Topic: Large uranium glass refrigerator(?) tray

[Anne E.B.]

This caught my eye because of its colour, which is pretty amazing.  It glows under a U.V. light.  I think it might be a refrigerator tray but I'm not too sure.  The ridges inside and the fact that it has a rim which would allow a lid to be placed on top makes me believe this could be so.  Its a big beast measuring 13"x9"x2" and weighs almost 2kg.  I'm wondering if Bagley or Jobling could have made it, or it could have been made on mainland Europe for the British market?  It has DO NOT CLEAN WITH HOT WATER impressed as shown, along with the letter S at the end of one of its raised ridges.  The sides are stippled. 

I compared it colourwise to a Jobling uranium glass bowl, but the tray is more yellowish whereas the Jobling is more blueish.  I don't think I could use it in the fridge if that's what it turns out to be.  Its way too bulky and the fact that its uranium glass makes me a little nervous.  Not quite sure what to do with it yet  

Any thoughts on what it was designed for and where it came from would be much appreciated.

[pamela]

Hi Anne, photograph developing process perhaps?   

[Anne E.B.]

That's a good thought Pamela   Thanks for getting back so quickly.  Its quite heavy, so wouldn't be easy to knock over and spill chemicals in a dark room and it might fluoresce under one of those dark room bulbs , making it even safer to work with too.  I could see that working
May be some photographer glassie might know for sure

[David E]

I did wonder about a refrigerator drip tray, but a developing tray needing steeper sides might be right. If so, then it could take up to 12x8in (30x20cm) photo paper (can you give internal dimensions, Anne?)

However, if the red lamp did make it fluoresce then I would have thought this would have an adverse effect on the print?

[Paul S.]

fans of black lights may be aware that there was a methof of shielding u.v. elements (in bulbs or strips) by coating the envelope with a very dark colour, and result was something called 'Woods Glass'   -  I've not checked any of this on the web - just going from memory from my days of entomology when the u.v. part was used to collect moths.
The u.v. part would of course light up the working area of the tray, but would appear to the worker as a very dim, but probably workable ambient light.
Unless the photographers out there think this also would wreck the print.                                Just a thought.

[David E]

Update:
Anne, is there any small embossed marking anywhere that starts 1D or 2D followed by three numbers?

Chance made drip trays for several fridge companies, but I'm sure they would have been clear glass post-1945. Chance did use uranium glass in the 1930s. The company also made clear fridge boxes (styled on Wagenfeld's Bahaus), right into the 1950s. Its customers were Electrolux, Coldair, Fridgaire,

Annoyingly, there are some missing dimensions given from the order book (most pressed-glass items were shown with dimensions, and some with tolerances up to ¹/64in - about 0.40mm), however, those given are:

Fridgaire: 12½ x 7½ x 1½ (quite close - perhaps internal dimensions?) = 1D053
Fridgaire: 13.2 x 8.19 x 1.9 = 1D054
Electrolux: 11¼ x 7½ x 1¹¹/16 = 1D055 (oh, don't you just love the old Imperial measurement? 
Express: no dimensions, but "Ribbed and Lettered" = 1D061
Coldair: too large, but a "Ribbed Bottom" = 1D065 & 1D066

Now, while these would almost certainly have been clear after 1945, it is entirely possible that one of the companies specified a green glass in the 1930s. Quite possible that the old moulds were used from then as well.

The largest I found, BTW, is 24 x 12 x 1½! Prob. not one for the fridge...

[chopin-liszt]

Any fluoresence would affect the print - it is photons given off.

Just think about how hard it is to photograph something which is fluorescing madly - it goes all fuzzy. 

(I have done a fair bit of dark-room work. Hate it - it's like playing that horrible game where peeled grapes are passed around as horror stories about eyeballs are told.)

It looks like a tray for putting little pots of seedlings into, to me. 

[David E]

It looks like a tray for putting little pots of seedlings into, to me. 

Would it then have drain holes?

[Paul S.]

thanks for correcting me Sue

[David E]

... and another I've found:

English Electric: 13¼ x 9½ x 2 (close?) = 1D106