Topic: London Lampworkers

[Angela B]

For some time now I have been working on a book about "London Lampworkers in the 20th Century".  I have spoken to many people who worked as lampworkers or were related to people who were, but it occurs to me that there may be members of the GMB who were themselves lampworkers or who know people who were.
I've stretched my definition of London a bit, to include the South of England. So if anyone can help me with more information, or with pictures of their items or their studios or their artists that I can include in my book, I'd be really pleased to hear.  Bimini/Orplid and Pirelli are the two obvious ones, but there were many more little factories and studios that I know existed.
I hope some of you can help. It was a fascinating piece of history that I want to record.

[Mike M]

Hi

I guess the great Billy Swingewood just misses your scope -he seems to have produced almost exclusively for Thomas Goode in the West End of London but alas was based at Stevens and Willams (c1930s)

cheers

Mike

[Lustrousstone]

There was one in Dunster, Somerset, in the 1960s. A holiday treat was going down to peer at him working through the shop window.

[Oxbridge Fairs]

I have this really vague recollection of one who used to work in (I think) Southend, Essex. Christine jogged my memory - as kids, we used to watch him through the shop window. 

Christina.

[Angela B]

Thank you so much for that information. Does anyone have any photos of these shops where lampwork was being made?
I believe there was one in Brighton too.
And Billy Swingewood - was he doing lampwork for himself to sell or for S&W? How could I find out more about him?

[Mike M]

Bill (or Billy) Swingewood

was as far as I know a Steven and Williams Employee (probably the only lampworker working for a major UK glass works in the 30s)-there's not much on him printed

There's a few of his pieces on my selling website

Charles H's - book on British 20th Century glass, which is due out in a few months will have probably the first real mention of him -and yes it was Charles that told me about him

cheers

Mike

[Angela B]

Hi Mike,
Wow those are nice. I bit too much for me to spend just now though. Would it be possible to come and see them when I'm in the UK next month? Maybe take some pics for my book?
Best wishes
Angela

[Mike M]

Hi

Yes of course you can come take photos -I have a few more in my own collection -similar lampwork figures but with more interesting marks (the Thomas Goode link)

Email me when and where you will be and we'll sort something for sure

I'm SW London (if your train bound easy to get to from Waterloo)

Cheers

Mike

[Anne]

Angela, this topic may be of help too:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,9535.0.html

and about the Brighton lampworker, he was called Bill Axel and I have two pairs of his earrings as shown here: http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-230 and  http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-232 - there's a film of him working linked from this topic: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,20151.0.html 
 

[Angela B]

Sincere thanks, Anne and Mike. That is really helpful.
That's a great piece of film.
Does anybody know what happened to Mick Munns, who moved from London to Norfolk some years ago? He had a lampworking studio in Norfolk I believe.