Topic: uranium pickle

[Paul S.]

first time I've seen a coloured pickle, of any shade  -  they seem always to be clear - although I'm aware that coloured examples exist as they can be seen in the books  -  Barrie Skelcher doesn't make reference to them, so would assume uranium examples must be uncommon.              These fluoresce very well.       

About 5.25" (135mm tall), and with some wear as you'd expect from an item like this.              Star moulded base - panel moulding on the sides and top, with a small amount of shallow cutting on the stopper.             Three mould seams, although not sure how they're pressed in view of the larger internal capacity around the shoulders.                Every inch of how you'd expect a really good bright acidy uranium to look  -  reminds me of some pre-1940 Webbs perhaps, although these might have been made anywhere in Europe.             I did wonder if the acetic acid might leech the uranium from the glass, but looking at some other clear ones they seem free from internal staining or cloudiness, so perhaps not.
Date wise I've really no idea  -  somewhere in the last quarter of the C19 maybe??   -  but could be later.

Some of the better quality cut pickles follow the decanter fashion of having matching Nos., but that doesn't apply to pressed pieces like these.
I've also attached pix of other cut pickles  -  the second pic is W/Corbett, but no idea of origin of the last two.
As an item of table glass they must have been prolific  -  see them almost every time I go out  -  so need to be selective when buying, otherwise you end up with a house full - wonder what you call a collection of pickles

Feel free to comment with suggestions of date or origin of the uranium ones, and thanks for looking.

[Paul S.]

.............leech out of..........          ughhhhhhh           doh.                LEACH.

[Lustrousstone]

I would say colour makes them nice and early. Are they heavier than you'd expect? Perhaps Molineaux and Webb. I think I would go for English though

They are blow moulded not presed - and the mould had seams

[Paul S.]

hello Christine   ...........  and yes, I should have remembered about the blow-moulded

They are quite heavy - probably more so than most of the other pickles, but difficult to say if exceptionally so.           Can't remember if Neil's site has any M. & W. pickles, but will have a look.           Shame there isn't a diamond.                      All I need now is a nice aquamarine one..       Thanks again.       

[agincourt17]

There's a nice deep amethyst John Derbyshire pickle pattern number 308 shown on Neil's Manchester glass site at
https://sites.google.com/site/molwebbhistory/Home/registered-designs/derbyshires-unregistered-pressed-glass

Fred.

[Lustrousstone]

That colour looks to me be a very high lead content - perhaps canary flint
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=921
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1771
The Regina is a much higher lead content than the other one but they are both a very acid yellow

[Paul S.]

difficult to say exactly whether it's closer to Canary or Regina - possibly the Canary  -  just put one on the widowsill and the impression is of a bright yellow, especially as they're very clean internally.


I have seen that JD amethyst pickle on Neil's site before  -  very nice piece.                        Now I shall go around looking for coloured pickles, and pound to a penny won't find another.          I must have seen almost thousands of these things over the years, and these two were the first that weren't clear.

[Lustrousstone]

The Regina candlestick is very acidy yellow, very heavy and more leady than the other one and both are more acidy yellow and leady than any of my other U bits. The high lead content lead inhibits the green glow in daylight so you don't get that hint of green

Dave Petersen wrote this and much of it can be applied to early UK uranium IMHO
http://www.mindspring.com/~reyne/canary.html

[Paul S.]

Thanks for Dave's link  -  very interesting, and a coincidence that Moore's 'Old Glass' this is one of only two specifically States books I have. The book gives an overview of European Glass, followed by some in depth look at his home country's products, although I'm not sure how reliable we might consider the information now - but it's very rare that something can't be learned from a book, no matter how old.              The link, however, is worth reading for anyone interested in C19 glass.

Dave draws attention to Moore's use of the word 'vaseline', although for some reason Moore omits the word from his own index  -  perhaps an indication of his disapproval of its use.             The figure 207 which is referenced for the Canary pieces is, as you might imagine with a book first published in 1924, a plate in b. & w. only, so we don't get to see the yellow.

Moore had a sense of humour  -  he speaks of the sale of a collection in 1920 by a Dr. Pleasant Hunter - of whom he says  "what an ideal name for a collector".

The jury might have to remain out on my pair of pickles, don't know that I feel convinced of the canary connection  -  at certain angles there is the hint of green when viewed in sunshine. 

But I was very pleased with finding the pickles  -  found in the early morning cold and darkness, that only a collector would tolerate.