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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Bernard C on March 18, 2006, 11:19:06 AM

Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Bernard C on March 18, 2006, 11:19:06 AM: I have just bought a souvenir plate of the 1938 Empire Exhibition, Glasgow, which, at first, I thought was the same as the TOWER OF EMPIRE example illustrated in Dodsworth BGbtW, p72.

It is not the same. The wording around the edge is the same, but the centre is different, showing a building with a much smaller tower, captioned SCOTTISH PAVILION.

Is that it — just the two, or are there more? Were they sold as sets in appropriate packaging?

The exhibition organisers were certainly fans of Deco towers. Did every building on the site have a Deco tower?

See also topic Decorated glassware (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,666.0.html)

Bernard C. 8)
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Frank on March 18, 2006, 11:46:16 AM: I've got bits from 1880, 1888 and 1938. The latter a small 5" diameter Sxottish Pavillion dish. What size is yours?
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Bernard C on March 18, 2006, 11:57:05 AM: Frank — 5", mould-stippled rim, same as yours. The 1888 plate is illustrated in Notley, the 1880 one is news to me.

Bernard C. 8)
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Frank on March 18, 2006, 01:17:50 PM: Mistype, 1890. It is an etched beaker for the Edinburgh ex.
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Frank on March 18, 2006, 01:18:31 PM: How comes you are not selling the 1938 one?
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Bernard C on March 18, 2006, 03:38:49 PM: Frank — I am selling it. Where did I say that I am not?

Bernard C. 8)
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Frank on March 18, 2006, 03:42:44 PM: Err, I think you said you would let me know when...
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Bernard C on March 19, 2006, 02:08:07 AM: I haven't sold my earlier souvenir yet, in fact I had completely forgotten it. I found a box that fitted it nicely, put it in the box, put it on a shelf, and just forgot it!

You will be the first to know.

Frank — Update, after Janet put me straight. The piece I put in a box and forgot was the Blackpool Tower teapot stand. I sold my American lacy/opalescent 1938 exhibition souvenir on eBay, and I think you bid on it!

Bernard C. 8)
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: David555 on March 20, 2006, 01:20:37 AM: Hi

Bernard I have had the 'Tower of Empire' plate a few times

(http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5108/plate2ct.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

Opalescent and comes in a few different sizes - bad photo above of a large one I sold on eBay years ago.

I would love to see a pic of the 'Scottish Pavilion' plate - same style as above I assume.

'Tower of Empire' is most common; I know companies did other glass plates with different lettering and scenes, e.g. 'Garden Club' so I thought

All of the beakers and cups I have, Dominions Avenue, Garden Club, Scottish Pavilion, North Cascade, etc. show different pictures - perhaps the plates all show the tower but just change the wording.

I collect most Scottish Exhibition glass (also postcards, ceramics, booklets, coins) - mostly 1901, 1911 and 1938

As a Glaswegian it is my heritage and some pieces were passed down to me.

The rarest items show the Tower looming over local villages, they are harder to get and I have great conversations with a real collector about all the firms that made the items, many were not Scottish.
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: David555 on March 20, 2006, 01:48:26 AM: Quote
The wording around the edge is the same, but the centre is different, showing a building with a much smaller tower

It just occurred to me that the Scottish Pavilion pieces I have show the Pavilion with the Tower in the background - it is similar to the 'Tower of Empire' but the tower is smaller as it is further away ref perspective.

Adam P
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Bernard C on March 21, 2006, 01:47:53 PM: Adam — You will find full discussion of your American lacy/opalescent plates in the link at the start of this topic. I did not know that it came in different sizes.

The range that started this thread off is in flint, press-moulded with the design, and is illustrated in BGbtW. These were made by an unidentified British glassworks.

I now have both known types of this range in stock, as I bought the TOWER OF EMPIRE version that is illustrated in Dodsworth at Woking on Sunday.

Bernard C. 8)
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: Frank on March 21, 2006, 02:01:55 PM: I came across a catalogue of the 1938 exhibition, there is no mention of it being related to the 1888 one, more to do with the Wembley 1925 one. Although there is not a lot of text.
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 21, 2006, 02:03:05 PM: :D :? :D

The Oxfam shop where I worked had a 9-10" Glasgow 1938 Exhibition plate, in original box, which had gold paint on the back. The image was of a tower, but I don't know which one. We got £40 for it about 3 years ago. I never knew whether we got a fair price, an overinflated price, or whether we were done! I would be curious to find out...... Also, is the gold paint unusual?
Title: More souvenirs of the 1938 Empire Exhibition Glasgow
Post by: David555 on March 21, 2006, 02:42:35 PM: I missed that link Bernard - also the book reference.

Ah well - I must post some of my Scottish Exhibition tumblers, glasses, etc. in another thread some time - the older they are the more difficult it is to photograph the acid etched scenes.

Adam