o'Chunkies...they might not set the world alight, but they will one day...er....perhaps, maybe....
http://tinypic.com/96godj.jpg
http://tinypic.com/96gpqh.jpg
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:D Thanks, Max!
According to LJ'S 20th CFG, these are Hardie Williamson designs. The exhibition this next Cambridge Glass Fair in going to be on these designs!
They may set the world alight yet, :D , great to have them in original box, presumably unused!
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According to LJ'S 20th CFG, these are Hardie Williamson designs. The exhibition this next Cambridge Glass Fair in going to be on these designs!
That's interesting Sue, thanks. I'll definitely have to go to that, I'll have a Google right now, and see when it is.
I've been surreptiously collecting these glasses for a little while now (they seem to be dishwasher safe! :lol: ). I think my favourites are the yellow smilies as my Mum used to have those. :D :D
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Vidfletch,
You are looking at the wrong decade. Clappison went to Ravenhead as Chief Designer in 1972, returning to Hornsea Pottery in 1976. You need sales brochures for the 1970s.
Regards,
Le Casson
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Le Casson,
I read more and indeed it says late seventies. This ties in with 1976. I suppose they were still made after he left.
It is not the White Fire range or Siesta. These were seperate vases in their own right. Not tableware. I see White Fire and Siesta all the time too. The most interesting thing about White Fire was the legal argument with Whitefriars over the name!
I contacted Rayware today. They own the intellectual and property rights of the Ravenhead name but do not possess the archives! B*gger!!!!!!! LOL!!!
Any suggestions now?
Vidfletch
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Sue and Max,
You might be interested in this site:
http://www.sivignonglass.com/
It does answer the "whatever happened to?" question regarding Annette Meech.
LG get to play away from home???
Regards,
Marcus
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Vidfletch,
http://www.worldofglass.com/
There is a contact the curator page.
Also of interest, is the forth-coming exhibition of blown glass, from the Pilkington Collection.
Regards,
Marcus
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As for World of Glass, that expo, sorry exhibition includes work by Chihuly and others. Mmmmmm.......
Regards,
Marcus
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Here's a box of Ravenhead 'Vista'. They're quite dull, as glasses go, aren't they?
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:D8):D
Thanks very much indeed {{{{{Max}}}}}! (hugs!)
That tells me that the basic glass shape/style is Vista - my glasses are the same basic shape. The design must be Nevada!
Another victory for the message board and the communication of wonderful, helpful people. Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you!
:lol:8):lol:8):lol:8):lol: