Iridescent Glass

Iridescent Glass

Iridescent Glass

This superb art glass produced by Tiffany and Quezal started the fashion for iridescent glass in the United States of America, in the late 19^th century, which resulted numerous similar ranges in the early 20^th century

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Some were exclusive and expensive, such as those by A Douglas Nash, a former manager at Tiffany’s, other companies such as the Imperial glass company, developed iridescent art glass in a range of quality and price.

Many other manufacturers made and marked pieces resembling those by the leading makers.

These are sometimes attributed on the basis of style, but the price should reflect this, as it should for prices in the Tiffany style, where there is uncertainty over LCT Mark stop

Kew Blas art glass.

Iridescent Glass

The union class company, was established in 1851 in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Company president Julian de cordova modernised and re-equipped the glassworks and employed William S Blake as factory manager.

From about 1893 the glassworks began to produce to Ranges of art glass.

The iridescent range was called kew blas, as an anagram of W S Blake, and the named used as an engraved Mark on the base.

Of kew  blas art glass was influenced by Quezals art glass range and is dramatic rather than subtle, with symmetrical shapes and clearly defined feathered decoration executed in strong brilliant colours.

Iridescent Glass

I hope you have found this page on Iridescent Glass to be both informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach.

stained glass lamps

stained glass lamps

stained glass lamps

With the advent of domestic electric lighting, Louis comfort Tiffany was able to fulfil his desire to bring beauty into the average home  with his stained glass lamps that inspired similar ranges from other American manufacturers.

Tiffany’s experiments with new formulas for coloured glass resulted in a range of some 5000 different colours that were used from the 1890s, when Tiffany lamps first emerged, until the 1930s, when the company closed.

stained glass lamps

Where Tiffany led, others followed, and companies such as Handel, Pairpoint and Duffiner & Kimberly also produced stained glass light fittings, although their glass never quite matched the quality of Tiffany’s.

The table lamp designs gradually increased in complexity.

Early geometric patterns were regularly and symmetrical, often in just one or a few colours, and could be assembled on a wooden mould by most skilled draughtsman following a detailed pattern.

These patterns were gradually embellished with flower border’s and belts and scattered flowers ,often with irregular lower borders.

stained glass lamps

The natural designs with all over flowers, trees, are shrub patterns, or incorporating insects-demanded greater expertise, in both assembly and choice of glass.

The final stained lampshads are inspired and original paintings in glass.

There present a dazzling array of colour and texture and have eclectic. upper and lower borders.

stained glass lamps

Stained glass ceiling features were often more utilitarian, with the marked exception, of course, of the large con shaped shades.

These offered a broad surface for  the all important and elaborate designs.

I hope you have found this page on stained glass lamps


 to be both informative and helpful.

DEPRESSION GLASS

Depression Glass

From about 1930 to 1935 in the United states, mass production of machine made glass enjoyed a golden age.

 Depression Glass

At the height of the depression from which it took its name this glass is seen as an important part of American history.

Encouraged by the boom in glass buying in the 1920s, and the Pittsburgh glass exhibition of 1925, many glass factories committed themselves to machine made glass and invested in equipment moulds, and new technology.

Automatic production, instead of hand pressing liquid glass, could now be fed through pipes connected to automatic pressing moulds that could produce up to a staggering 35 items a minute.

Delicate patterns were produced using acid etched moulds, and elaborate pressed patterns and colours help to disguise the imperfections in the cheap quality glass.

Depression glass that was produced in vast quantities, countless patterns, and a variety of colours during the dark years of the depression.

 Depression Glass

It was used as premium  to promote products and services, collected with coupons, and sold at rock bottom prices in Department stores, some of which were selling a 20 piece set for under two dollars.

All types of tableware and kitchenware were produced, dinner services, luncheon sets, bridge sets, iced tea tumblers, banana split boats, candle holders, and candy dishes.

The colours brought relief from the gloom, and included varieties of yellows, blue, Amber, pink, green, cobalt, Burgundy, and amethyst.

 Depression Glass

Condition is critical as the thin, brittle glass was very vulnerable to damage, some of the quintessential Art deco designs that were less popular at the time are now particularly sought after.

Prices vary extremely from as little as one dollar right up to thousands of dollars depending on rarity, colour  and design.

I hope you have found this page on Depression Glass  to be both informative and helpful.

Whitefriars

whitefriars

Whitefriars

Identifying  whitefriars glass.

Whitefriars Glass was unmarked and unsigned only a very few pieces still retain the original paper labels with the image of the white friar.

However, the influential exhibition of Whitefriars Glass held in 1995 at the museum of London has generated some excellent, and  thoroughly  documented , and comprehensive reference books and catalogues.

Whitefriars

Which provide details of the  companies distinctive colour and range, as well as its designs from the earlier historical glass, through to the Scandinavian inspired range from the 1950s and 1960s.

The studio glass and its colour of the 1970s, makes it a whole lot easier to date the glass.

Geoffrey Baxter was a graduate of the Royal College of Art, Baxter was one of the pioneers of. Post-war modern British glass design.

Whitefriars

He joined Whitefriars in 1954 and immediately introduced designs for organic cased vases with a contemporary Scandinavian feel but a distinctly British character.

Baxter drew inspiration from the most familiar objects, walks through local woods inspired his experiments with homemade moulds, in 1967 his ingenuity, and curiosity, and determination resulted in what we now know as the bark lined moulds that launched the now iconic whitefriars textured vases.

Whitefriars

Geoffrey Baxters range of two- tone cased and coloured vases and bowls, which was developed in the 1960s, sometimes posed technical problems.

Some colour combinations were incompatible because of the different rates at which colours expanded and contracted.

Whitefriars

Blues and greens in aquamarine vases were particularly problematic marriage.

This combination almost always failed, the vases broke while cooling and had to be discarded.

To date, only six successful versions of this vases are known, which makes it extremely rare and sought after and expensive, you could expect to pay in 2013 £1000 £1200 aprox $1500-$1700.

Whitefriars

In the last couple of years I have seen particularly Baxters vases drop in price by almost 40% compared to what you would have paid in 2010.

I hope you found this page to be both informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach

Blochairn Car Boot Review

 My memories of Blochairn car boot can stretch black for nearly 20 years.

And this review is my opinion of the car boot from the perspective of a collectables and antique dealer

from both a traders point of view and also that of a picker and member of the public.

Blochairn car boot is now run by Glasgow Council, and one of the few car boots where you can pre-book your pitch.

You have the choice of either indoor or outdoor ,.allocation of space is quite strict and has been the cause of many local feud.

Blochairn are the fruit market as it’s known as also, is well established and has all the facilities one would expect or need.

My first experiences of  Blochairn was over a decade ago ,  arriving at 4 AM in the morning and queueing up in the hope of securing a prime pitch, in them days there was always a buzz about the place lots of dealers and pickers.

I suppose in reflection blochairn was at its peak of trading from my perspective.

My last visit was in 2012, and not getting their till after 7 AM I was very much surprised by the amount of available spaces, although it had been a long time since my last visit my first impression was business as usual.

After about an hour it was quite apparent that it was changed days, although I was delighted to renew many old friendships with past dealers, the market had lost charisma and instead had become a sad reflection of its former self.

The vast majority of Blochairn is just market traders, and I suppose the market is just catering for the  demands for that kind of goods, as Glasgow has become a more multicultural society trends at this car boot have changed and the fast majority of the public are just looking for day-to-day goods to get them through their daily life’s.

  I spoke dealers from the past, who informed their takings are very poor and picking is not much better.

So i for one, will be in no great hurry to return and if Blochairn car boot were a dog the kindest thing you could do would be to take it to the vets and have it put to sleep.

For those of you who like Pound shops and sure you’ll be very happy to go and fill your boots

please excuse the pun.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach.