Topic: Was this George Davidson Sugar Basin a Registered Design?

[nick.a]

Hi,
This pedestal sugar basin has the Davidson lion on the base (1880-1890) but no Rd lozenge. Please help identify year of manufacture, pattern numbers/name or Registered design details.
Also, catalogues and pattern/design details for Victorian Davidson and other early English pressed glass is scarce on the net, can anyone recommend any informative websites/books. Thanks.
Regards
Nick

[Paul S.]

Hi Nick  -  according to the books, the Davidson lion was used as a trademark during the period c. 1880 -90 as you've said.        Jenny Thompson lists something like eleven items from this factory that were Registered during this period  -  and looking at descriptions of these, I've a feeling that your sugar basin was not one of them.

Those details of Registered items I have cover really only the lozenge years - which finished in Jan or Feb 1884, so any Davidson Registrations between then and the end of Davidson's lion period I can't check easily.    But as I say, it doesn't look as though your sugar is one of them.

As for information on Davidson material, there is Chris and Val Stewart's web site  -  there is also their book 'Davidson Glass - A History' (out of print for some time now)  -  and the long awaited CD discs which believe they had planned, but which appear never to have materialized.             Odd snippets occur in a variety of books etc., but nothing of substance.

perhaps Fred might have more information on this.

[Anne]

This is Davidson's pattern no. 164 sugar. There is also a cream jug in the same pattern. They are both shown on page 25 of  the Pressed Glass Collectors Club Davidson & Co. Catalogue No. 1 & 2 (c.1880-1890) reprint (produced 2005.)

[agincourt17]

Thank you Anne, you just ‘pipped me at the post’ so to speak.

The pedestal sugar is indeed Davidson pattern number 164, and I attach a photo of the matching creamer.

The major source of easily-accessible information about unregistered Victorian Davidson designs is from the comb-bound softback publication produced by the Pressed Glass Collectors Club in 2005 (no longer in print and VERY hard to find). It includes digitally-enhanced images from 2 Davidson pattern books known as Catalogue One and Catalogue Two produced between 1880 and 1890, bringing the 2 catalogues together as one document, and also includes additional images from the 1903 and 1910 catalogues.

The pattern 164 sugar bowl and creamer (as shown in Anne’s post) appear at the bottom of page 25 of the PGCC publication , and a covered version of the sugar is shown on page 30 of the same publication. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the covered sugar to show at the moment.

I currently have about 200 reference photos of pieces from unregistered Davidson designs, and I will try and get them uploaded to a dedicated photo-reference site on the GMB’s Glass Queries Gallery if you think that there would be sufficient demand.

Fred.

[Anne]

I currently have about 200 reference photos of pieces from unregistered Davidson designs, and I will try and get them uploaded to a dedicated photo-reference site on the GMB’s Glass Queries Gallery if you think that there would be sufficient demand.
Fred.

Fred, thank you that is a splendid idea and yes please!  I have a few Davidson pieces also so could add those too if needed to fill gaps you may have.

[nick.a]

Hi Anne, Paul & Fred,
Paul,
Thanks for checking the registration lists, and the pointers to the Stewart's web site and their book. I shall definitely be following those leads up.
Anne,
Thanks, that's excellent. It's information that's not readily available, and thanks for including the pics too.
Fred,
Thanks for the photo and info on available literature. There seem to be a number of glass publications that had very small print runs hence the rarity, high demand and high resale prices. Some publishers seem to be missing a trick.
I agree with Anne, and would be extremely pleased if you had the time and energy to repeat the success of your Sowerby picture database with one for Davidson. There is very little available on Victorian Davidson on the net, it would be an invaluable resource.
Many thanks to you all for sharing your vast knowledge, it really is appreciated.
Kind Regards
Nick

[Paul S.]

quote    ..............   "Some publishers seem to be missing a trick."            the potential problem they can face, re specialist publications, is when demand doesn't materialize, and they are forced to remainder.
Perhaps this forces some towards small print runs, rather than face selling stocks at cheap prices, or pulping.
Having said that, most of the publications on British pressed glass over the past few decades, all seem to fetch good money on the second hand market.

must admit that PGCC is one of the few publications I don't have  - and in view of its rarity am unlikely to see.