Topic: 'Hailware' cut bowl.

[Paul S.]

going back some years there were a variety of chats on the Board about the British glass maker Hailwood & Ackroyd, plus there's some information on the history of the company on Grace's Guide - but of late posts for this stuff are noticeable by their absence.
In view of the nature of their business, most information available concerns glass relating to lighting, pressed glass, advertising material, and their 1930s decorative coloured wares  -  see Hajdamach - and very attractive pieces they are.         References to cut glass items are almost non existent.
See also Nigel Benson's internet article where he discusses his research into their manufacturing output.

Some time in 1930s, the company created the trademark name of 'Hailware'  -  and most of the coloured art glass material appears to be so marked, though IIRC differently to the bowl here.             On this bowl the backstamp looks to be acid marked in freehand, so not entirely sure how this was done - through a resist perhaps -  but definitely not the usual upper case mechanically blocked style, and as to date of manufacture I'd suggest 1940s but that's a bit of guessing.            The bowl is almost entirely without wear, so perhaps been in Granny's cabinet for some time.

Cutting on this piece is hardly avantgarde  - cross cut relief diamonds, four-way fan splits, deepish mitres and scalloping around the rim.    Of course there's no guarantee that the Company did inhouse cutting work - they may have done - but lack of available information makes it difficult to be certain that they both made and decorated their cut glass, of which there appears to be very little around.

Height of bowl is about three inches - diameter five inches.      I've had this for some little while but it was tucked away and only discovered today - I thought originally it was a finger bowl - it might be - but the scalloped rim is perhaps unusual for a finger bowl?

Is anyone able to add more information about 'Hailware' cut glass - or put me right on any errors above - thanks for looking

[nigelbenson]

Hi Paul,

From memory I think that the Hailware brand took over around the time that the ownership changed from Ackroyd & Best to Hailwood & Ackroyd in 1927, but I would need to check. Obviously there would be some merging of the backstamp being used/already used on stock before/as the name changed.

You're certainly correct about the lack of their cut glass. I have one very small dish that does have a modern looking cut, and I know of a good sized vase in a collection, which may well have used a lamp shade mould for its shape. Both are marked the same way as your piece. I wonder if your right about it being 1940's though, as it includes the word "British". More likely 1930's perhaps?

Since I wrote the article on the website, I have obtained what appears to be a 1950's domestic lighting catalogue, and also another that could be from around 1928. Neither give information about their domestic glassware, although the early one has vases, bowls and a decanter included with examples of lighting all colour printed on the front cover. Inside there are photographs of the factory and workers between sections, and in several it is possible to see vases in particular. Not of much help as no detail, and no cut glass!

As yet none of their work can be attributed unless it is marked. Although I now generally understand the codes used on their lampshades because of the early catalogue, there is some confusing duplication using the same suffixes.

[Paul S.]

thanks Nigel - I was taking a bit of a punt on the date - nothing like some contentious guesswork to generate good feedback   -  with your knowledge then it's very possible that your suggestion of 1930s might be nearer the mark.       I try not to hoard glass these days and buy very little and only if of real interest  -  unfortunately, the good stuff is far less common than in my boot sale days.
Quite possibly I'd not have bought this one had not my first reaction been to think it was possibly a finger bowl - I did collect such pieces for a few years and had some quite old examples.      Whether this piece is a finger bowl I'm unsure, though if your suggestion of date is correct then it is possible  -  I seem to recall that Walsh were still making them in the late 1940s/1950.
You're welcome to have this one if it's of interest  -  I'm only ten minutes from Ray's address, and if you could give a home to the bowl I can drop it over to Ray and leave with him for you to collect as and when you visit re the archive.         Let me know please Nigel.