Topic: Saunders & Shepherd novelty oversized glass thimble, RD 230818, 17 April 1894

[agincourt17]

A clear glass oversized thimble. Approximate height 1¾ inches (45mm), diameter at rim 1½ inches (40 mm). The sides (from the base to just over half way up) appear to machine etched in an allover daisy pattern , while an acid etched frosted band just below the rim bears the unfrosted legend JUST A THUMBLEFUL. Polished base (so I assume that was either free-blown or mould-blown, rather than press moulded, and the pontil mark removed by polishing).

The polished base bears the acid etched RD number 230818. This design was registered by Saunders & Shepherd, London, on 17 April 1894.

(Permission for the re-use of these images on the GMB granted by Lynne Clark)

Saunders & Shepherd were manufacturing goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers of Bartletts Passage Buildings, Holborn Circus, London, E.C.

I imagine that the actual manufacture and decoration of the thimble to their design was contracted out, but I have no idea who that manufacturer might have been.

Examples of pressed glass oversized  JUST A THIMBLEFUL novelty thimbles by several manufacturers are not uncommon (often in opaque coloured or slag glass) , including well-documented designs by Sowerby, Davidson, and a number of unattributable ‘copies’. This is the first time that I can recall seeing an example of the Saunders & Shepherd design though.

http://www.great-glass.co.uk/glass%20notes/mans-s.htm
reveals that Saunders & Shepherd had 36 designs registered, 1885-1908, for scent-bottle bodies & stoppers, & glass novelties of various sorts.

I’ve only been able to  find 26 of their registered designs for glass in the Great Glass and Jenny Thompson RD listings so far (though a quick search at TNA reveals lots of their other registered designs in other classes - mostly metal and jewellery, but some earthenware). Oddly, many of the RD numbers are not listed by Raymond Slack.

I will post my list of their registered glass design numbers and dates (with as many details of the subjects as I can muster) as soon as I can beat it into a half-presentable form.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

quote................."Oddly, many of the RD numbers are not listed by Raymond Slack."

I'm curious Fred......are you saying that Raymond Slack omits many items that both Thompson and Great Glass do include?         Of course, if you've taken 1908 as the cut-off date, then obviously you won't find as many in Slack compared to Thompson and Great Glass  -  Slack finishes in December 1900 whereas Thompson continues until 1908, and I believe that GG is even more recent.                       

I can't remember off-hand if Jenny Thompson includes those strays that ended up in CLASS IV - or whether her list includes CLASS III items only.
As we know, the Blue Book omits CLASS IV Nos. - or at least a lot of them.

[agincourt17]

I will re-check the the details asap and make a point of marking the Saunders & Shepherd registration numbers omitted by Raymond Slack (all pre-1900, I think) when I post the list.

Fred.

[agincourt17]

All of these Saunders & Shepherd design registrations are listed by Jenny Thompson  and the Great Glass website, but NONE of them appear to listed by Raymond Slack (not in my copy, at least). The design subject descriptions against the first 7 sets of registration details are those given by Jenny Thompson.

RD 37487 of 7 November 1885   Human hand holding egg adapted to scent bottles.   
RD 39984 of 25 January 1886   Pattern & shape of ornamental vessel.   
RD 43069 of 11 February 1886    Lighthouse as a design for scents, etc.   
RD 58092 of 6 October 1886   Shape and pattern of a canoe for personal use () or ornament.   

RD 72169 of 15 April 1887   Group of nuts as ornamental cruet stand.   
RD 80260 of 6 September 1887   Shape of scent bottle.   .
RD 89920 of 20 December 1887   Filbert for a scent bottle with neck for stopper.   

RD 136053 of 21 October 1889.   

RD 156626 of 10 September 1890. 

RD 171058 of 7 May 1891.   

RD 187037 of 29 January 1892.
RD 190696 of 7 April 1892.   
RD 192553 of 14 May 1892. 
RD 193917 of 15 June 1892.
RD 202675 of 16 November 1892. 

RD 208600 of 6 March 1893.   
RD 208658 of 7 March 1893.   
RD 217204 of 25 August 1893. 
RD 217405 of 29 August 1893.   
RD 217660 of 4 September 1893. 
RD 223294 of 4 December 1893. 
RD 224713 of 30 December 1893.   

RD 230818 of 17 April 1894   Novelty thimble (as described in my opening post of this topic).

RD 255999 of 8 June 1895. 
RD 260128 of 20 August 1895. 
RD 267156 of 7 December 1895. 

An online search for their registered design summaries at TNA brings up 54 results, all in classes other than glass (predominantly metal and jewellery, as might be expected) but none coincide with the 26 designs listed above.

Fred.

[agincourt17]

Just as an ‘aside’, Saunders & Shepherd’s registered address at Bartletts Passage Buildings, Holborn Circus, London, E.C. might be of  interest in its own right.

From http://london.enacademic.com/460/Bartlett%27s_Buildings
Bartlett's Buildings: On the west side of Nightingale Lane in East Smithfield (Elmes, 1831), the first turning from Upper East Smithfield. Site now occupied by warehouses, etc., belonging to the Docks.
Bartlett's Passage: West out of Bartlett's Buildings at No.9 to Fetter Lane (P.O. Directory).First mention : Rocque, 1746.Seems to be called "Dermers' Passage" in Lockie, 1810. Named after Bartlett's Buildings or Court.

There is a whole page of interesting information on Bartletts Buildings (including maps, illustrations, and a link to Jane Austen) at
http://austenonly.com/2010/05/20/bartletts-buildings-holborn/ which reports that “You cannot visit Bartlett’s Buildings as Lucy Steele knew them, sadly. They were bombed and totally destroyed in an air raid in 1941 during World War II.”

Fred.