Glass Message Board

Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Frank on September 21, 2005, 05:06:00 AM

Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: Frank on September 21, 2005, 05:06:00 AM
Hi Adam.

I would appreciate pics of any labelled Pirelli not yet in the catalogue. I find two views is the best way to show them.

It is interesting that interest in these animals is growing, seems to be at least half a dozen collectors now :P
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: David555 on September 21, 2005, 10:46:19 PM
Interest is so good that I sold a lot I wished I had kept

I will send along pics of animals I have along with photos of bits I have sold - I must also remember to send you photos of TP Young and Lanmara Glass (ref Scottish Glass website) as promised

Adam D555 :twisted:  :twisted:
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: Frank on September 22, 2005, 08:18:59 PM
Hi David

I look forward to those. It is interesting to see interest develop in a new area and if we are very lucky we may get some new info on Pirelli before long!
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: David555 on September 23, 2005, 02:36:59 AM
It is a good idea -

Frank has done a great deal along with others to research the relationship Pirelli Glass had with Vasart/Strathearn.

I think some of the glass and especially things like Vases, bowls & paperweight dishes with canes that Vasart/Strathearn did for Pirelli (label 'Pirelli Glass Hand Made in Scotland') as well as a whole raft of other glass connections between the two firms (Babycham products) are relevant on this Ysart message board.

OK so George Dunlop (Pirelli) became a partner in Vasart in 1956 (ref A Bowey) and had a huge influence - the foil Vasart label was designed along the same lines as the Pirelli one. Pirelli having been agents for Vasart since 1949 now had a bigger influence some interesting stuff was now made by Vasart for Pirelli (while Dunlop pushed the Vasart brand in its own right helping them to advertise more).

We need to discern what stuff as that seems to be a muddy period to me. OK he was a Vasart partner but he had a lot of stuff made with the 'Pirelli made in England' label - these were not made in Scotland by Vasart as Frank says on his site, things like the Guinness animals and the a lot of the other animals, to my knowledge were not made by Vasart, should we include research and pictures of those or is that going off topic. I mean George Dunlop had a finger in both pies and it could get a bit messy in the thread - just because he was agent/partner at Vasart does not mean that unrelated Pirelli fancy goods are part of the Vasart/Strathearn story.


They are lovely and I have some nice ones but Frank mentions the English companies that made them for Pirelli, unlike the Babycham stuff I don't think many fancy goods were sent up to Scotland to be finished.

Perhaps I am wrong and it should be a brainstorming type thread.

Still I would like to see as much info about items made in Scotland and sold through Pirelli as agent or made decorated specifically for Pirelli.

A Vasart Paperweight pin dish I sold a while back to a Pirelli collector who was convinced it would have been sold by Dunlop and had the 'Pirelli made in Scotland' sticker on as well??
(http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/vasart%20copy.jpg)

Adam D555 :twisted:  :twisted:
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: dreamticket2 on September 30, 2005, 08:15:14 PM
I have put some pics of my Pirelli Paperweight at

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dreamticket2/album?.dir=de82
 Hope this helps if you do not already have this.
I have been trying to get some decent pics of the canes for Richard Mores Smugmug Strathearn pages.
He has been very helpful to a learner!
Having great difficulty with a decent close up of some of the canes.
The glass of the dome seems to defract ? not sure if this is the right term
 :?
Did the glass blowers put another layer of clear glass over sometimes to raise the dome.
It isn't a crack more a layer. :?
 Any way the ?Vasart ? next to it  " came from the same place" according to the seller.
My camera is an old Sony floppy disc with an added second hand tele video lens from  a local second hand camera dealer! .It hasn't been the same since I had to send it to be repaired after a floppy disc left its metal bit inside!
Any one recommend a reasonably priced digital camera  for real close ups appreciated.
Thanks for looking
Jean :)
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: KevinH on October 01, 2005, 12:49:06 AM
Jean,

It is often the case that close up images of canes in Vasart / Strathearn weights [and many others, too] are difficult to achieve. A major reason is striations ("wreathing") in the glass, which cause the effect you mention when looked at in close detail. Another reason for poor viewing of canes is that small areas of air bubbles can occur over individual canes. Aslo, tiny stress cracks can occur over and around canes during the final cooling process.

Your point about putting another layer of glass over the dome is spot on. Generally, after picking up the canes on the initial gather of clear glass (or on the coloured layer) another gather of clear is added and the whole is worked into the dome shape. In some cases, two or even three layers of clear can be detected within the dome.

Sometimes, it is possible to get a reasonable photo of a cane (or a small group of canes) by moving or tilting the camera slightly and accepting that the image will not be a full "head-on" view. Another thing to try is to place the weight in water that just covers the dome and to see if this helps to bring out the cane details - occasionally it will do so.

The other weight you show is certainly either a Vasart or Strathearn. And, just like the first weight, even if it had a Pirelli label on it, it would still be Vasart or Strathearn. The Pirelli label was just an indication of where it was marketed, not where it was made.

As for digital cameras providing good close up facilty, most modern cameras in the "medium" price bracket (and always cheaper in the US than in the UK!) will now provide multi-megapixel images [of a physical screen size that Bernard once aptly described as showing up in his neighbours room]. This means that you do not really have to get too close for a good sized image of small detail. Just take a photo of, say, a quarter section of the weight and most of the canes in that image will be large enough and of good enough quality for the purpose you need.

However, when I first started cane photography, I was using a Nicon Coolpix with a "macro" focus distance of about 10 cm and "only" 3 megapixel resolution. To get better "macro" results, rather than spend £200 on a Nicon macro attachment, I bought a compbined 3x / 5x magnifyer from a stamp collecting / model making shop and placed this over the front of the lens. With the Nicon, the camera lens was inset within a screw thread, and therefore the magnifyer lense woudl not cause any damage. By trying the 3x and 5x separately and in conjunction (giving 8x), I could obtain very good close ups of most canes. And the magnifyer only cost me £5. I still use this setup today, albeit with a later 4 megapixel version of the Coolpix, when my latest 6 megapixel digital SLR with all the specialised lenses and so forth fails to give the result I want!
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: Anonymous on October 01, 2005, 09:17:55 AM
Thnk you kev
Glad I am not the only one using 'necessity is the mother of invention' techniques!!
Much apprecaite your input - at least with a digital one does not have to wait for the developing/ printing these days to find one good out  roll of film.
Thanks for looking
Jean
dreamticket2-  forgot to sign in
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: David555 on October 03, 2005, 10:39:46 PM
"It's what you do with the photo after that often has the greatest effect"

The picture (see above Vasart Pin Dish) I took was with an old digital camera 4m pix (inter) but only digital zoom

I used to use a magnifying glass to great effect for detail even with this and it was a digital - the macro was rubbish

Now I have Fuji fine pix thing that has 8X (+) optical zoom - with detailed intricate images like canes it can have trouble if the light is not exactly right - the optical zoom is not important really it is the quality of the macro setting - its no good to use macro under false light conditions as a shake occurs no matter how bright the light and flash which solves the problem turns everything dark and blasts the image with flash light (it has 6 flash settings all useless really)

What I do is set object up on a white table in broad daylight on a Perspex stand (sometimes outside in garden is good LOL) - it is best after 1.00pm ref shadows - this natural light allows me to get close in at 6m pix on macro without any shake (a little hand comes up to tell you if you have shake)

I think after in Adobe is where the work really starts - some people use other software but I think Adobe is so good - I can cut away and increase size of an image part and reduce pixel size without losing integrity

It would be good to set up a post with peoples experiences on how to photo well and keep image size down (this is good so that Jpegs images can be easily uploaded) - especially by using the software I mentioned - often bundled software is limited - I need to use saturation effects and contrast to get a definitive image sometimes as digi photos don't always tell the truth

Adam D555 :twisted:  :twisted:
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: RAY on October 03, 2005, 10:53:10 PM
Adam a good tip, cover the flash with white paper when taking close ups.

with white paper over the flash as below

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/yorkshirebob/5bdb8cc0.jpg)
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: Anonymous on October 04, 2005, 09:20:09 PM
Thank you for your suggestions.
I found that our local Pound Empire has a Blackspur 110mm folding magnifier
one pound did not break the bank! so I am going to experiment with the white paper or if the weather permits outside.
The canes on the pirelli labelled PWT are not set as evenly as later ones which does not help.
I am using Paintshop pro 8.1 and have tried Ulead. the Adobe I have is Adobe photoshop v 3 .
Trouble is you get used to using one programme.
best wishes
Jean
dreamticket2
Title: Pirelli - Split from Babycham glasses topic
Post by: David555 on October 05, 2005, 09:55:37 PM
The white paper thing works

Thanks Ray - that allows for nightime photos using false light and flash - I need to set my flash to setting 4 and use 80gm paper

Ray ... I can tell you are really good in the editing department though - excellent photo alignment, clipping and pixel size just right for a post such as this 8)

Adam D555 :twisted:  :twisted: