Topic: Liskeard Glass - Background & History

[Max]

<no longer Grumpy Lady - feeling happier!>

I'm not sure I should call Mr Haanstra 'Ivo' as we haven't been introduced yet!   :shock:

I received many books for Christmas, one of which was 'Glass fact file A-Z' (recommended on here) by Mr Haanstra.  Well.  It's brilliant!  More information than a girl could ever take in.  Isn't it strange though, how the one thing you want to know about, you can't find?  I looked up Liskgeard (could be a typo there), as I wanted to find out about a few pieces of LG I've got - but I couldn't find Liskgeard under the L's.

Am I being more dim than usual?   Or is it listed under something else?  How annoying to have the information to hand, but still not be able to crack it!  Could anyone point me in the right direction please?   :cry:

[Ivo]

if Liskeard is not listed it means that A/ it was not encountered in any of the 300 reference works used for researching the book or B/ it falls outside the cut-off dates 1800-2000 or C/ it is not a glass maker but a refinery or dealer.  It seems Liskeard falls in the first category: a small glass maker with limited distribution and no knack for getting details of their operation included in design annuals, almanacs or other publications.

[Anonymous]

Good afternoon Mrs cheered up lady.

Google pulls up the following, which I note is a different spelling to yours.
It might be worth giving the numbers a ring to see what, if anything, transpires.
I realise these may not be connected to your "Lisgeard" glass but  who knows.


Merlin Glass
Barn St, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4BL (01579-342 399)
Liam Carey. Established 1983. Formerly Liskeard Studio Glass (1978-1983)

Regards

Gareth

morgan 48

[Max]

Thank you both for answering so quickly - it's very kind of you. xx

I've spent some of the Christmas period using the Glass Fact File A-Z in trying to decipher words on the bottom of my Orrefors bits and pieces.  That was such fun!  Mind you, my eyes are aching a bit now... <peers myopically at screen>  Btw, I like the fact that the Glass fact file fits in your pocket - I received a book on Venini that you'd need a backpack to carry with you!  (bit awkward for carrying to bootfairs really! lol)

Thanks for your suggestion about 'Googling' LG, Gareth.  I had tried that, and come up with the same as you.  I thought that Lisgeard Glass was somehow tenuously affiliated with Whitefriars?  The glass is so pretty and refractive - the ones I have are rather like refined versions of the Knobblies imho.

Maybe a small glass company like this would be fun to find out about...lol...there's a project for me for the future.  What a thought!

Happy New Year to All!

[Anonymous]

Hi Max
For some reason I have in mind that I read somewhere recently that the original Liskeard Glass co. was started by ex workforce from Whitefriars.. This makes sense in someways when considering the designs but this could also be a red-herring with someone starting with the object and working their way to Whitefriars as a source. Hopefully someone contributing here can clarify this.
Anyway they are nice pieces whatever their heritage.
regards
Gareth

[Anonymous]

Hello again Max

Check out this site...really good example of a Liskeard paperweight clearly showing the embossed mark

http://verredart.atspace.com/L.html

Gareth

[Max]

Gareth: Check out this site...really good example of a Liskeard paperweight clearly showing the embossed mark

Thanks for that information. xx  

None of my pieces have the date on, as that paperweight does - and also interesting because I hadn't seen an LG paperweight before.  My first bit of LG was bought on ebay about 18 months ago in one of my 'oooh, what's that then?!' moods.

I was rather cross to have to pay £10 or so in order to see it too.  Still, considering some of my other awful 'what's that then' mistakes, I think I did quite well.  

[KevinH]

Actually, Liskeard (with a k, not a g) can be found in Ivo's book. It is included in the list of makers of 20th century Paperweights - under the "Paperweights" heading. It is really my own fault that it is not listed in the main headings. I did some review work for Ivo on a few things but I never properly completed my task  :oops: so a comment that Liskeard was 'missing' never got passed on.

In John Simmonds book, Paperweights From Great Britain 1930-2000, there is a brief mention of Liskeard in the section for "Other Makers and Studio Artists". He states that in the 1960s the company used Murano canes and in 1976 they made abstract design weights. Apparently, all the weights had the impressed logo on the base - but in the book the logo shown is "ST", for St Tudy, a Cornish village.

I don't know how the 1960s / St Tudy info ties in with Liskeard Studio Glass being stated as 1978 - 1983 . And in the earlier link to the paperweight, the item is shown with an embossed "LG 1977" which seems to pre-date the 1978 start of Liskeard Glass ...  :?

But Liskeard is 13 miles from St Tudy, which itself is only 7 miles from "Merlin's Cave" (tourist attraction) which may be the source of the current name of the company "Merlin Glass".

[chopin-liszt]

Hi, Liskeard glass has "made it" into last year's Miller's guide. I saw a bit on eBay a while ago and the seller claimed that the lumpy, knobbly pieces were "only made on Fridays" as this was "not the normal type of glass they made". I'd been watching it because I managed to find one in a charity shop for £1.50 and wanted to find out more. I have no idea if the seller's claims were true, but the vase sold for about £45. Miller's puts a knobbly vase at £45-50, so I don't suppose your £10 was too bad! Do you think that the vase could be made for £10? That is often the benchmark I use when considering prices. Cheers, Sue.

[chopin-liszt]

PS, Miller's puts Liskeard knobblies, with the LG impressed mark in the '60s. Sue.