Topic: HG Richardson fairy lamp designs

[Jim Sapp]

Thanks to the hard work of a good friend and fellow collector, I have been able to pull together the fairy lamp designs of HG Richardson.   These designs were recorded in several Richardson design books dated 1886-87.  Among the designs are examples of "nailsea-type", cameo, richly cut, Cleveland, tartan, shaded glass and other glass types.  These designs have put to rest the attribution of many fairy lamps.

To the extent possible, I have tried to pair the design drawing with a photo of actual lamps. Your contributions to this webpage are most welcome.

The following link will take you right to the HG Richardson Fairy Lamp webpage:

https://fairylamps.snappages.site/h-g-richardson

Jim

[Paul S.]

Jim - a very big thanks for adding this link, and for the generosity of the researchers and compilers who, over the years have made this 'fairy lamp' collecting area such an invaluable resource  -  to say these things are beautiful and attractive would be an understatement of some magnitude - could gaze at those Burmese or Nailsea types for hours.
Regret to say I'm not about to add unknown revelations that will stun the world of fairy lamp collecting - it's not an area I've dabbled in  -  rather, my input is in the form of questions instead.

You mention the dates of 1886 - 87, and relating this to U.K. BoT Registrations, we are in the post diamond period where only Nos. occur on the glass, if they appear at all.
Samuel Clarke's name appears as the Registrant for designs relating to fairy lamps post 1884 - quite a few in fact - but oddly these don't appear in the lists of Design Registration Nos. in some of the popular U.K. books devoted to pressed glass  -  these Clarke Nos. appear in your list of Registrations in the link.
I've also looked in Gulliver's 'Victorian Decorative Glass' (Schiffer) with regard to 'Richardson's' Registered Designs, but there appears to be an absence of anything relating to Registered Designs for fairly lamps.

Is there a reason why Clarke's Registrations don't appear in the popular lists, and was there some reason why it seems that 'Richardson' didn't Register any of their night light/fairly lamp designs.?

If I have this wrong, do shoot me down  -  wouldn't be the first time I've misunderstood.

[Jim Sapp]

Keen observation for fairy lamps. 

The only HGR design number I have found is related to the Tartan glass design.  While there were several lamp designs paired with actual examples many have yet to be found.  Perhaps, many were never made.  It could be that some designs were registered under Clarke's name instead of Richardson's.

[Paul S.]

Hi - thanks for the quick reply  -  so there may be some room yet for further research and information discovered:)