Topic: A Pair of Rummers

[Laird]

I found this pair of rummers a few days ago.
One is a couple of millimeters taller than the other.
The feet are flat and not perfectly round, and have marks where they were grasped with tongs during manufacture.
I assume they are Victorian.

[Paul S.]

very good examples of a pub or tavern rummer, probably dating to somewhere in the last quarter of the C19  -  not easy to get more basic than these, and Tim Mills describes them as having tall cup shaped bowls.            Soda glass almost certainly, so definitely no ring when flicked, and the suggestion is they were probably imported from the Continent.          I don't see the shears mark under the foot so a mechanical method of finishing I presume, and one step up in design would have provided a baluster shaped stem - so these on the absolute bottom rung of the design ladder.
You don't give the height, but capacity wise quite likely to be somewhere around the pint volume.

British rummers (nothing to do with roemers) start life toward the end of the C18 with ovoid bowls, and go on through the entire C19, showing a variety of bowl shapes and give rise to some of the best engraved decoration seen on any British drinking glassware.

Acknowledgment and credit for much of this information goes to Timothy Mills, whose recently published book 'Rummers - A Social History Told in Glass' - published 2013, is one of the best reads in glass books of recent years  -  a must if you collect C19 drinking glasses.

P.S.     can you be a little more specific as to the whereabouts - on the feet - that you are seeing the 'tongs marks', please.
Would also comment that these pix good example of how not to photograph clear glass  -  I assume that it's the patterning of the curtains that is telegraphing through onto the glass, giving the impression of some form of decoration on the glass  -  which assume is not the case.
A plain dark background with adequate lighting (a large sheet of charcoal coloured paper from Lorimers) is probably best.

[Laird]

These rummers are engraved. It's not a reflection from the curtains.
I'll come back with the rest of the requested information and better pics.

[Paul S.]

thanks  -  it would have helped to avoid confusion had you mentioned they were decorated  -  features such as this can often help with more precise dating.             An unfortunate coincidence that the curtains also have floral patterning.
Large rummers of this shape, and dating to the period mentioned, often have sandblasted decoration, since by their very nature their value would not have warranted hand engraving.
A close up of the decoration may help - thanks.

[Ivo]

With some degree of probability these sturdy bar glasses were made by Durand in Arques, Pas de Calais, and brought back to the UK by holiday makers with a liking for flea markets.

[Laird]

The rummer...

[Paul S.]

difficult to see the decoration in any real detail due to the amount of light being reflected off the surface of the rummer  -  it's possibly an example of pteridomania, which was a passion the Victorians had for engraving ferns and other leafy sorts of floral decoration.              Punch the word into the Board's search, and you'll be surprised the quantity of information there.
You should be able to differentiate between engraving and sandblasting fairly easily.

just possible that if this is an example of 'fern engraving' then date wise it might be a little nearer to c. 1880, but that's just my opinion.