Topic: Sowerby and other glass pattern books

[MHT]

Pattern book V also helped me with a puzzle. On my website under unknown makers there is a purple malachite lidded box which I thought was probably by Davidson.
It is on page 12 of the pattern book as a Biscuit Box, number 958. I can now re-list it as Sowerby.

[Mosquito]

Hi Mike, what a fantastic resource! Thanks for making it available

The Jobling catalogue shown is particularly interesting. Due to the inclusion of Pearl and Jet colours, as well as the Fir Cone and Flower Suites but none of the subsequent Art Glass patterns, it likely dates from late 1932-3 and therefore is earlier than the catalogue pages reproduced in Baker and Crowe. Very interesting was to see the name of the iridised black glass which I had earlier found in the 1054 suite and Lambton vase. The catalogue describes this as 'Rainbow Jet'. Discussion of iridised Jobling here: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,30678.0.html

The fruit bowl that I had previously identified as Jobling due to the matching base pattern with the 1054 1/2 suite is shown as '2074 1/2'
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,70173.msg390803.html#msg390803

[neilh]

Another big win from the 1874 pattern book, which is providing our first look at 1850s northeast pressed glass.

On this thread I noted that some manufacturer was putting pattern numbers on their pressed glass but we did not know who
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,70500.0.html

In the 1874 pattern book I see tumbler 330 which is one of the marked ones I have.
So these are Sowerby pieces and my 265 sugar bowl is earlier than most items shown in the catalogue.
The big surprise is all these pieces are really high lead content - 3.2g/cc - still being used by Sowerby in the 1850s when other firms had dropped to 3.07g/cc

[Mosquito]

Some interesting finds in the Gradenberger book 1 too: 4714A, the centrepiece bowl with birds either side is a 1930s STS Abel (Zagreb) pattern.

Pattern 5056 appears to be the rare Jobling cigarette box and ashtray (cat. no. 2598), registered in February of 1935. The mould for the base at least ended up at Davidson in the 1960s as noted here: https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,68944.msg384442.html#msg384442  5057 appears to be a variation on the same design, but I don't believe it was ever produced by Jobling at least.

[neilh]

I think I have another match, this time for pattern 2118 shown in the 1892 catalogue.

The uranium celery shown below is a pattern which has a Manchester whiff and some sellers list it as Derbyshire, but density readings have always shown items from this set as lead free and from the northeast. The celery matches with the pattern book with the exception of the rim. We know that celeries were often made with 2 or 3 rim variations, flared out, level, and turned in, so I think this is a variant of the one in the pattern book and a match.

[flying free]

Can I ask a question Neil?  In my head I always associate that particular curved scalloped foot with Sowerby.  I feel I see it on other Sowerby items. Did other makers routinely use it as well?
Disclaimer - I know nothing at all about pressed glass as you know

[NevB]

This 6" diameter fish ashtray in the photo is in the Gradenberger Book 1 No. 5046, unfortunately I've not yet been able to identify it.

http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/pdf/gradenberg_book_1.pdf

The No 8016 vase in Book 2B is I think this Rosice pair I recently posted. Some of the other vases may also be Rosice.

https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,71627.0.html

http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/pdf/gradenberg_book_2b.pdf

I see the ashtray diagram tells you where to put your cigar or cigarette!

[neilh]

ff, I've found pressed glass feet to be an unreliable attribution point, even though there are certain trends

[flying free]

Ok thank you.  That's good to know.
m

[thewingedsphinx]

Mike,
Fantastic, thank you very much for sharing these catalogues, I just set up some links for my father on his iPad as these catalogues will be very interesting for him as he has a large collection of Sowerby items and many he will never have seen in the catalogues. Nice to see the monkey Sweetmeat.And it’s great to have resolved a few mysteries for my own interest.

Cheers Mike

I just wish someone had some Henry Greener catalogues to share……..