Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Anne E.B. on April 12, 2006, 01:35:19 PM
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From previous topics in which Glen, Bernard, Cathy et al discussed daisy block boats, I think that I can safely say that the larger of the flint boats is by Edward Bolton. It has GRACE DARLING moulded into the stern along with RD 235** The last two digits are difficult to make out, but according to information given, 23527 is the RD for Edward Bolton. There are some other marks above this which are illegible. This boat measures 12" in length.
The smaller boat measures just over 6" in length but is unmarked. It is almost identical except that it has a narrow clear border edge above the daisy block pattern and has more horizontal ridges ('planks of wood') at the stern.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/misc131.jpg
From the discussions I notice that this design was made by several companies including Hobbs, Sowerby and Bolton. Is there any way of knowing who might have made my smaller one?
The larger one I bought for a song on eBay (1p start price!!!!). I did pay extra on the p.&.p. so I could sleep nights :lol: I just had to have it because I love the story of Grace Darling. I bought the smaller one a couple of days ago in a charity shop in Helston for £1. I can't believe these go for so little - or may be I've just been exceptionally lucky :lol:
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Good buy Anne
Sorry I can't help.
Have you looked at Great-glass ?
Here's a Grace Darling boat along with a date 1885, some info on the lady and a book ref:
The Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908, Jenny Thompson
http://www.stylendesign.co.uk/classic/G205.html
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Anne & Peter — The small boat is another size of the Edward Bolton boat, which seems to have been made in perhaps four or five sizes, only the one carrying the inscriptions. The Hobbs boat is lower and wider, otherwise identical.
I wrote the following about an 8" Hobbs 101 Yacht Pickle I had through my hands some time ago:
The manufacturer was Hobbs Brockunier & Co., Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. The original US patent date on this pattern is October 1884, and it is described as "101. YACHT PICKLE" in an old Hobbs Brockunier catalogue. At the top of the catalogue page is the text "... MADE IN CRYSTAL, OLD GOLD, SAF., M. GREEN & CANARY", so this example is in what the glassworks termed "Crystal". In fact it is not completely colourless but a very pale amethyst.
The Hobbs design is interesting. First, it must have been the shape that Hobbs was attempting to protect with the patent, as the decoration was an established and well-known cut glass pattern. Second, Hobbs apparently failed to protect the design in Britain, so the design was soon plagiarised by the Warrington glassworks of Edward Bolton, who made the shape more upright, added the emotive inscription "GRACE DARLING" to the stern, and registered this design as their own on 11 December 1885.
I also quoted sources: Bredehoft, Neila & Tom, Hobbs, Brockunier & Co., Glass, Identification and Value Guide, Collector Books, 1997; Hayhurst, Jeanette, Miller's Glass Buyer's Guide, Octopus Publishing Group, 2001; Thompson, Jenny, The Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908, privately published, 1989.
All this explains how a comparatively small and little-known glassworks came up with such a sophisticated and successful design.
Please respect my copyright in this material, and note that it was Tom Bredehoft and myself that worked out this snippet of pressed glass history and published it. It is of some importance as it shows that plagiarisn occurred in both directions between American and British glassworks. Probably the best known example in the opposite direction is Opaline Brocade by Walsh.
Bernard C. 8)
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Peter - Thank you for the link :P I was able to find an image of the stained glass window mentioned. Its looks stunning. Hopefully I will get to actually see it one day - as well as visit the newly refurbished Grace Darling Museum which opens in 2007. Its now on my list of 'places to visit.'
Bernard - Many thanks as always for your help and much respect to you and Tom Bredehoft for your research and important findings 8) Its great to know that the smaller one is also by Edward Bolton. My boats lovely lovely together, and I will use them to hold small flowers. :P
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A little more on the GRACE DARLING BOATS
http://www.vaselineglass.org/gracedarling1.jpg
These three boats are all the same size, about 11 1/2" long. All have the marking on the bottom side AND are marked on the stern too. The stern marking has GRACE DARLING pressed on the inside, and it is printed in reverse, to be read through the glass from the rear of the boat. The Rd. number is below that, but is read from the inside. It reads: Rd. No 39414. This is the DESIGN registration. This is from the
On the inside bottom of the boat, there is the NAME registration. here is a foil rubbing for the NAME registration (from the bottom of the boat):
http://www.vaselineglass.org/gracedarling2.jpg
All three of these boats have markings, but some are not pressed as nicely as the one in PRIMROSE PEARLINE (the middle one).
The Colorless boat and the amber boat both have GRACE DARLING in reverse on the stern and has the Rd 23527 on the stern (as opposed to the inside bottom of the boat) and has no markings on the bottom of the boat.
John Bell ("The Glass Man") has the 13" version for sale on his website (in Primrose Pearline) and his narrative states that it is marked with both versions of the Rd. Numbers (one for design, one for name).
A friend of mine also bought a 6 3/8" version on ebay. no mention in the ad if it had any Rd. markings, but it was primrose pearline, a color that was not made by the Hobbs, Brockunier Co, in this shape.
I have also seen a photo of a blue Grace Darling Boat that was marked as such.
Dave Peterson
aka: Mr. Vaseline Glass
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Sorry, I have only just noticed this thread (where have I been?)
I have a rose pink boat 11" (purchased in Gateshead some 6 years ago) at a market. It has GRACE DARLING moulded in reverse on the stern, and the RD 39414.
On the inside of the base is the RD 23527 and the words GRACE DARLING BOAT, as in Dave's foil rubbing.
Glen
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http://www.pressglas-korrespondenz.de/aktuelles/pdf/pk-2004-1w-billek-grace-darling.pdf
:wink: