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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: glasswizard on May 07, 2006, 04:39:55 PM

Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: glasswizard on May 07, 2006, 04:39:55 PM
A very nice person got this for me for my birthday. Such a lovely present and I am thrilled with it.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/Muscadale/RoyalBrierley.jpg Mod: link dead

My question would be, when was this made. I really know nothing about Royal Brierley, but would put this with my best studio art glass. Terry
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Glen on May 07, 2006, 05:03:58 PM
I have its twin, Terry. And several others in different colours and shapes. They were purchased during the mid 1990s.

I love them all - beautiful objects.

Glen
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pip on May 07, 2006, 05:09:35 PM
Hey that's a coincidence, I bought a piece of blue Royal Brierley today and was going to post a picture here this evening.  I'll do it anyway and post it here in this thread if that's OK with the originator?
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: glasswizard on May 07, 2006, 07:06:00 PM
Pip, please post yours, I wanna see. Thanks Glen for the date info, bet yours are spectacular. Terry
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Glen on May 07, 2006, 07:18:33 PM
All but one of my vases are marked with the label ROYAL BRIERLEY Art Glass. The script Royal Brierley is in blue. One other vase has the label like Terry's (red script) and it says Handmade in Britain.

I have three in the same shape as yours, Terry. The red one, also a bright cobalt blue and a dark, almost black colour.

Then I have the same bulbous shape, but in a tiny little vase (three colours - bright red, darker crimson and blue).

The other shape is the amphora - in two sizes and three colours

Are all iridised. They're all rather special to me as they were bought by my daughter over a number of years.  :oops:

Glen
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: paradisetrader on May 07, 2006, 07:34:21 PM
Any chance of pics Glen ?

There's a iridescent atomiser shown at great Glass signed Royal Brierley Studio and dated as c 1970s
#7287 near the bottom of page http://www.great-glass.co.uk/library/lib2aa.htm

I sold an unsigned one of these ....at least it looked the same from this photo. From  memory it had a similar jagged edge pattern of irridescence to Terry's piece.

About half way down on the same page at Great Glass there's a signed Royal Brierley Studio iridescent flower-bowl c 1980.

I'm just wondering about the significant of the signatures and the "Studio" appelation.
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pip on May 07, 2006, 07:47:49 PM
Here you go Terry - it's 8.5in/22cm tall, has the same surface pattern as yours and is etched to the base with 'Royal Brierley Studio'.  It does unfortunately have a small dink to the rim but I'm not hugely bothered it looks lovely on display...

http://tinypic.com/xelvzo.jpg
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: whitefriars 007 on May 08, 2006, 08:26:48 AM
Link showing a brief history of Royal Brierley glass

http://www.glassencyclopedia.com/brierleyglass.html

Regards
Trudy
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: vidfletch on May 08, 2006, 08:34:40 AM
This below is the only info I have ever found.

Royal Brierley Studio glass was set up by Catherine Hough around 1978 in an attempt by Royal Brierley to appeal to new buyers who shunned the traditional cut crystal. It lasted until around 1982.

Hope this helps.

Vidfletch
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pat on July 09, 2006, 02:51:24 PM
I believe the unsigned pieces to be factory seconds.
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Glen on July 09, 2006, 03:22:46 PM
My vases were all bought in "posh" shops in Brighton. They all came "officially" boxed and with the Royal Brierley sticker on plus the Royal Brierley info-brochure.

IMHO none of them are factory seconds.

Glen
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pat on July 09, 2006, 03:49:39 PM
Sorry Glen I wasn't intimating yours were but answering something Pip asked about signatures. I guess I'm wrong. I've had some of these unsigned that were perfect in every sense and also some unsigned ones with a few small 'lumps and bumps'. It wqs just something that someone once led me to believe. No offence meant.

Pat
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Glen on July 09, 2006, 03:57:23 PM
Hi Pat - that's OK  :D I just wanted to note that I am sure my vases weren't seconds. (My dear daughter bought them for me over several years while she was at Sussex Uni. Christmas, birthday, Mother's Day - every chance she got, she would buy me a different iridised vase as she knew how much I loved them. I know they cost her a lot, and I know where she bought them from, which is why I am sure they were good quality retail goods).

Mine were bought in the 1990s. Possibly earlier versions were signed, and the later ones just had the sticker. Just a thought, could be wrong.

Glen
Title: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pat on July 09, 2006, 04:06:17 PM
Actually Glen I think you may have hit the nail on the head. I saw some for sale in a 'posh' gift shop on hols in the late 90's and they all had labels but I did not check for signatures! That's a real possibility.
Title: Re: Royal Brierley Studio
Post by: catshome on January 26, 2007, 01:31:34 PM
I am covered in confusion after trying to get to the bottom of the Royal Brierley Studio story, so I thought I'd post to this to bump it and see if anyone has anything new since July.

I bought this piece which started my research :

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/albums/userpics/10086/smallerDSCN0531.jpg

marked on the bottom "Royal Brierley Studio".

After searching the GMB, I'd read David's comment about production between 1978 -1982, and Glen's note that his pieces were bought from shops in the 1990s, and I'd found Trudy's link to info about Royal Brierley, which showed a picture of a similar piece to mine and said it was made after 2000.

It's going to be staying in the collection for a while so it doesn't matter too much, but it would be good to know a bit more if anyone knows any more?

Thank you
Cat
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: chopin-liszt on January 26, 2007, 01:41:31 PM
 ;D ??? ;D
You could try contacting Isle of Wight Studio Glass about this.
Something at the back of my brain, which is not working at it's best at the moment, tells me this one posted by catshome was one, or very, very like one, designed by Timothy Harris for RB.
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Andy on January 26, 2007, 01:45:31 PM
I love these royal Brierley items, as does almost everyone who sees them, i would think a good
investment for the future!
I do remember having one that had such a faint signature lost in the pattern, you really had to look
hard to see it, fidling with the light etc.so maybe the ones without signatures mentioned earlier,
were just faint and hard to see?
 Andy
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pip on January 26, 2007, 02:06:16 PM
Good point Andy - certainly the signature on mine was very indistinct and, as you said, almost lost in the pattern. I had to look very hard to find it.
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Glassic on January 26, 2007, 10:37:54 PM
I will try and find out if David or Simon have any plans for a follow up to The Crystal Years.
Or, if any information has been lodged anywhere. Might take a while.   ::)
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: nigel benson on January 27, 2007, 01:26:12 PM
Hello,

I am loathe to quote Andy McConnell's "Miller's 20th Century Glass" as I have found so many incorrect dates referenced over a number of areas of glass, but he says, on page 48, where there is an illustration, that these "Studio" pieces were originally produced by Royal Brierley C1978.

At least this is consistant with what Vidfletch found.

On a quick skip through books and the net this is all I could find currently.

Nigel
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: nigel benson on January 27, 2007, 05:51:34 PM
Hello again,

I have some fresh information regarding the Studio at Royal Brierley and the items marked "Royal Brierley Studio".

According to Jeanette Hayhurst, when discussing this topic with her earlier this afternoon, the two things are not synonimous with each other.

Catherine Hough is believed (from memory) to have had a hand in setting up the Studio in which glass was made, but it was other makers that worked there and not Catherine. Jane Beebe was mentioned at this point as having worked there - amongst others.

The range of wares that have an irridised finish over red or blue and that have been referred to from time-to-time as Loetz-alike were made seperately by the company, Royal Brierley, in an effort to modernise production and as an answer to the work of Studio factories such as Isle of Wight. She also recalled that they commissioned Michael Harris to design these pieces :o. (See also Sue's comment about Timothy Harris above).

Jeanette and Charles Hajdamach saw this "Studio" range introduced at the Birmingham Trade Fair in the mid 1980's (1986 was mentioned first, followed by a thought about why it could well have been 1985 on a journey up to Stourbridge to view the Cyril Manley Sale).

Bearing in mind that this is a series of memories, albeit from a reliable source, I feel that this information should be regarded as a starting point to be proved rather than taken as fact at this point in time.

Nigel
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Pip on January 27, 2007, 05:59:39 PM
Jeanette and Charles Hajdamach saw this "Studio" range introduced at the Birmingham Trade Fair in the mid 1980's (1986 was mentioned first, followed by a thought about why it could well have been 1985 on a journey up to Stourbridge to view the Cyril Manley Sale).

Hello Nigel, for what it's worth, when I researched my blue RBS vase for selling on (photo linked earlier on in this thread) the date that came up in my delving was 'the mid 1980's' - unfortunately, I don't have my sources to hand since I sold this quite a few months ago now but your 1985 date sounds better to me than the initial 1978 suggested.
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: MarkHill on January 29, 2007, 02:03:56 PM
Hi All,

Nigel and Jeanette are, of course, quite right - not that a fresh-faced newbie such as me would question their experience, expertise and research anyway!

The Studio at RB and the RB Studio Range are different things, the former later than the latter I believe. I know nothing about the former, but can help with the latter.

It was indeed Michael Harris who designed the Royal Brierley Studio range - the iridescent ranges produced in a deep blue/black, pink, and clear/white, which have an acid stamp to the base. I recall being told that the darkest range was called something like 'Shadow Wave', but I may have mis-remembered the name. I've seen baluster and globe-ish vases in different sizes and shapes, table centrepiece type fruit bowls, and half a million perfume atomisers!

The range was based on designs from a range designed by MH and in production at Isle of White Studio Glass at the time - Ribbons, Lace, Silk & Satin. The specific designs used were Silk & Lace. I need to check exactly which one as I believe that there was some confusion as to which exact design was called Silk, Satin or Lace when I was doing my research with the Harrises. I will get back to you on this one as I know I now have the right piece of paper at home, ie; a recently discovered original sales flyer showing the three designs, each with their correct name. It was particularly the finish, iridescence and colours of the base glass that were used for RB's range.

As Nigel says, RB were modernising, but also wanted to take advantage of the rising interest in handmade 'Studio' glass. They needed something that could be produced at their Tipton plant mechanically and efficiently (often using moulds already in existence, for example light fittings) but gave the visual impression of being handmade.

I have seen a very exciting large globe vase, in a colour and pattern very close to the darkest Studio range colourway, that is signed 'TMH 86 C' of similar - for 'Copyright Timothy Mark Harris 1986'. This was made at IOWSG and has been confirmed by Timothy Harris as the sample/prototype piece he made with his father for presentation to RB. This of course also helps us with a date - 1986. I also know that a Ltd company was founded in 1988 to primarily handle income/documents from RB, further pinning dates down. All of this is in my book, specifically pp67 and 112-113, and I'll also be including 1 page on the glass in next year's 'DK Collectables Price Guide 2008 by Judith Miller' and I, due for release in early Autumn this year.

However, try as I might, I could not find any other related documents anywhere. The Harris archive sadly does not appear to contain anything else - I used what was there and what Elizabeth and Timothy Harris remembered. Maybe I contacted and visited the wrong people at RB - who knows? I'd love to have seen a catalogue, for example, for range names and shapes produced at the very least. If RB produced a catalogue each year, these would of course show when the range came in and was withdrawn, and how it was marketed.
Hope this helps confirm things a little more - plenty more work to be done on this one tho!!
All the best,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com


Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: sph@ngw on January 30, 2007, 05:20:26 PM
sadly I've been in this industry long enough and am old enough to remember Colonel Reggie Williams -Thomas and his son David launching Studio Glass. "We felt that we should have a more creative side to Royal Brierley and encourage young designers like Catherine to make someting a bit more modern"
Sadly it was the right idea but too soon and not followed through. "The Studio Movement" really got under way in the mid 1980's and this initiative fell foul of the early Eighties recession and when I next asked about it at a meeting I was told "Oh, you know these artists, rather temperamental!We've closed that!"
But a second try was made in the eary Nineties, I also recall and have two white Royal Brierley Studio vases, one plain and one with a flower transfer on it(!) It makes me laugh each time I see it!
when one sees some of the marvellous Studio pieces that sister company Stevens and Williams made......some as good as Whitefriars at its best inmho! ;)
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Frank on November 15, 2012, 02:34:05 PM
Unclear in this thread with conflicting statements.... But I get period 1 1978-1982 and period to later 80s or even 90s to ??? And which period did MH design for?
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 10, 2013, 04:52:34 PM
Been trying to dig up more on RB'y studio,so far not much,Catherine Hough answered me saying that after setting up in 1978 she did her own 'thing' then moved on and presumed the studio closed so had no more information.I did have a very interesting phone call from Arlon Bayliss,ma,RCA (Professor at Anderson University,Indianapolis )
who was senior lecturer at Stourbridge college of art,he told me about the Harris family,numerous other glassworkers inc' Jane Beebe,Jill Devine and Bill Davies.
    He worked with David Williams when the 'Foundry'  studio was set up using old equipment from the Stevens & Williams factory,1983,spent 10 years,I think he said,designing for Rosenthal then moved to the States.
      I'm still waiting to hear from a few other sources,if anything new comes to light....I'll be back ! 8) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 10, 2013, 05:10:21 PM
I'm wishing you all the best of good fortune getting this all sorted and worked out Keith.  8)
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 10, 2013, 07:25:12 PM
Thanks Sue,it's really hard finding anything considering how recent it was, ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 10, 2013, 07:40:09 PM
Mdina was the same, in 2000.
No info. anywhere, until Lesley Jackson made a mention of it in the Isle of Wight section of "20th Century factory Glass"(published in 2000)
I found one b&w thumbnail image in an ancient Miller's guide.
And it was not a typical piece.

Folk do not realise they are making history as they are working - nothing gets written down... ::)
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 10, 2013, 11:18:28 PM
I might put  a letter in the local paper,Black Country Bugle,and ask if any of the readers worked there or know of anyone that did,I've seen this work before so I'll give it a go,who knows what might turn up, ::) ::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: flying free on October 11, 2013, 12:18:12 AM
I'll have a look through my studio glass books tomorrow (limited supply of) and see if there is any mention of connections with RB anywhere.
I'll let you know.

btw - are the Stevens and Williams archives privately owned by someone does anyone know?

m
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: flying free on October 11, 2013, 03:14:47 PM
so far no mentions that would provide a link. I have another to look at (will actually have to read it though as no index lol) but there is a lot in there about people at Stourbridge. Will come back when I've had a check.
Have you come across the perfume bottle page 426 Charles Hajdamach 20th Century British Glass - Catherine Hough 1978 at Royal Brierley Crystal.  It's gorgeous!  but nothing like the iridescent bits and pieces.
m
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 12, 2013, 12:28:19 PM
Thanks for looking m, been all through 20th CBG,saw the perfume bottle,still waiting to hear from a few others that were there at the time,I've even contacted Dartington to see if they kept any records when they took over RB'y,still waiting, ::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: flying free on October 12, 2013, 01:54:46 PM
Have you contacted Keith Cummings at University of Wolverhampton?
He might be able to help you.

Just going back to what Mark Hill said earlier in the thread and Frank's earlier comment about dates.
 -
It seems there are two 'Studios' associated with Royal Brierley
The one associated with these iridescent pieces is Royal Brierley Studio range which Michael Harris was involved in and apparently has a start date of 1986
http://www.millersantiquesguide.com/articles/royalbrierleystudio/

Some pictures here that are show the similarities between the IOW glass version and Royal Brierley Studio range version
http://iowstudioglass.wikidot.com/lace

The other is the Studio at Royal Brierley which I believe was started up in the late 70's ?
I think Catherine Hough's perfume will belong to this one (perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it?)
There was an International conference and workshop held at the RCA in 1976 entitled 'Working with Hot Glass'.  Perhaps Royal Brierley decided after that to try and set up the Studio at Royal Brierley? 

I can't find anything in my book that talks about Royal Brierley though. 
Jane Beebe is mentioned but no mention of that as far as I can see.

There is mention of 'the late Colin Gill, a factory trained glass maker from the Midlands who taught at the Brierley Hill Glass Centre' and it says he provided 'valuable instruction at Cowdy Glass Workshop in Newent'.
It might be worth trying to contact someone from Cowdy Glass to see what is remembered of the Studio at Royal Brierley.

Darrell Greenhalgh from what the book says, was at Brierley Hill Glass Centre in the mid 80's from what I can deduce.  He may be another contact who might have information on Royal Brierley Studio range perhaps since it was launched at a similar time?

Nothing mentioned in my other book  that could even help as a lead - sorry.

m
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 12, 2013, 05:02:29 PM
Thanks  m,seen the links to the Mark hill stuff,still waiting for a reply from J.Beebe will certainly try Keith Cummings and Darrell Greenhalgh,might even try Timothy Harris, ;D ;D ;D,thanks again for looking, ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 14, 2013, 06:03:47 PM
Heard from Dartington,they said " A substantial amount of archive material was sold off by the receiver to obtain cash"  so where it is now?they also suggested contacting Andy Mc Connel and Mark Hill,next on my list I think!
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 22, 2013, 01:57:38 PM
Way back in these posts someone mentioned a 'funny little vase' with flowers,guess what I just picked up ?
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: flying free on October 05, 2014, 11:27:26 PM
No idea when this piece was written but was written by Catherine Hough for Plymouth College of Art and entitled
'Catherine Hough
A Personal View of the Development of Studio Glass in the UK'
Within that piece there is a paragraph (third one down on first page) that mentions Catherine being Artist in Residence for two years at Royal Brierley Crystal:

'Royal Brierley Crystal
As a furnace in the early 70’s was basically a box of bricks with a burner in the side glass
quality varied enormously. (See Ray Flavell’s 1974 book ‘Studio Glassmaking’.) For the
cutting, enamelling and electro-plating that I was experimenting with on my blown forms
this was not entirely helpful, so Keith arranged for me to use a spare bench at Royal
Brierley when they did an over- time shift from 6 till 9 on Saturday mornings. This lead
to a fascinating two year stint at the factory as an artist in residence after finishing
college and ...'

http://makingfutures.plymouthart.ac.uk/journalvol2/pdf/Hough_Catherine.pdf

m
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on October 05, 2014, 11:53:58 PM
Hello m, hadn't seen that, I'm still working at this and still waiting for a number of replies including one from someone who worked there for the final ten years and actually 'turned off the lights' when they closed down. The article I did for the local paper generated absolutely nothing so I might post them a few letters asking if any readers worked there or know of anyone that did, been at this nearly a year now, must try harder!  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on December 16, 2015, 04:08:48 PM
Just to add to these posts, it seems that the 'Studio' range started as Mark Hill said sometime during 1986 or just after and finished in 1999/2000. I recently had an email from the man who ran Royal Brierley after Epsom Enterprises and prior to the Dartington buy out, he said although they had some old stock of 'Studio' ware none was made while he was there, so that's the sum of around 2 years research, not really a book in it yet  ::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: Anne on July 09, 2017, 04:19:44 PM
Just adding link to Keith's article for reference: http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/touch-glass-royal-brierley-crystal-memories/story-21185832-detail/story.html
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on July 09, 2017, 05:34:05 PM
Once again ta very much  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: flying free on July 09, 2017, 05:59:17 PM
I hope it is also ok to add a link to this thread which is about the dates the name of the company changed?

The information was posted in early 2016:

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,58263.msg330146.html#msg330146


Title: Re: Royal Brierley
Post by: keith on July 09, 2017, 08:13:10 PM
All info' welcome, thanks M  ;D