Topic: Sowerby Manchester and 2487 sets

[LinzC]

Also of note "The Brilliant" and "The Manchester" both 7 piece and both in flint,

I think Manchester was the name for pattern #2487.

[Jayne]

I think Manchester was the name for pattern #2487.

Interesting, the tray is certainly the right size and shape, oblong 12" x 8" and it comes in clear/flint which is correct per the Advert which describes it as "imitation cut glass" the only thing is it's on list 39 and the 1954 catalogue as a 5 piece, but the 1933 snipped catalogue image with the variant tall candlesticks does appear to show it as a 7 piece as you can just see the top of a pot below the tray.

Do you have any other info to confirm 2487 is "The Manchester" LinzC?

https://www.glasstrinketsets.com/cms3/english/sowerby/2487

[LinzC]

It’s just the change in the catalogues over the years Jayne.

In the 1933 catalogue the “Manchester suite” is shown, with biscuit and  honey. The same images feature in 1940, 1954 & list 35, but they’re referred to as pattern 2487.

[Jayne]

It’s just the change in the catalogues over the years Jayne.

In the 1933 catalogue the “Manchester suite” is shown, with biscuit and  honey. The same images feature in 1940, 1954 & list 35, but they’re referred to as pattern 2487.

Quite right LinzC well spotted, the 1933 "Manchester Suite" catalogue page 11 even shows a "puff bowl and cover"

https://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/glass_catalogues/sowerbyglass_catalogues/sowerbyglass_catalogue1933.htm

[Anne]

Thank you Jayne and Linz for picking up on the similarity between 2487 and Manchester. I think you may have solved one of the mysteries we had... in the 1933 catalogue is a part image of a set with the same tray as the 2487 set and a part pot which appears to match the Manchester puff pot in the 1933 catalogue, but with bigger candlesticks. If we look at Linz's advert image it says it has "large candlesticks".  So putting the catalogue images side by side I think the Manchester set is the clipped out one that we can't see the name on, whilst the other two show the two versions of the 2487 set (one with a pin tray, the other with a ringholder) both of which have the smaller candlesticks.

[Anne]

Finally, a proper answer to this query:  the Manchester set and the 2487 set used some of the same pieces, but not all of them! 

It appears from a careful look at the most recently posted Sowerby catalogues on Mike Tomlin's website, that Sowerby created different combinations of pieces and depending on whether they were 5 or 7 piece sets gave them different names. 

So, the Manchester was a 7 piece set (with a choice of tall or short candlesticks) and 2487 was a 5 piece set (with the short candlesticks). Confusing, isn't it?!