Topic: Reg Design No 802467 ID= Hoskins Rose. Maker ID = Libochovice a.s. 1860 series

[Anne]

I cannot find this in the listing on the Great Glass site, but it is the number on some pieces of a cut-glass-style dressing table set (candlesticks and pots). Is there anywhere I may be able to look this up other than Great Glass as I'd love to know who made it. They are very well-made and nicely styles pieces. Thanks for any clues.

[Glen]

Anne, in the Glass Association's blue book the number is listed as:
Hoskins Rose and Co., May 1935.

The blue book (Registration Numbers 1908 1945) is invaluable and is well worth contacting the Glass Association to purchase. See Kev's reply in the Blue Book thread for contact (I just spotted that thread and so have edited my response here to send you to his message where there is a url link).

Glen

[Anne]

Brilliant! Thanks for id'ing the number for me Glen. I'm slowly buying reference titles for glass so I'll add this one to my collection asap, now to find out about Hoskins Rose and Co.

[Anne]

Hmmm well I've failed so far. I cannot trace anything on Hoskins Rose via Google, nor in the Glass Fact File or on the Glass Encyclopaedia, nor in any of my Miller's references.

Can anyone please tell me where this company were based and when they were active? Thanks in hope!

[Ivo]

Cut glass workshops are not normally listed in a listing of glass makers. These were normally small workshops which used factory blanks, required little investment, easily founded & easily packed up.  To give an example, there were more than 1,000 cutting shops active in the US at the height of what is called the "brilliant"period, many of those one man or one family operations.

[Frank]

Hoskins Rose & Co (1954) Ltd. Holborn, London. UK

They were importers of table & ornamental lead crystal, porcelain & earthenware from Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

Lead Crystal from Czechoslovakia & Germany

Ornamental glass from Czech...

Soda-Lime glass from Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

[Bernard C]

Anne,

Don't forget that anyone, worldwide, could register a design.   My experience of pressed glass registrations is that many names in Thompson and the Blue Book turn out to be agents for mainland European glassworks, or factors and mail order companies developing designs, putting them out to tender, and going for the best manufacturing deal.

Many of these names will have been one man out on the road, and his wife or secretary doing the typing and answering the telephone, so are unlikely to appear as substantial businesses in the historical records.

If your trinket set is cut glass, I cannot improve on Ivo's previous reply, except don't assume it is of British manufacture.

If pressed glass, your trinket set will most likely turn out to be mainland European.

Finally, don't forget bottle works — who often appear to have dabbled in other types of glass, Bagley's being the most obvious example.

Bernard C.  

[Glen]

I agree fully with Bernard's comments. There was a certain cachet in having a British RD, during that period of time, which is why agents were used by overseas manufacturers.

Glen

[Anne]

Thank you to you all for your most helpful explanations about why Hoskins Rose isn't easy to find. I had no idea about this at all (told you I'm still learning!)

The pieces feel very good (at least to me they do!) - when I saw them they stood out on the shelf from the other glassware, they are very clear and very smooth, there are no rough edges or sharp lines on them at all - even underneath where some other candlesticks I have feel sharp to the touch.

I'm not really experienced enough to know if they are cut or pressed but I have some other cut glass pieces which have the same smooth feel and clarity of glass so whoever made them did a nice job!

[Anne]

Just revisiting this one after 3 more years of feeling glass - and now I know these are pressed pieces.  Still not sure if we know who made them though... probably another one that Marcus will turn up some day.