Topic: Sowerby tankard, dated 1887, marked PATENT 6937.

[agincourt17]

A glass tankard etched ESTHER / GREENWOOD / A /PRESENT /FROM / SALTAIRE / EXHIBITION / 1887. Stands just over 4 inches tall.

The inside base is marked with a Sowerby peacock head trademark above an embossed  PATENT / 6937 mark.

(Permission for the re-use of these images on the GMB granted by Simon Warden).

The Royal Yorkshire Jubilee Saltaire Exhibition 1887 took place to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Year.

The tankard (or ‘can’ as such items appear in Sowerby pattern books) would seem to be similar to that shown as pattern number 1826 on page 14 of pattern book XI (1885).

John George Sowerby, of Gateshead-On-Tyne, filed Patent 6,937 (dated 8 June 1885) relating to “…a new and useful Improvement in Moulds for Moulding Articles of Glass or other Ware …whereby I am enabled to make a handled glass mug or pitcher or similar article without any joints or mould-marks appearing upon its surface”; a detailed specification followed.

A patent for the same process was subsequently taken out in the US in 1887 (No. 357,867, dated February 15, 1887) – see:
http://www.google.com/patents/US357867

I have seen several items marked [Sowerby peacock head trademark] | PATENT, but this is the first I have come across one that specifically indicates the patent number.

Does anyone have other Sowerby items to show that are marked with a specific Patent number?

Fred.

[Paul S.]

regret I'm unable to help with your request Fred  -  but just thought I'd add to your very interesting words that it appears the decoration and text have been sand blasted - a process that was fairly commonplace with Sowerby.            Presumably through a stencil.