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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Heidimin on April 12, 2007, 08:17:18 AM

Title: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Heidimin on April 12, 2007, 08:17:18 AM

I've been trying to get a clear picture of which designs AHW produced for Bagley, and wondered if anyone here could help. So far I've got the following:

Bagley Glass, Angela Bowey, Derek & Betty Parsons:

Marine bowl (pattern no 3000, RD 798843, 1934)

Leaf vase (pattern no 3001, RD 798844, 1934)

Starbeck vase (pattern no 8833, RD 785064, 1933) – possibly AHW

sketchesfor two book ends (not clear they were ever produced)

Miller’s 20th Century Glass, Andy McConnell: “Bagley’s most stylish designs were commissioned from Royal College lecturer Alexander Hardie Williamson. The full extent of his involvement remains uncharted, although it is safe to link Bagley’s best 1930s range to his drawing board.”:

Marine bowl (pattern no 3000, 1934)

Grantham clock and vases (pattern no 334, 1934)

Wyndham flower set, vase, clock and trinket set (pattern no 1333, RD 790482, 1933)

Bamboo vase and clock (pattern no 3007, 1933)

Bedford vase (pattern no 3057, 1934)

candlestick (pattern no 3002, 1935)

lamp and centrepiece (pattern no 3003, advertised in 1934) – probably AHW

trinket set (pattern no 3008 , advertised in 1934) – probably AHW

Tulip lamp (pattern no 3025, 1936) – probably AHW

20th Century Factory Glass, Lesley Jackson: patterns produced by AHW in 1934-5 include:

Marine bowl (pattern no 3000, RD 798843, 1934)

trinket set (pattern no 3002)

Butterfly table centrepiece (pattern no 3003)

Bamboo (pattern no 3007)

The Art of Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco, Victor Arwas:

Vase with koala bear design in amber, model by Alexander Hardie Williamson, c. 1935 (Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford)

http://www.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN1901092003&id=bZsuJ90UAtIC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&ots=Xn-KPn9eKk&dq=%22hardie+williamson%22&sig=qb8GiwHv9NHMWSod3FtuXi1ioX0 (http://www.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN1901092003&id=bZsuJ90UAtIC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&ots=Xn-KPn9eKk&dq=%22hardie+williamson%22&sig=qb8GiwHv9NHMWSod3FtuXi1ioX0)

Hope this isn't too much info for this time of the morning! Thanks in advance,

edited to try to get bullets to behave themselves - unsuccessfully - sorry!
Edited to correct Lists - is this correct? David

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Angela B on April 12, 2007, 12:42:38 PM

Hi Heidimin,
The next edition of our book on Bagley Glass (Angela Bowey and the Parsons) will have a section on A H Williamson, so I'd be grateful if this information is credited to us if it is quoted:

The patterns which I believe were designed by AHW are:
-Pattern 3000 - the Marine Bowl - we have scans of the design drawings with his handwriting and his name and address on the back.
-Owl book ends (no pattern number that we know) - because of the high quality of the design and the fact they were registered at the same time as the Marine Bowl with consecutive Rd number (798842)
-Pattern 3001 - the Leaf Vase - again we have scans of the design drawings
-Pattern 3002 - the Whitby trinket set - because of the design number and the quality of the design
-Pattern 3003 - the butterfly lamp and large bowl  - because the base of the lamp has the AWH leaf design as on pattern 3001, and because of the design number
-Two designs for book ends for which we have scans of the design drawings with AHW writing and his address and reference numbers. Physical examples have so far never been found so they may not have been produced.

Then moving onto the items that MAY have been designed by AHW, but for which there is no proof:
- Pattern 3006 - the "Ripon" art deco powder bowl (because of the pattern number and the date it was introduced - early 1935)
- Pattern 3007 - the Bamboo vase and clock (ditto)
- Pattern 3008 - the Filey trinket set (same reasons)
- Pattern 3010 - the Elf posy vase with its Pelican centre piece (same reasons)

Then I think we would be stretching it too far to include these, but they are possibles:
- Pattern 3012 - the mushroom flower displayer (because of the pattern number and its a neat idea and very unusual)
- Pattern 3013 - the "Pontefract" bowls in 3 sizes and a small vase (because of the pattern number)
- Pattern 3014 - the Gumleaf flower trough (because of the pattern number)
- The Koala Bear Vase (no pattern number that we know of) - because of the quality of the design and its frequent association with the Gumleaf trough.

We are learning all the time, so if anyone has any proof of AHW designs for Bagley other than the things I have mentioned, I'd be really pleased to hear of it.

Best wishes
Angela Bowey

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Bernard C on April 12, 2007, 02:44:08 PM

Heidi — The 3000 Marine Bowl and the 3001 Leaf Vase are popularly held to have been designed by AHW.   I have seen no evidence for this, but Richard van Riel, curator of Pontefract Museum, assures us in his article on Bagley in Dodsworth, British Glass between the Wars, 1987, that it is so, so he must have seen evidence to this effect.

Richard van Riel also tells us that some half dozen designs were commissioned ... although not all were put into production.   Working out the other designs has been causing all sorts of difficulties since then.

The evidence of the new "3000 Series" pattern numbers is compelling, but how far do the AHW patterns go?   ... and do they form an unbroken series?

The PG February 1, 1935 advertisement is also useful, but it is difficult to work out how.   This launches the two above, the Owl Book Ends, the 1333 (Wyndham) Book Ends, and the 934 Lamp with the rim support for the shade (also known with a tilting shade with metal fittings similar but not identical to the Davidson Good Companion Lamp — but it is not known whether this version was supplied by Bagley).   This advertisement strengthens the case for an AHW attribution for the Owl Book Ends, but certainly does not confirm it.

I'm quite happy with this situation — that other Bagley designs were by AHW, but we just don't know what they are.   Had there been evidence I am sure Richard van Riel would have publicised this.

Note — this was written before Angela's contribution above.

Bernard C.  8)

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Heidimin on April 12, 2007, 04:21:37 PM

Thank you both for such detailed and thoughtful replies. I'll look forward to the new edition of the book, Angela - when is it due out? If I can be of any help with non-Bagley info about AHW, do let me know.

I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the picture of the Koala vase in the Victor Arwas book came from Broadfield House. Given that they inherited AHW's personal effects (glass and paperwork) after his death, I wondered if perhaps there was something there that confirmed the attribution?

Thank you again for taking the trouble to reply so fully - and if I cite any of the information elsewhere, I will of course credit accordingly.

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Angela B on April 12, 2007, 08:41:31 PM

Can someone tell me AHW's dates - when did he die and when did Broadfield House inherit his papers?
I didn't know about that and I will certainly follow it up.
Best wishes
Angela

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Heidimin on April 12, 2007, 11:30:59 PM

Hi, Angela.

AHW's dates are 1907-1994. After his death, his doctor contacted the V&A, who put him on to Roger Dodsworth at Broadfield House. All his glass collection and related papers went to BH, and the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester took materials relating to his textile designs. BH held an exhibition in 1996 and Roger Dodsworth wrote an account of the acquisition in an accompanying pamphlet, Slim Jims and Tubbies – The Life and Work of Designer Alexander Hardie Williamson. It's still advertised on the BH website, I believe for the princely sum of 50p, but when I contacted them, they sent it to me for free.

I can e-mail you some more detailed biographic information - it's currently in Powerpoint, but if that's no good to you, let me know and I can re-format to Word.

I've no idea whether the BH collection includes Bagley designs - I've been thinking about trying to get up there myself, but I'm only really getting to the stage where I know enough to know what I'm looking for, and real life has a nasty habit of getting in the way!

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Angela B on April 13, 2007, 05:40:04 AM

Hi Heidi,
That would be great. Powerpoint is no problem. My email is my full name in lower case with no dots no capitals and no spaces followed by @xtra.co.nz
I get a huge amount of spam - hence the code!!
All the very best
Angela
(Bowey)

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Bernard C on April 13, 2007, 07:51:03 AM

Heidi & Angela — Loose Ends:

Heidi, I would be grateful for a copy of your PowerPoint material on AHW if it would not be too much trouble.

Angela, I included that note about the 934 Lamp variant as I could not recall whether I had mentioned it to you before.   The shade is drilled like the Good Companion shade.   The Good Companion hinged fitting is diamond shaped, but the top part of this 934 fitting above the hinge is curved, following the profile of the bulb.   The two fittings were not made by the same company.    This is the only Bagley Table Lamp I know of where we don't know whether it was supplied by Bagley or by A.N.Other, who bought in the glass from Bagley.

My full list of non-Bagley Bagley table lamps is:

The Leek chrome Andromeda lamp for which Andromeda was specially made with a bayonet fitting,

The Zimmerman "Leaf" Tulip Lamp, and

A Tulip Lamp on a close fitted Bakelite plinth incorporating a switch, maker unknown.

Other than the Leek Andromeda lamp, of which I have seen or had through my hands some five or six, all the others are rarities.   The Zimmerman "Leaf" Tulip Lamp is quite magnificent;  I regret not buying it at the time.

Finally, Heidimin, my elder daughter, Heidimax, is getting married Saturday week ... along with moving house, having a baby, gaining a promotion at work, relocating offices, &c.   "Why Heidimax?" I hear you ask.   Well, Heidi is one quarter clan Maxwell, and proud of it.   Her grandfather hung a huge banner across the front of his Manchester home in 1953 accurately proclaiming "GOD BLESS QUEEN ELIZABETH I", which gained him some local notoriety.   Clan Maxwell comes with at least one ruined castle — Caerlaverock, but no dress tartan, as the only time they ever appeared on formal occasions was when they were being hung for cattle rustling.   I've been kitted out with a Maxwell tartan waistcoat for the wedding;  I wanted a first edition "Dark Side of the Moon" prism on the back, but they couldn't manage that!   

Bernard C.  8)

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: mhgcgolfclub on June 08, 2010, 03:25:28 PM

Found these today and thought they may be relevent to this topic.

My first thought was that they are Bagley and after a little research 100% sure they are.

They weigh a total of 1252 gm, length together of the 2 8.75" , height almost 5.5"

I think these bookends may be very rare and may have been designed by Alexander Hardi Williamson but of course I could be wrong.

The bookends look like they still have original pencil marks inside.

Roy

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Anne on June 08, 2010, 05:39:24 PM

Lovely, well found Roy. 

Shown in Bagley Glass, Bowey, Parsons & Parsons, pages 37/38, they are part of the Wyndham set, produced between 1933-1975. Book says they were shown in the 1936 catalogue in frosted amber and also featured in the Pottery Gazette in 1935. Book also shows them in frosted pink and says they are "comparatively rare".

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: mhgcgolfclub on June 12, 2010, 11:39:46 AM

Thank you Anne

Roy

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: Bernard C on February 23, 2011, 10:01:17 AM

At last — photographs of green and pink Bagley 934 lamps with the tilting shade referred to above.   See member Wayne's website page here (http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/artdeco_glass/bagley_glass/bagleyglass_home.htm), and scroll about one third of the way down.

My grateful thanks to Wayne for this independent evidence.   I'm quite sure that after so long some must have been starting to think that I suffer from an over-fertile imagination.

Only three lamps to go ...............

Bernard C.  ;D

Title: Re: Bagley designs by Alexander Hardie Williamson
Post by: mhgcgolfclub on March 02, 2022, 01:55:45 PM

A pair in frosted blue for reference.

Roy