Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. > British & Irish Glass
Who are the important British Domestic Glass designers of the 20th century?
Frank:
From British Glass Betwen the Wars - Drinkware, tableware. Excluded decorative. n.b. Nationality not indicated.
4. H.J. Powell (BGBtW p53)
5. Gordon Russell (BGBtW p54) knighthood in 1955 for services to design.
6. Walter Gilbert (BGBtW p66)
7. Clyne Farquharson (BGBtW p67)
8. Alexander H. Williamson (BGBtW p79)
9. Reginald Gooden (BGBtW p81)
10. Raymond McGrath with Elizabeth Craig (BGBtW p82)
11. Homery Folkes (BGBtW p87)
12. Ernest Procter (BGBtW p93)
13. Dod Procter (BGBtW p93)
14. Laura Knight (BGBtW p94)
15. Eric Ravilious (BGBtW p94)
16. Gordon Forsyth (BGBtW p95)
17. Paul Nash (BGBtW p96)
18. Herbert Webb (BGBtW p100)
19. Keith Murray (BGBtW p89+ p102)
20. W J Wilson (BGBtW p102)
What about glass designed by companies like Jules Lang and Clayton Mayers, who had the glass made overseas?
Of course, only Keith Murray was mentioned as an 'important designer' but then important is a somewhat vague term as it is often a value judgement. Perhaps he was inspired by Dod and Ernest Procter which presumably would make them important. FOOTNOTE - No chance, they were painters so probably only decorated the pieces in the Harrods Exhibition.
I potentially regard Raymond McGrath and his collaboration with Elizabeth Craig to be of great importance as his products might prove to be amongst the most commonly used and made in the largest volumes - but also because this was a collaboration of an end user and designer. FOOTNOTE Except he was an Australian ::)
aa:
I think it would be a good idea to define what is meant by "domestic glass" in this context. Maybe Stephen should elucidate!
In one of Frank's posts above, he seemed to be suggesting that for the purpose of this discussion a vase is not "domestic", but that bottles are. So would that be wine bottles or bleach bottles? And perfume bottles, or is perfume not domestic? Is there a difference between a perfume bottle that is used for packaging perfume, which may or may not be decorative depending on the imagination of the manufacturer of the perfume, coupled with the profile of the target market, and a perfume bottle that is designed to be used for decanting perfume or would that be decorative and therefore non-domestic?
Also, if we are to exclude decorative designers, should we also disregard domestic glass that is too decorative, or that has decorative qualities?
What about that 20th century icon, the ashtray? Is there a distinction between a domestic ashtray and a non-domestic one - ie, one produced say for pubs and restaurants?
Not entirely tongue-in cheek......
;) :) ;D
Frank:
--- Quote from: aa on October 17, 2007, 10:15:22 PM ---Not entirely tongue-in cheek......
--- End quote ---
Tut Adam! Nigel said it was an unambiguous question so we should accept that is the case and thus it relates to native designers of glassware designed for use in the home. That does, I suppose, answer my question about glass made abroad and with a company as the designer - clearly included as only designer nationality is stipulated.
Non-domestic ashtrays, ie advertising, hotel and bar ware, are excluded, my list did include at least one ashtray designer!
Perfumes are in my opinion mostly giftware, so excluded - who decants in this day and age when the container is of more importance than the contents! Yet in the past people could have taken their own suite of bottles to the perfumier for filling. Of course if perfumes are felt to be in we can include some Caithness designers - who are currently excluded.
Wine bottles are included in bottles and food containers, but while I can probably think of decoration designers finding who were the designers of bottles will be impossible. I would expect that the majority of domestic glassware, at least Post WW2, is designed by packaging companies design department. Advertising agencies are also designers of domestic packaging too but it can be almost impossible to work out who did what - unless, presumably, you trawl through archives of Packaging and Advertising trade journals.
Mostly only the designers of 'show pieces' or glass made for collectors are ever taken notice of - so it is good that an effort is being made to uncover the people and organisations that made the glass useable.
I still think that it would be beneficial to include non-Brits here - even if that goes beyond Stephens needs - due to the wide community we serve and also because many important design innovations were made by non-British nationals. It is also not always easy to determine the nationality of an individual as usually it is not a part of a mention of their name as designer. While Australian McGrath may have been an important designer of British Pyrex, there are many Pyrex designs that are American designs.
nigel benson:
Hello,
"Nigel said it was an unambiguous question "
No, Frank I did not.
I said that I did not find it so. A little accuracy please.
I have proferred a few thoughts that I believed might help, sadly they appear not to have done :(. Never mind, let us wait for Stephen to pop by.
Nigel
PS. The group of us who went to help at the Museum yesterday felt the day was well spent and had a very enjoyable time handling and discussing the exhibits in the Nazeing room whilst giving the Nazeing collection a bit of an overhaul. Quite a privilege! I hope it was a help to Stephen.
Frank:
--- Quote from: nigel benson on October 19, 2007, 09:30:31 AM ---Quite a privilege!
--- End quote ---
Indeed, lucky you!
As to the other, so you do think it is ambiguous? Confused :huh:
Can anyone else add more names? The list as is, is almost empty of pre WW1 and poor after WW11
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