Topic: Info on James Powell Topaz glass - "The Queen Victoria Topaz bowl"

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Image of it glowing here

https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/Combined1.jpg

v normal image

https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/Combined1.jpg


The rim is firepolished not cut.  Generally on Bohemian glass you might find a cut rim. 


It's mystifying. 





As an aside, the Russians didn't make anywhere near as much glass as the Bohemian makers but according to this article the first mention of uranium glass in an exhibition was in Moscow in 1843:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24182711?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3Ab517296297b4f3fdd4c4b8540bdf849d&seq=16#page_scan_tab_contents

A vase is shown in uranium glass cased in ruby.  It's a big piece, cut all over and panel cut. Imperial Glasshouse Dated c.1840-1850 height 50cm and signed on the base.

Source:
JOURNAL ARTICLE
RUSSIAN GLASS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
B. A. Shelkovnikov
Journal of Glass Studies
Journal of Glass Studies
Vol. 6 (1964), pp. 101-122 (22 pages)
Published by: Corning Museum of Glass
(see page 116 where in note 37. it gives the source as 'Directory for the Third Moscow Exhibition of Russian Manufactures in 1843, Moscow 1843'

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~Then there is Pellatt's book from the 1840s with as far as I recall no mention of English makers making uranium glass, and no mention of these bowls made for 1837. I might go and have a re-read of Pellatt's book to see what's in there.

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An interesting bit of information here:

page 65
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/American_Glass/JW9yDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=uranium+glass+1830&pg=PA127&printsec=frontcover
American Glass
The Collections at Yale
John Stuart Gordon
2018.




'In 1839 Thomas Leighton, the chief gaffer at the New England Glass Company, wrote to a colleague in Scotland  enquiring about the "Canary Metal" he had seen there. " You likewise informed me that to make your Canary Metal you used nothing but the Oxid (sic) of Uranium in your Flint Batch. ..."
Source for that is noted in there as '2. Thomas Leighton, in Jane Shadel Spillman, "The Leighton-Ford Correspondence ," Acorn 3 (1992)'

I think the Ford refers to John Ford of the Holyrood Flint Glass Works, Edinburgh, however it is just mentioned that he wrote to 'a colleague' so it might not have been Ford.

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Information about Longport (Davenports) 

http://www.thepotteries.org/walks/longport/davenport.htm

A piece written in 1843 about John Davenport by

'John Ward, in his History of the Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent (1843), describes how he set up on his own account in 1794:

“Mr John Davenport commenced business at Longport in 1794, and added, in 1797, to his other concerns, the chemical preparation of litharge and white lead, for the use of potters, in their glazes; but this department is now discontinued. In 1801, the making of flint-glass, or crystal, was introduced by them, and is still extensively can-led on; connecting with which is steam-machinery for cutting and ornamenting it. They produce very brilliant specimens of stained glass, and have got up some elaborate works of that kind for church and other windows, particularly one for St Mark’s, Liverpool; and have furnished splendid assortments for the Dukes of Sutherland and Devonshire, the Marquis of Anglesea and Westminster, and others of the nobility.
They have (in addition ...

it further says with regard to the China production I think:
'...Messrs Davenports’ china ware has long obtained celebrity, not only for the excellence of its material, but for exquisite design and embellishments. On his Majesty, King William, coming to the throne, he gave directions for a superb service of porcelain to be made, for the banquet to be given at the Coronation.'

Info on King William IV here (came to the throne 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IV

This was written in 1843 and goes to lengths to mention 'splendid assortments' for various Dukes and others of nobility (although not known if it was splendid assortments of glass or china) yet does not mention a set for Queen Victoria.  It does however mention a china service made for his Majesty King William for the banquet to be given at the Coronation.

It could indicate that Davenports were a source of supply for all things Royal.
Or maybe there has been a mix up over the years in which bits were made for which Royal Banquet, and the service made for King William has become mixed up with the service made for Queen Vic?




Further information seems to say that John Davenport effectively retired in 1820 and then ownership seems to have been:

John Davenport’s eldest son, also John, took no part in the business and had a successful career as a lawyer.

Henry Davenport, his third son, who took an active role in running the business when his father effectively retired from the firm in the 1820's, was killed in a riding accident when he was out hunting at Baddeley Edge In 1835.

Control of the firm then passed to the second son, William Davenport, who became sole owner in 1848

So in 1837, 17 years after John Davenport retired (it says he served as an MP though until 1841), John Davenport may have been in joint ownership with William his son.

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Article from Barrie Skelcher on Uranium Glass says this:

http://www.glassassociation.org.uk/sites/default/files/Uranium_Glass_sample_article.pdf

'No review of uranium glass could be complete without including the London glasshouse, Whitefriars,
which was acquired by James Powell and Sons in
1834. As far as I can establish, it was the first in the country to use uranium in commercial
manufacture. The Whitefriars archives, held by the Museum of London, record that in 1836 some
silver mounted candlesticks with prismatic drops of uranium Topaz glass made by Whitefriars were
presented by Lord Howe to Queen Adelaide. The following year Whitefriars made twelve finger bowls
and twenty-four hock glass bowls for use at the 1837 Corporation of London Banquet for Queen
Victoria (Plate 14). I have had the opportunity to measure the uranium level in three of the bowls. The
results are consistent with the formula in an early Whitefriars batch book.'

and in his note caption Under Plate 14 says:

'Plate 14: Uranium “topaz” finger bowl
and ice plate from a set of twelve made
for Queen Victoria’s banquet at the
Guildhall in the City of London on 9th
November 1837. The glass and
ceramics for this occasion were
supplied by the Staffordshire firm,
Davenport’s, but it is likely that the
finger bowls were made by James
Powell and Sons.'


The article was written in 1998.  CH British Glass was published in 1991 which may explain why it didn't include information on James Powell and Sons being the maker.  The Barrie Skelcher information is the more recent than the CH book.






There is a report here from the Guildhall Banquet in 1837 mentioning the suppliers  from page 37 onwards.
 Unfortunately neither Davenport or Longport or Whitefriars or Powell  seem to be mentioned:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HbdGAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA23-IA2&dq=queen+victoria+city+of+london+9+November1837&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7j_yTjbDsAhUSQhUIHdSLCpwQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=glass&f=false


Copeland and Garrett are mentioned:

http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/c/copeland.html

Thomas Pearce is also mentioned. I think they were a supplier?  They were mentioned under Lighting


The list of suppliers is very comprehensive. 
I presume I've got the correct Banquet.
I don't know anything about the Potteries so have no idea if Copeland and Garrett were linked to Davenports in anyway? It didn't seem so but that was only from a cursory glance and no knowledge basis.

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just to add a bit more information to that in reply #43 about Davenports.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davenport_Pottery

Wiki doesn't say a huge amount but does say this:

'... By September 1806 the quality of his porcelain wares was such that the Prince of Wales, later to become King George IV, ordered services of the finest and most valuable kinds.[3] '

and

'John retired in 1830 and his sons, William and Henry, carried on the firm. Henry died in 1835 and the firm became William Davenport and Company. '


Potteries info says John 'effectively retired' in the 1820s not 1830.

Mention of supply for another royal King George IV, but still no mention of supplying for Queen Vic.

Firm had become William Davenport and Company by the time of the Guildhall Banquet in 1837.






Referring back to earlier in the thread and the design of finger bowls (no lips) v rinser (with lips) the Corning have this called a finger bowl with lip either side:
https://www.cmog.org/artwork/finger-bowl-1

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And the Corning have another of the uranium yellow bowls under discussion in the thread - so a different picture showing a different view:

https://www.cmog.org/artwork/finger-bowl-15



Just musing here - comparing the engraved design  of the plate and the bowl again.

- It's very hard to tell but the engraved design of the roses, buds and leaves does look similar on both plate and bowl.

- The plate only has roses and buds and leaves, no thistle leaves or shamrocks,

- The plate only has the VR and crown and no flag and it has a strange little bower motif under the engraved VR of leaves and forget-me-nots

- The plate VR does not look to have been engraved by the same hand as the person who engraved the VR on the bowl.

- The bowl also has a flag emblem on it and the plate does not.

- The Corning photograph of the plate and bowl together shows a very different yellow colour to that shown in the V&A pics.  Much more browny topaz
   colour to my eye.

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The flag emblem /ensign on the bowl is the coat of arms of the City of London.

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tinted picture of the Royal Banquet Guildhall 1837 - can be enlarged to see all the detail

https://www.rct.uk/collection/750847/queen-victoria-at-guildhall-banquet-9-nov-1837

 



Sadly none that look like uranium yellow finger bowls on clear glass under plates.

You can see plain clear drinking glasses but very difficult to tell if there is  uranium glass finger bowls and clear underplates anywhere there. Or topaz hock glasses.  It's all pretty topaz 'y' but nothing that seems to match the description of the hock glasses or the bowls.

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There's an interesting piece of yellow uranium glass on page 364 of CH British Glass 1800-1914.
A heavily cut decanter that maybe appears to be from an earlier era than when it was actually made?

Description says:

' Decanter and stopper in yellow/green glass coloured with uranium oxide, Stourbridge, c.1870s, height 12 1/4 in. (31cm)'