Topic: crystal glassware

[clydeccb]

I have a set of crystal that I cannot Identify.  I think it is Edinburgh pattern but cannot find it.  If anyone knows the manufacturer and the pattern please advise.

[Paul S.]

hello and welcome to the GMB              Before we start ploughing through the Replacement sites, perhaps you might let us know which of those you have already looked at.                The pattern/design of your glass has an obvious similarity with the E & L Thistle design i.e. a bulbous body in the shape of a thistle etc., and I've had a quick look at the Edinburgh design of that name but wasn't aware of seeing it.
There are several internet sites that include varying quanitites of designs for this sort of thing.

[chopin-liszt]

Does the original Edinburgh Thistle design not have etched thistles on the clear part?
And is it not the case that there are two variations in this etching - ther earlier one being a bit more complex?

The glass shown in the drawing looks to be of a similar design to the old cut glass glasses I found in Dublin - two glasses of similar design, but the number of facets on vasious parts varied between the two. They were of different colours of glass too.

Umm, Paul,  you have those glasses - you can do a quicker comparison than I can! I think we at least can agree they are not Edinbugh Crystal although we never managed to pin anything to them here either.

[Paul S.]

sorry, Sue  -  those two glasses are buried in one of my garden sheds - and regret I didn't take pix before packing them away - could take weeks to find them.
However, looking at the Ed. Crystal patterns on the Replacements site.............they do have, as you say, wheel engraving, which this one doesn't  -  plus this one one has a knop which the Replacements pieces don't.............plus the slice cutting on this glass appears much more substantial than the Replacements example.

It may well be that other factories produced a 'thistle' design - not just Edinburgh Crystal.

[clydeccb]

I have sent email to Replacements, Ltd.  They could not Identify.  I have about 100 pieces of the pattern and I know they were purchased about 90 years ago.  Some of the pieces match the Edinburgh clear thistle design.  The ones with the pedestal are different.  I took digital pictures but they came out about 5 meg and won't reduce small enough to put on this forum.

[glassobsessed]

It would be helpful to see photos. There are lots of photo resizing websites that are simple enough to use, typing photo resize into google gives plenty of choice.

John

[Lustrousstone]

Resize your high-res photos by making the longest dimension 700 pixels; that should work

[Paul S.]

wish you success with your re-sizing.

I hope I get this next bit right...........correct me please if I'm at all wrong.

Assuming your glasses are the age you say, then the name 'Edinburgh Crystal' wasn't in fact part of the name of the company - but rather a description of the quality of the glass - in the same way we might speak of lead crystal glass, for example.       
The company name for pieces made during the period of which you speak would have been Edinburgh and Leith Flint Glass Works/Company - and it's just possible this may have some bearing on searching for this design...........possibly not, but just a thought.
It's a blindingly obvious question, but assume you've looked for a backstamp  -  would be on the underside of the foot, and for pre 1945 wares would have been in a roundel form showing upper case E & L inside the words Edinburgh Crystal.      Backstamps can be notoriously difficult to see, but since you have so many pieces, had these been marked you no doubt would see the mark on at least some of the glasses.

According to the company pattern books (I forget where they are now held - is it Waterford??) - the E. & L. Thistle design was designated as pattern H828, and appears to have a 24 point star base.
The 'Thistle' suite was apparently revived during the 1920 - seems always to have been on of the cornerstones of E & L designs - presumably Victorian in origin  -  and reading the booklet that was produced in 1984, seems there was a whole wine service developed in this pattern in the 1920's.
However, all this is of little value, since the booklet shows glasses without the knop, and confirms as we've discussed, the fact that engraving was applied above the slice cutting.

What is the extent of wear on your glasses  -  is there a ground/polished pontil depression - and have you looked carefully for a backstamp??
and assume they ring well when flicked.

You might try contacting Broadfield House Glass Museum.
Ref.   'The Story of Edinburgh Crystal'  -  H. W. Woodward  -  1984.

[clydeccb]

There is no marks that I can see.  It rings when snipped.  There is no wear on the glasses.  I have a few that are chipped which I know is worthless.  I don't think that she ever used them.  Kept in a china cabinet. 

[chopin-liszt]

I took photographs of the Edinburgh Thistle Set which is in the Museum at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - I believe these are Edinburgh and Leith rather than Edinburgh Crystal.
(Perhaps Lustrousstone will remember? This was when we were there for the amazing 400th Anniversary of Scottish Glassmaking Conference Frank (and others  ) organised.

They seem to be quite a different shape to the glass in question.