Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: josordoni on February 23, 2010, 11:59:56 AM
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I have recently bought a little batch of modern studio glass, some is easy, some is rather less well known, so I would be grateful if anyone can recognise the signature/style of these pieces.
This is a clear blown glass perfume bottle, very light and fine, signed to base. Approx height to rim (not inc stopper) 1.75 ins 40 mm
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Hi Lynne,
I read ´White´ as a surname in that signature. Not sure if that helps? :)
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Hi Dirk, yes I thought that too . Can't decide on the first part if it is a name or initials to be able to do any further research, White Studio Glass is bringing up too much on Google to sift it out (5,490,000 search results !!! :ac1:. )
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Continental 7 on the date but dont think that says a lot .
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Thanks JP, it all helps to put it together... I may have to put them all in a bag and take them to Cambridge next week!
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Hi Lynne
The sig looks to be GIL WHITE to me. Possibly C/GWL if initials.
Suzy x
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I can't see anything on Google or in any of my books for the suggestions made so far.
One little bump in case anyone else can throw any further light, and then it will have to just join MY collection rather than stock (oops... LOL )
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No clues from Cambridge then?
Suzy x
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I didn't get to Cambridge in the end ;(( Too much work to do, meant I just couldn't spare the day, I had to list instead. :((
Not happy about it, that is TWO Cambridges I have missed now. :( But the market is difficult, so we are working harder than before to stand still. Better do that than go down the same track as so many others.
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My guesses..............
~ CML
~ CWL (??)
And I thought the last name MIGHT BE * WAITE *, but this is JUST a guess........... :-\
...or WARTE, WARTO...... :spls:
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Hi
I had a look through for this when you posted and didn't find anything - I read it as Gil White or Eric? White - and just noted what fabulous handwriting. Even done on glass which must be very hard, it's a beautiful script.
I'll keep looking.
m
Just wondering - if it's that small and that light, is this like lampworked glass?
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The signature is Eric White. He created hand blown studio glass from a workshop I believe in Esher. There are three pieces displayed in the V & A. I have 17 beautiful pieces but have strangely never managed to find anything about him on the web. Would welcome any further information.
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Oh thank you so much! I wonder why there is no information about him anywhere?
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Just a bit of extra info to the thread, the V& A have a glass perfume bottle Eric White dated 1980 and it says lampworked.
and just found this on ebay apparently a Queens Jubilee perfume signed Eric White, shape of a crown, has it's own certificate of authentication signed Eric White and comes in a hard cardboard presentation box.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ERIC-WHITE-Ltd-Edition-Silver-Jubilee-Perfume-Bottle-/150540335011
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I have the same piece. I have a flyer with photo's of his work and a little bit about him but I've never been able to see any other info in books or online. the lady I purchased from originally said that perfume bottles had been commissioned for Princess Diana & Nancy Reagan, but I don't know if this is true. I can forward you a copy of my info if you would like. Regards
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could you take a copy and email it to me? I would be interested to see it, thank you
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thank you so much Liz, that is brilliant! there he is in all his delicate glory :)
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Just for the record, here are a couple of pictures of the Silver Jubilee PB. It is signed "Eric White 142/500 1978". I would love to know more about Eric if anyone can provide it. Thanks.
Anton
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I have some information on Eric White and I attach a flyer which illustrates his work and gives some info. The V&A purchased 3 bottles in 1980 one of which is a crown, two of the bottles remain on display in the glass section. The silver jubilee crowns were in several different designs, there was a limited edition of 500 of each design.
According to information in the bottle boxes Eric White was born in 1925, lectured in glass at Isleworth and had a studio at Hampton Court/Esher. Unfortunately there seems to be no information on him anywhere on the internet.
Liz
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Hi. I was looking online for some of Eric White's bottles because my kids were asking what these bottles looked like. We live in Eric's house in West Molesey, Surrey, right by Hurst Park. We bought the house after Eric died in 2013. He used to have his workshop in a small bedroom upstairs and the hole from his extractor is visible at the ceiling. Our neighbours who were friends with Eric tell us his designs were very beautiful. It was lovely to read your post, and i thought you might like to know the place were these lovely creations were made. If I find any more information, i will share it here. Best regards, Tereza
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Hi Tereza and welcome and thank you for adding information to the thread.
It's always lovely to hear more about the makers :)
m
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It is a pleasure! It was so wonderful to read about Eric's work a d see photos of his bottles. It is a bit sad that information is not available online for his work. I think he did not have children of his own, so there was probably not much family interest in preserving his legacy. My boys are very curious about his work so we will collect information and perhaps put up a webpage in his honour. Thank you again for hosting this wonderful message board! Tereza
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A photograph of Eric White here on page 7
Lecturer in charge of glassblowing classes at Isleworth Polytechnic
From The British Society of Scientific Glassblowers Journal Volume 11 no 1 - January 1973
http://www.bssg.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/Journals/1970-75/11_1_January_1973.pdf
He was Chairman of the B.S.S.G presumably in either 1972 or 1973 as on page 12 there is another photograph of him presenting a prize in his capacity as Chairman.
Fritz Akerboom was a member of the same society and on page 14 there is mentioned of the 12th Symposium of the B.S.S.G being held in September 1972 and Fritz Akerboom was on a stand there.
INfo on Fritz Akerboom here:
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,61737.msg347529.html#msg347529
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Thank you so much!! This is truly special! I will also share it with my neighbour who was Eric's friend. Seeing a photo of Eric is very moving! Best,.Tereza
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I can imagine :) and you're welcome.
There may not be much more public information out there and links do disappear so if you can print it off that's probably best if you want to keep the info.
I have found another issue with an Obituary and some written memories of Eric's life here - from page 70 onwards:
https://docplayer.net/124001347-British-society-of-scientific-glassblowers.html
m
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I'm going to post the first pages of the Obituary here (mods - if this needs to be deleted for copyright I apologise). On the following page 72 on the link there are two memoirs about Eric. I've not copied those here.
Source:
April 2013 Volume 51 No 2 - British Society of Scientific Glassblowers Journal
https://docplayer.net/124001347-British-society-of-scientific-glassblowers.html
Quote from Source linked above:-
70
'Eric was born in London in 1925 and died at home on Monday 21 January 2013.Eric White – A celebration of his life:In 1939 Eric went to The National Glass Industry where he was trained by the German glassblowers A.M.Kahl and W.G.Gerlach.1947 saw him working at Baird and Tatlock a laboratory supply house in their glass workshop as a glass blower.Thenin1954Ericwentto work at Imperial College in London in their glass workshop.
In1962Eric moved to Battersea College, which later became Surrey University where he set up their glass blowing laboratory, and moved to Guildford in Surrey.Eric started working at Isleworth Polytechnic College in 1965 as a lecturer in glass blowing. It was here that he started the glass department which taught Scientific Glass Blowing linked to the Isleworth Syllabus, the Glass Manufacture and Processing to the City and Guilds Syllabus and also the BSSG Examinations. After several years a Glass Art Department was formed by Eric where he taught etching, sand blasting, stained glass and the use of bench burners in making animals and bottles.
He also made various pieces of glass ware for the television science history programmes and taught John Noaks to work glass which was shown on the BBC children's television programme, “Blue Peter,” filmed at Isleworth Polytechnic.Eric was one of the founding members of the BSSG, Chairman of the Society and was on the Council for many years representing the Southern Section of the BSSG.
71
When Eric retired from teaching he started his own business making perfume bottles which were sold in Harrods and other specialist shops all over Great Britian. Some of Eric's work was for special commissions which went all over the world. He had a small shop within a shop near Hampton Court where his bottles where sold. Eric went to various large stores and craft fairs to sell his bottles and also to demonstrate his glass working.In 1973 some of Eric's work was displayed in an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in 1977 some of his work was displayed in an exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. The Victoria and Albert Museum bought several of Eric's perfume bottles for the museum's collection in 1980.In 1981 several of the perfume bottles were included in an important British Design Exhibition touring overseas, sponsored by the British Government.When Eric finally retired he was living near Hampton Court by the River Thames and enjoyed walking his dogs along the river bank and meeting other dog walkers and chatting to them.'
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A little more information:
In the Obituary it says:
'In 1939 Eric went to The National Glass Industry where he was trained by the German glassblowers A.M.Kahl and W.G.Gerlach.'
According to Grace's Guide in the 1951 Directory for the British Glass Industry, The National Glass Industry was:
'The National Glass Industry (Tottenham) Ltd
1 FOUNTAYNE ROAD, BROAD LANE, TOTTENHAM, LONDON, N.15. T.A., "Natglastry, Southtott, London". T.N., STAmford Hill 2444 and 1839. Established 1917.
Laboratory, scientific and medical (including lampblown) glassware and apparatus; Dewar flasks and vacuum vessels in ball and socket interchangeable ground joints; complete laboratory furnishers.
Trade Names: N.G.I.; Dewarex.
Directors: A. M. Kahl (Managing); W. G. Gerlach; L. C. Kahl.
Secretary: G. W. White.
See Advertisement, page 412.'
The Directors were the two people Eric trained under.
In 1947 Eric went to work at Baird and Tatlock. Info from Grace's Guide here on Baird and Tatlock:
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Baird_and_Tatlock_(London)
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Thank you! We must have found this page at the same time! I was just reading it online too and was about to post it here. :)
We will collect this info in one place for Eric, and keep it in our small bedroom where he used to work, as a tribute to his legacy. It is inspirational and a good record that should be at the house. In the obituary it notes that Eric taught at the University of Surrey, in Guildford where I also taught in political psychology until 2015! Life is full of surprises! When I visit again, I will check the library, there might be archived information there! Tereza
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And where my son completed his Masters in Mechanical Engineering just a few years ago :) He would have been there when you were teaching there.
I was just thinking that the library there would or should have info on Eric!
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Thank you also for the last post on the National Glass Industry! Amazing!!!
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It is indeed a small world! :) The mechanical engineering dept is a great one at Surrey Uni and I was walking every day by a lab they had building formula one cars! Congratulations on your son! A strong degree like that provides good opportunities :)
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he was in that lab doing that building :) but not Formula one cars - The Formula Student cars.
He had many extremely happy years there and very fond memories.
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Hi Tereza, very interested that Eric White's studio was in West Molesey, I always wondered where he created his pieces. It's so nice that you're thinking of putting together some information about him, I've always felt disappointed that such wonderful work has gone almost unnoticed. I have many of his little bottles and would be happy to send you photographs if you'd like?
Kindest regards Liz
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Hi all, I've been reading this topic and the new information with great interest, as some of you may guess (given my passion for all things to do with trinket sets and perfume bottles). It would be good to be able to add Eric White to the Glass Trinket Sets (GTS) website where the information would reach a wider audience too. May I use photos and text from your posts here to build an entry for him on the GTS website please? Credit for research done would, of course, be given on the website.