Topic: Lloyd and Summerfield Birmingham Biscuit Jar 15th December 1869

[mhgcgolfclub]

A Lloyd and Summerfield of Birmingham biscuit jar with date lozenge for 15th December 1869 for reference.

Not a name I had really heard of before I bought this.

Greek key silver plate base and rim with a nice quality handle.

Roy

[David E]

Lovely find Roy, although it raises the question in my mind as to whether this was blown into a mould, or a cage? If it's the latter then there shouldn't be any visible mould lines down the sides. Just curious... 

[mhgcgolfclub]

Thank you David

There does not seem to be any visible mould lines that I can see. The glass is quite a lot thinner than most of my other pressed glass pieces and has done very well to survive in perfect condition .

Roy

[David E]

There is a little on the company, dated 1858, at this website: Revolutionary Players. This is an excellent resource for any Midlands historian - quite a bit on Chance Bros. too (Keith, take note). Also Grace's Guide has another advert from 1849.

[flying free]

pictures (engravings from the Art Journal Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition) of Lloyd and Summerfield glass here :
Go to the end of the book and scroll to the fourth page up and they are there
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EosjR1OlEecC&pg=PA392&dq=manchester+exhibition+rice+harris&hl=en&sa=X&ei=koR5UtCkKaOv7AbBl4DwBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=manchester%20exhibition%20rice%20harris&f=false

[David E]

Thanks M, I do have that book. Will look later.

[Paul S.]

at first I thought this was a likely volume for my shelf, then I read a sentence or two, and now feel confused.                 Aside from a lot of name dropping of mid to late C19 intellectuals, regret I don't understand much of what is written.

""Glass cult here endorses that alliance with the Grotesque developed in the previous chapter through glasse's association with fertility and its endemic taxonomic anxiety""

means what??                but expect you clever people know what it's all about.

On a more down to earth level, I'm reading G. Bernard Hughes 'ENGLISH GLASS FOR THE COLLECTOR 1660-1860' - and have to say that I'm rather biased toward the author (although doubtless like all scriblers he has made errors) - and can recommend to all in view of the wide coverage on all aspects of glass.           The reason for mentioning this is that said book includes a lengthy section on what was one of the C19 more notable contributions to glass production enabling the masses to acquire less costly look-a-likes to high end table glass etc., and this is the development of 'blown-moulded' work.

Expect everyone knows all this, but it was just to mention that ...............obviously free blown work produces a uniformly shaped and smooth interior to the glass object, and allows for shapes not possible in press-moulding - and since no mould then no lines to fire-polish.         
Press-moulding itself will also produce uniformly smooth interiors but needs expert fire-polishing to remove seam marks, and generally produces an exterior design not possibly with free blown work.

Blown-moulded work provides an exterior design which reflects the mould pattern, and the glass remains the same thickness regardless of the design/shape.          It's other significant characteristic is that the exterior relief pattern is reflected as a convex/hollow impression on the inside of the item.          Whatever feint seams exist are expertly fire-polish out, apparently.

Believe I'm correct in saying that dip-moulded work - whilst starting life in a mould - has a finished interior which is mostly smooth - and slightly rippled - but certainly not the convex/concave effect of the blown-moulded work.

So, does this suggest that Roy's biscuit jar must be an example of blown-moulded work.              The connection between the two is mine alone  -  Mr. G. B. Hughes is in no way responsible for my opinions remotely.        

Feel free to criticize, amend, correct etc., as necessary.           

[David E]

at first I thought this was a likely volume for my shelf, then I read a sentence or two, and now feel confused.                 Aside from a lot of name dropping of mid to late C19 intellectuals, regret I don't understand much of what is written.

""Glass cult here endorses that alliance with the Grotesque developed in the previous chapter through glasse's association with fertility and its endemic taxonomic anxiety""

means what??                but expect you clever people know what it's all about.         

Paul, it's not one for collectors to be honest. A book with a sub-title, Glass Culture and the Imagination 1830–1880, which does leave a little to the imagination. Nicely illustrated, although the publishers printed it in mono, so a lot of the richness of some images has been lost.

[flying free]

David you have a valid point about the black and white issue.
I've been going through old photographs or prints or whatever they might have been called, at the time of the London Exhibition and some of those offered have been tinted - the site presented the tinted versions immediately after the black and white versions and it makes a huge difference in being able to imagine the glass ... it was a real 'oh now I recognise what that was' moment.
m

[Paul S.]

I'd agree, and think will give this one a miss..............I'm waiting for delivery of Tim Mills book on rummers  -  am sure it's going to be a very good read.