Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. > British & Irish Glass

Art Deco Pressed Glass Vase? ID: Sowerby, Hermes Vase

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Glen:
Why do some pieces have a maker's mark and others don't?

So many possible reasons, and even then we probably don't have them all. Mostly (on pressed glass) the maker's mark would be on the base. This would have been simple to do (and not expensive) - but sometimes the base plate used, was not marked. And sometimes it was. Northwood in the USA is a good example here.

Then again, sometimes it would have been tricky to find a place for the trademark. Some patterns and shapes are not conducive to the inclusion of a trademark.

Bernard mentioned US glass makers possibly copying UK glass makers. Ahem - quite a few examples of exactly the opposite. Sowerby ripped off a well known Imperial (USA) design and plonked it on several of their own Sowerby patterns. Plagiarism was going on right, left and centre.

Glen

Bernard C:

--- Quote from: "I" ---... there were many reasons for not marking British glass ...
--- End quote ---


Glen — Plagiarism by British glassworks is certainly not a reason for not marking British glass.   Like the US glassworks, they seem to have enthusiastically copied foreign designs, presumably because litigation was unlikely, although we know of several examples of British glassworks copying each others' products.


--- Quote from: "You" ---Bernard mentioned US glass makers possibly copying UK glass makers.
--- End quote ---


I did not use the word "possibly", I stated it as a fact.    Please disagree with me, or correct an error, but I would be grateful not to be misquoted, as I generally choose my words very carefully.


--- Quote from: "On August 31, 2005, on a different online glass discussion forum, I" ---... they [Walsh] appear to have had an excellent understanding of the US market.   I believe they accepted that the better of their designs would be copied, and that there was no way of protecting them.   An example is Opaline Brocade, which was copied by Northwood within a year of its launch by Walsh.   Incidentally it happened equally in the other direction, for example, the famous Edward Bolton "Grace Darling" boat is an almost exact copy of the Hobbs 101 Yacht Celery.   This had a major impact on Walsh in that I believe it explains why so few of their registered designs were marked (almost an open invitation to copy), and also their marketing approach to the US, which appears to have been to send over a large shipment to their agents, and then start all over again with completely new designs.   I can find no other obvious business reason for the constant and amazing innovative drive at the Walsh glassworks. ...
--- End quote ---


As you can see, Glen, I am even-handed when the debate warrants it.

Bernard C.  8)

Glen:
I think the name is one of these interchangeable "aka"s. Some poeple know it by the name "Hermes" and some people know it by the name "Mercury". You can find it referred to by both names - and they are both correct. My understanding is that it was known as the "Hermes Vase" at Sowerby's.

Glen

Glen:
Bernard - I should have hit the quote button rather than relied on my understanding of what you said.

1.
Bernard wrote:


--- Quote ---You wrote:
Bernard mentioned US glass makers possibly copying UK glass makers.

I did not use the word "possibly", I stated it as a fact. Please disagree with me, or correct an error, but I would be grateful not to be misquoted, as I generally choose my words very carefully.
--- End quote ---

Yes of course British designs etc., were copied. Vice versa too. No dispute from me on that fact. That is precisely what I was writing about - plagiarism.

What you actually wrote Bernard was:


--- Quote ---because it would have been an open invitation to US glassworks to copy exported glass had it been readily identifiable as such (litigation between US glassworks was costly and unpredictable — the Atlantic made it impossible),
--- End quote ---


Actually Bernard I didn't "misquote" you 'cos I wasn't "quoting" you. But I certainly will be much more careful in future.

2.
Bernard wrote:

--- Quote ---Glen — Plagiarism by British glassworks is certainly not a reason for not marking British glass
--- End quote ---


I didn't say that plagiarism was a reason for not marking glass. You are attributing words to me that I did not say, Bernard. I was simply adding what I felt was an interesting point about plagiarism.

Glen

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