Topic: Can anyone put a name to this Registration No.926948 - ID = J.W. Sutcliffe & Co.

[Anne E.B.]

I've been unable to find out who this reg.no. belongs to on this pressed glass decanter marked REGD.No.926948 along with what might be a maker's mark shown underneath (as shown) also with what looks like to be number 2043.  Not a very exciting piece, but looks very retro and reminds me more of those fancy bottles used to hold bubble bath in the 60s/70s, rather than drinks, but could be wrong.  The stopper has a plastic bung.  There are a few around on the web all described as a drinks decanter,  but no clues as to the maker.  I can only find reg.numbers up to 842,452.
TIA

[Paul S.]

your No. looks to be way beyond the end of the Blue Book, which stops at 844274 dated August 1945.          I could be wrong Anne, but think the only way to find the id for your piece is to visit The National Archives at Kew.             Off hand I don't recognize the mark, but I can include this one on my next visit if you wish.

[Anne E.B.]

Many thanks Paul for your reply   I did try looking online at The National Archives at Kew, but found the website difficult to navigate and couldn't come up with anything, but that might just be me being technically challenged
Please don't go to any trouble, its not essential and I'm sure you've already got a long list of more interesting pieces to research.
 

[Paul S.]

I'm sure that individual Registrations aren't detailed down at item level  -  just number ranges accompanied by dates  - and as far as I can see this one occurs some time in late June 1966.

TNA site can be daunting, and I'd agree not particularly easy unless you spend a lot of time practising  ..      I have the Registrations Page as a desk top, so can go straight to all of the number ranges quickly, under the heading  ....  'How to find a registered design 1839-1991'.       But as mentioned, none of these is detailed at item level, so visits are necessary for most of them.

I will include your No. for either the week immediately before Christmas or a few days after  -  and no, I don't have a long list of more interesting pieces to research, just odd items, and not all glass related.

[Anne E.B.]

Many thanks Paul. That's really kind of you. 
I was at least in the right time period give or take a few months.
Have a lovely Christmas

[Anne]

I seem to recall these being sold in Woolworth's and Timothy White's when I was a child, they came with bath salts in them.

[Anne E.B.]

Good old Woolworths. How I miss them, especially their 'pick 'n' mix'. 
I'm guessing the plastic bung is a give away, as I'm sure any self respecting drinks decanter/bottle wouldn't have one.

[Paul S.]

Woolworths - nope, don't remember them, but know a lot of older folk who do

Right then  ...........    J.W. Sutcliffe & Co., London, -  ring any bells, no?  -  not for me either.                   
The base of Anne's example appears to lack the rayed pattern showing on the original factory drawing - perhaps in practice it proved unworkable from a mould point of view.                   Are you able to tell us how many mould seams Anne?? - I'd guess at only two.
Not sure what the black material is that the prototype was made from  -  could I suppose be a black coloured glass, or perhaps some form of ceramic  -  but no firm idea.

Wouldn't advertise the fact that you collect decanters with plastic bungs, Anne  -  we're trying to uphold some up-market collecting criteria here - don't want Mr. McConnell looking down his nose at us
But seriously - hope of interest.

[Anne E.B.]

Fantastic Paul. Well done!  Many thanks for taking the time

I've done a little search for J.W. Sutcliffe & Co. (established 1898) and they are shown here in "History of Glass Making in London" http://www.glassmaking-in-london.co.uk/WorkingPremadeGlass - scroll down to no.134 (dated 1950).  It appears they made domestic glassware, e.g. fruit preserving jars, glass containers, metal and plastic closures for glass containers.  They also are featured in National Trust Collections for jam jar lids.  I've looked in my Miller's "Bottles & Pot Lids" collector's guide, but they don't feature, perhaps not surprisingly

The bottle and stopper (mustn't call it a decanter ) is made in a two part mould, running diagonally from one corner to the other.
I just wonder if the image is shown deliberatively dark so that the pattern can be seen better?   I can't imagine bath salts or bubble bath being put in a coloured glass bottle, as these are usually quite colourful and you wouldn't see the contents   The thing about bath salts containers etc. is that they look really pretty, and I wouldn't mind betting this bottle had a ribbon and bow around it at one time.

I'm not sure what I'll use it for if at all.  I was just intrigued by the reg.no. It will probably go back to the charity shop

[Anne]

A bit more about them here, Anne:

Grace's Guide for J W Sutcliffe in the 1951 Directory for the British Glass Industry
SUTCLIFFE (J. W.) & CO. (1950) LTD., 12 GREAT PORTLAND STREET, LONDON, W.1. T.A., "Synocreate, Wesdo, London". T.N., MUSeum 7263/5 (3 lines).
Branch Office: 4 KNUTSFORD AVENUE, OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER. Established 1898.
"Sutcliffe" fruit-preserving jars (Pat. No. 499497); glass containers of all descriptions.
Managing Director: T. C. Sutcliffe.
Secretary: L. C. Cox.
See also Section C.

SUTCLIFFE (J. W.) & CO (1950) LTD. For Address, etc., see Section B.
Metal and plastic closures for glass containers.