Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: David E on February 04, 2006, 05:23:19 PM
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Chance Glass: Visit to Smethwick Heritage Centre, 3rd Feb 2006
Please note: With respect to any queries about specific designs and patterns, please keep replying on the ‘Cataloguing Patterns (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,3970.0.html)’ thread — which has been updated with fresh information. With thanks.
As usual I was afforded every courtesy and made to feel very welcome. As a charity the Centre is obliged to offer for inspection any archived material, including stock and information not currently on display, and this allowed me to view some data that is of more interest to the collector and researcher.
The following information will no doubt be of interest to some people:
Firstly, those items having a ‘Fiesta’ label are not made by Chance at all! On the demise of Chance Glass in 1981, Michael Joseph bought up the designs and continued manufacturing some of them, while creating fresh ones, under a new company called Fiesta Glass Ltd. Fortunately I should be able to identify the ‘post-Chance’ Fiesta Glass items even where a label isn’t available. It is interesting to note that the wide banded Handkerchief vase was actually made by Fiesta Glass, and some of the ‘Gingham’ patterns were kept going.
This is not to confuse ‘Fiestaware’ items produced by Chance from the early 1950s until closure — Fiesta Glass Ltd is a totally different company, formed c.1981.
While I never got round to inspecting the stock of Chance glass (all packed away), I do know they have several interesting items, some of which I will be photographing next week instead. From these it would appear the rare Night Sky pattern can be found on one of the Giraffe Carafes. The Centre also has a ruby intaglio vase – the first Handkerchief vases made, around 1958. There are also some other anomalies that are making me scratch my head! :?
I have now been able to identify several more patterns — and find several new ones! However, these new ones are probably all Fiesta Glass.
Other information on the early history of Chance Brothers makes interesting reading: they supplied all the glass for the original Crystal Palace, for the Great Exhibition in 1851 (fancy shipping all that glass down to London – by canal I assume).
"Its grandeur does not consist in one thing, but in the unique assemblage of all things. Whatever human industry has created you find here." Charlotte Brontë
Big Ben was another building glazed by Chance Brothers and there are photos in the Mirror For Chance book, c.1951, of two workmen at one of the clockfaces. I hope to obtain a copy of this book as it does contain a photograph of very early Fiestaware,
Broadfield House Glass Museum also have examples of Chance glass on their premises, and probably archive material, so I will book an appointment and pay a visit sometime. In particular I would want to see their piece of Orlak (essentially inexpensive heat-resistant ovenware) – made by Chance between 1929 and 1933 and extremely rare. Hopefully I’ll be allowed to photograph it as well.
SNIPPETS:
Chance produced a set of six paperweights; all clear glass with cut designs. I’ll post a separate message on the ‘weights forum.
The Handkerchief vases also had official names! To be posted on the other thread and my web site.
Any pressed glassware with a coloured band was made pre-war. If so, then it can only relate to the Spiderweb design (1934-on) as all other patterns date from 1949.
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Update, revisit 10th Feb:
90 photographs taken, many of which are now on the web site. Several new updates, including new patterns found; see ChanceGlass.net (http://www.chanceglass.net)