Topic: Strathearn paperweight research

[Frank]

I would like to draw your attention to the ongoing developement of Richard More's galleries. Recently moved to a new location and including data. A great contribution to our knowledge.

LINK: http://strathearn.smugmug.com/

Well done Richard!

[Anonymous]

Good morning Frank

Would you consider that between yours and Richards sites that you cover all of the different "styles" of Strathearn paperweight. The emphasis on styles is that I appreciate there may well be various other cane combinations. I am thinking of the overall shape of the piece...ie star, bullet. normal etc.
The reason for asking is that I have 3 Strathearn weights that are facetted but so far cannot find any reference to them.

Regards

Gareth


morgan48

[Frank]

Hi,

My aim is to show a selection of the designs. Richard is working to a more comprehensive solution with over 600 weights so far. Many of the designs were faceted from time to time and of course faceting is another way of restoring damaged weights. I think Richard does have some facetted examples on display?

Identification is best achieved by cane matching but no-one has done that yet for Strathgearn. Original catalogues are few and far between and are probably not complete in any case. It is of course complicated as the only difference between Vasart and Strathearn was initially the location and that Strathearn had a propane fuelled kiln. Canes are thus found in both Strathearn and Vasart weights and these are usually classed as transitional. Strathearn later used other colours and as Vincent left early on there was no direct Ysart influence and there followed a divergence of design.

Separating the glassware is a lot easier as to accomodate the seal the glass had to be made thicker. Designs however remained largely unchanged and hence the catalogues make no distinction between Vasart and Strathearn until a new design philosophy emerged.

[KevinH]

Gareth,

As Frank says, Richard does show some faceted weights in his Album.

And yes, catalogue (brochure) details are rather limited but what was available in 2000 was reproduced in John Simmonds book, Paperweights From Great Britain, 1930-2000, showing that several standard design weights were also produced in faceted versions. Sometimes the faceting was just a single cut to allow the weight to be stood on its side. Often there were five or six side cuts and a top facet. Some designs had all over "geometric" faceting.

Personally, I think that the best faceted Strathearn designs were the blue-over-white overlays which had to be faceted in order to view the internal structure - which was, I think, mostly a regular "cartwheel spoke" pattern.

If you would like to email images of your faceted weights to me, I will happily check them out for you.

On the point about nobody yet doing cane matching for Strathearn, that is true, but some work on this has been attempted. For my own part, I have started cane matching in order to understand the complications arising from Strathearn (and Vasart) canes being used in "later Scottish" work of as yet unknown attribution. I also suggested to Richard that he might like to follow my example of "Ysart cane tables" using his Strathearn weights. He said it would a great idea, but at the present time, an unachievable one.  

[Anonymous]

Good morning  KevH

Many thanks...I will get around to photographing them soon and email them to you. I did find a few on Richards site but not of the type that I have. All 3 of mine have what would have been the dome facetted and then another facet on the side so they sit upright, so to speak. Cannot think of how else to describe them... all will come clear with the photographs
Busy decorating just at the moment so many things packed away....however very much appreciate your offer and will despatch asap.

Regards

Gareth

[srmoresr]

Hello Frank, Kevin and Gareth...and thank you Frank for the email and introduction to this discussion site.  Looks to be pretty interesting and I just finished registering.  Thanks too for the mention of my "working" web site for Strathearn Pwts and soon to include Vasart and Ysart Bros Glass period pwts...actually, it will cover Ysart influenced pwts from 1946 to 1980.

Gareth, in reference to your faceted Strathearn's just from the info you posted I would suspect that your pwts each have a top facet and a side facet so that the pwt can be set upright (at a slight angle) for display. Strathearn did make a number of these for a number of years...they are called Portrait Paperweights and are designated as a PP9 Millefiori minature same as the P9 minature 3 row concentric, a PP8 millefiori small same as the regular P8 cartwheel/spoke pwt, a PP7 millefiori large same as the regular larger P7 cartwheel/spoke pwt, a PP16 Carpet minature same as the P16 minature Carpet or closepack pwt, a PP15 Carpet small same as the P15 medium to small Carpet or closepack pwt, a PP22 Lace small same as the regular P22 Lace ie., scattered millefiori on a muslin or lace ground pwt and the PP21 Lace Large which was the same as the regular P22 Lace pwt.

I have examples of most of these pwts and they will be soon posted to my photo albums. It is quite a job to get everything reposted to this new Smugmug photo site as Smugmug (unlike Photoisland, previous site) allows me almost unlimited word descriptions/text to go along with my photos so it's taking me longer than I expected to get everything posted.  My Smugmug site is only about one third complete relating to Strathearn pwts and nothing yet on Vasart or Ysart Glass...that will come too in time.

Meanwhile, I would be glad to help you identify any Strathearn's you might have questions on. In addition to the 610 weights in my collection I also have another 700 photos of other Strathearns plus 5+ years of ebay sales results on all Ysart related pwts.

Best wishes to all for this holiday season...

Richard

[Anonymous]

Hi Richard

Apologies for delay in replying. Superb site by the way , and following on from your posting I was astonished that there were that many variations of Strathearn paperweights...obviously a subject in iosolation requiring a very comprehensive study plus a not too insubstantial amount of space and money.
Of the 3 faceted weights that I have 2 also have a polished back and, from memory, a PP number and Strathearn engraved onto them. The 3rd has just the 2 facets and the back is standard Strathearn rough with a label.
After the seasons insanity I'll photograph and send out.
Again many thanks for your post because I see from the site that it is not possible to contact you from there...so very much appreciate this opportunity

Regards

Gareth

morgan48

[srmoresr]

Hi Gareth...Thanks for your email post and for your kind words on my photo albums.  Yes, Strathearn did produce quite a large variety of pwts...more than many people realize...so far I have identified almost 100 different catagories and eventually they will all be posted on my album site.

I don't know how easy it is to post photos into these posts but if you'd like you can send emails directly to me at srmoresr@webtv.net and then get them posted to Kevin and Frank for multiple opinions.

Best regards...Richard