Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Animals & Figurines => Topic started by: Angela B on May 07, 2009, 03:43:24 AM
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For some time now I have been working on a book about "London Lampworkers in the 20th Century". I have spoken to many people who worked as lampworkers or were related to people who were, but it occurs to me that there may be members of the GMB who were themselves lampworkers or who know people who were.
I've stretched my definition of London a bit, to include the South of England. So if anyone can help me with more information, or with pictures of their items or their studios or their artists that I can include in my book, I'd be really pleased to hear. Bimini/Orplid and Pirelli are the two obvious ones, but there were many more little factories and studios that I know existed.
I hope some of you can help. It was a fascinating piece of history that I want to record.
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Hi
I guess the great Billy Swingewood just misses your scope -he seems to have produced almost exclusively for Thomas Goode in the West End of London but alas was based at Stevens and Willams (c1930s)
cheers
Mike
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There was one in Dunster, Somerset, in the 1960s. A holiday treat was going down to peer at him working through the shop window.
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I have this really vague recollection of one who used to work in (I think) Southend, Essex. Christine jogged my memory - as kids, we used to watch him through the shop window.
Christina.
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Thank you so much for that information. Does anyone have any photos of these shops where lampwork was being made?
I believe there was one in Brighton too.
And Billy Swingewood - was he doing lampwork for himself to sell or for S&W? How could I find out more about him?
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Bill (or Billy) Swingewood
was as far as I know a Steven and Williams Employee (probably the only lampworker working for a major UK glass works in the 30s)-there's not much on him printed
There's a few of his pieces on my selling website
Charles H's - book on British 20th Century glass, which is due out in a few months will have probably the first real mention of him -and yes it was Charles that told me about him
cheers
Mike
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Hi Mike,
Wow those are nice. I bit too much for me to spend just now though. Would it be possible to come and see them when I'm in the UK next month? Maybe take some pics for my book?
Best wishes
Angela
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Hi
Yes of course you can come take photos -I have a few more in my own collection -similar lampwork figures but with more interesting marks (the Thomas Goode link)
Email me when and where you will be and we'll sort something for sure
I'm SW London (if your train bound easy to get to from Waterloo)
Cheers
Mike
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Angela, this topic may be of help too:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,9535.0.html
and about the Brighton lampworker, he was called Bill Axel and I have two pairs of his earrings as shown here: http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-230 and http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-232 - there's a film of him working linked from this topic: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,20151.0.html 8)
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Sincere thanks, Anne and Mike. That is really helpful.
That's a great piece of film.
Does anybody know what happened to Mick Munns, who moved from London to Norfolk some years ago? He had a lampworking studio in Norfolk I believe.
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One of the big queries I'm still trying to answer is "Who was Giovanni Pirelli?". I know the Pirelli tyre company was founded by a Giovanni B.Pirelli way back, but I'm pretty sure there is no connection between the Pirelli Glass company and the rubber company.
It has been suggested that Giovanni Pirelli was George Dunlop's idea of a joke (George = Giovanni; Dunlop= Pirelli)? :24:
Or even that it was an alternate name that he used before he founded Pirelli Glass, so that he appeared to be Italian.
But maybe he was a real person. Does anybody know?
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Hello. I just thought i'd say hello to all. Bill Swingewood was my Great Grandad. Glass making has been in my family for several generations. Sadly I don't own any of his glass as yet. Its getting very expensive to buy. I do have a single photo of my great grandad working at the BFI on the lamp. It would be great to see it published if anyone is interested.
Regards - Paul
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I recently found a tiny lampwork opalescent-point siamese cat - with a cranberry-flashed nose - it looks as if it belongs in the illustration of the Hill Houston catalogue on p.180 of Hajdamach.
I also have an Orplid bitton.
Will get pics.
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Hi Paul, and welcome to the board. Angela will, I'm sure, be delighted to hear from you about your great grandfather. I'll let her know you've posted here.
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Hi Paul
fantastic to hear about your Grandfather
I you don't own any Billy Swingewood Lampwork then I've definitley sold some to one of you cousins/uncles recently
I'd love to see a photo of you grandfather at work
cheers
Mike