February 2002 Cloud Glass Newsletter

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In This Issue:

  • Website updates

  • Fairs report

  • The 'Everest' Ashtray

  • Cloud Glass on Ebay

  • The early years of George Davidson & Co. Ltd

  • Reports from the Pottery Gazette

Cloud Glass Website

Only a few minor updates to the site this month. I have been preparing the rest of the Davidson Catalogue, which I hope to include over the next few months.

Antique Fairs  

Despite the wind and rain I managed to get to the Swinderby Antique fair which occurs the weekend before the massive Newark fair. This proved to be an excellent fair for unusual Cloud Glass and Davidson pieces. The first unusual piece was an Octagonal Purple Cloud bowl. Despite being sold with a Davidson Flower Dome and Plinth I do not believe it to be by Davidson. It is not an attractive piece, and I cannot decide who made it. The second unusual Cloud Glass piece was a pair of green Cloud Glass Candlesticks. I bought them thinking they were from the 330 Trinket set. It was not until I got home that I realised they were different. Firstly the top of the candlestick was round, unlike the 330 which has three flat and three curved edges. Secondly the 330 candlesticks have a small step on the base of the raised moulding and these do not.  Finally these candlesticks have a neck towards the top, whereas the 330 candlesticks do not.  I do not know who made these candlesticks. Both items will be appearing on the ‘Cloud Glass of Unknown Origin’ page shortly.

For non-Cloud Glass I found a wonderful 7.5” 269/12 Amberina bowl. This is only the second piece of Davidson Amberina I have come across; the other was a 283 bowl. This is a really attractive piece. Deep ruby red at the base and a wonderful golden yellow at the rim. To round off the day I discovered an old 1910 pattern flint salad bowl with the registered design number showing faintly in the base. The 1910 pattern has a simple elegance when seen in plain flint glass.

Talking of the 1910 pattern, a Blue Cloud Glass 1910BD bowl has recently gone through Ebay, which had the Registered design number in the base. This was the first 1910 Cloud Glass piece that I have ever seen with a registered design number. It caused a lot of interest on Ebay.

The Everest Ashtray

When I last updated the site, I added a new ashtray to the Davidson ashtray page. This ‘Everest’ ashtray has a patent number on the base ‘887277’ (the first two numbers are not clearly moulded). This patent number does not appear to be English!! I have tried looking for every possible combination, but cannot find it in the Patent records. So where was this ashtray patented? Interestingly Jobling sold a similar looking ashtray that they also claimed was patented. Another mystery.

Cloud Glass on Ebay

The table below lists the items that were auctioned on Ebay in January. In interpreting the table please note the following:  

  1. I have only included items which are available to the UK

  2. Sale prices are in pounds sterling. A sale price of zero denotes the item did not have any bids or failed to reach the reserve price.  

  3.  Identification is based on the photographs and descriptions given. I cannot guarantee my interpretation is 100% accurate.  

  4. The table has been sorted by item type and colour  

  5. ‘Complete’ applies to Flower sets and trinket sets and denotes whether the set was complete  

  6.  No regard has been made as to condition  

Description

Colour

Complete

Sale Price

EbayItemNo

End Date

Source Country

Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed lot inc violet tray

 

No

£513.04

1319270954

14/01/2002

AUS

Mixed lot inc violet tray

Unknown

Amber

No

£18.75

1323674168

22/01/2002

UK

No picture

Top part of Saturn lamp

Amber

No

£38.97

1319429123

14/01/2002

UK

Top part of Saturn lamp

3.5” dome + 5.5” plinth

Blue

No

£18.74

1325899065

29/01/2002

UK

3.5 dome + 5.5 plinth

279 - 6" Vase

Amber

No

£27.24

1324315606

29/01/2002

AUS

 

279 - 6" Vase

Blue

No

£43.14

1319814138

15/01/2002

UK

 

279 - 6" Vase

Green

No

£43.14

1319581513

15/01/2002

NZ

 

279 - 8" Vase

Amber

No

£0.00

1503870312

25/01/2002

UK

 

279 - 8" Vase

Blue

No

£58.00

1324851088

27/01/2002

UK

 

279 - 8" Vase

Orange

No

£33.94

1325753406

31/01/2002

NZ

 

279 - 8" Vase

Orange

No

£181.00

1326660416

31/01/2002

AUS

 

1910 MD Flower Set

Amber

No

£5.50

1320201404

16/01/2002

UK

Not Sure. No Flower Support or Plinth

1910 MD Flower Set

Amber

No

£24.35

1322437150

15/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

1910 MD Flower Set

Amber

No

£21.41

1315654426

04/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

1910 MD Flower Set

Blue

No

£24.84

1319195243

14/01/2002

CAN

No Flower Support or Plinth

1910 SD Flower Set

Amber

No

£0.00

1325900946

29/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

No 1 Vase

Amber

No

£18.23

1321437009

22/01/2002

UK

 

21 Flower Set

Topaz-Briar

No

£32.01

1319814560

15/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support or Plinth

20 Flower Set

Purple/Amethyst

No

£17.51

1323285251

23/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support or plinth

1910 BD Flower Set

Amber

Yes

£17.67

1325660639

29/01/2002

AUS

 

1910 BD Flower Set

Amber

Yes

£19.09

1324283319

26/01/2002

AUS

 

1910 BD Flower Set

Blue

Yes

£23.00

1324779977

23/01/2002

UK

 

283 - 3" Powder Jar

Amber

No

£15.00

1316318664

09/01/2002

UK

Pair, no lids

283 - 5" Powder Jar

Amber

No

£9.99

1319084637

13/01/2002

UK

 

283 - 5" Powder Jar

Blue

No

£33.66

1325844406

23/01/2002

UK

 

283S - 2.5" Candlesticks

Amber

No

£16.00

1320060110

19/01/2002

UK

 

283S - 2.5" Candlesticks

Green

No

£8.77

1323662603

24/01/2002

UK

Single

No 3H Dome 4"

Amber

No

£10.87

1321922115

20/01/2002

UK

 

No 3H Dome 4.5"

Purple/Amethyst

No

£7.36

1321887405

20/01/2002

UK

 

Lotos 31436 - 19cm Vase

Topaz-Violet

No

£198.67

1322900347

23/01/2002

AUS

 

S/696 D 10"

Purple/Amethyst

Yes

£26.00

1316321611

03/01/2002

UK

 

50 Vase

Blue

No

£42.00

1320643721

15/01/2002

UK

 

51 Vase

Amber

No

£12.50

1316293395

06/01/2002

UK

 

283 - 5" Bowl

Amber

No

£2.00

1326437155

28/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

283 - 8" Bowl

Amber

No

£19.00

1325591024

28/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

326 Candlesticks

Amber

No

£15.09

1323555101

24/01/2002

UK

Pair

1907 TD 5" Flower Set

Amber

No

£10.87

1323285057

23/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

1907 TD 5" Flower Set

Amber

No

£0.00

1503540446

27/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

712 10" Vase

Orange

No

£263.45

1324154091

28/01/2002

AUS

 

10/1910 Flower Set

Green

Yes

£0.00

1324324205

26/01/2002

AUS

no bids

248 D Flower Set

Amber

No

£12.50

1319796364

13/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support or Plinth

5P Trinket Tray

Amber

No

£0.00

1319110889

14/01/2002

UK

Chipped

Sowerby Ashtray

Purple/Amethyst

No

£10.50

1316972578

08/01/2002

UK

 

1910 MG Flower Set

Amber

No

£0.00

1314112763

01/01/2002

AUS

No Flower Support

34 SD 9.5" Flower Set

Amber

No

£0.00

1324327656

26/01/2002

AUS

 

24 Hexagonal 11" Flower Set

Amber

Yes

£0.00

1314572920

03/01/2002

UK

 

No 3H Dome 3.5"

Blue

No

£11.14

1324429763

26/01/2002

UK

 

No 3H Dome 3.5"

Purple/Amethyst

No

£0.00

1316236378

06/01/2002

UK

 

No 3H Dome 3.5"

Purple/Amethyst

No

£10.00

1323754118

24/01/2002

UK

Frosted

No 3H Dome 3.5"

Green

No

£11.34

1314754634

03/01/2002

UK

 

Aphrodite Oval Bowl

Sepia

No

£46.94

1315742705

04/01/2002

USA

 

25 Octangonal Flower Set

Orange

No

£300.00

1316156616

06/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support or Plinth

1910 D 11" Flower Set

Amber

No

£19.00

1317242679

09/01/2002

UK

No Flower Support

700 D 12" Flower Set

Orange

No

£193.64

1317380787

09/01/2002

AUS

No Flower Support, Added Black Plinth

No 2 Cigarette Box

Blue

No

£119.24

1321080627

18/01/2002

UK

 

732 F 9.5" Flower Set

Amber

Yes

£19.99

1321381800

19/01/2002

UK

Not Sure

No 27 Boat shaped bowl 14" * 6"

Amber

No

£21.84

1503822391

25/01/2002

AUS

 

No 8 3.0" Semi-dome

Blue

No

£17.95

1324426005

26/01/2002

UK

 

The early years of the Geo Davidson Company Ltd

The Davidson family firm became a limited company on the 26th October 1934. The newly formed company had a share issue of £75,000 divided into 75,000 £1 shares. The two subscribers to the new company were Thomas Davidson of the Teams Glass Works, Gateshead and Claude L Fraser (Thomas’s nephew) of 2 Sturdee Gardens, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From the start Thomas wanted to maintain control over his family business, and this right was written into the Articles of Association:-  

The share for which Thomas Davidson of 18 Percy Gardens, Tynemouth has signed the Memorandum of Association shall, whilst registered in his name, confer on him the right at every General Meeting to 3 times as many votes as are conferred by all of the other shares for the time being issued.

  And later:-

   The said Thomas Davidson shall be the Governing Director of the Company and Chairman of the Board of Directors until he resigns the office or dies or ceases to hold at least one share of the Company …. And all of the other Directors shall be under his control and shall be bound to conform to his directions in regard to the Companies Business.

Thomas was in control of both day-to-day running and at shareholder meetings.

At the first shareholders meeting, the National Provincial Bank Ltd was appointed as Company Bankers. T D Galloway was appointed Company Secretary and Thomas Lambert the Company Solicitor.  The initial allocation of Company shares went to Thomas Davidson (27,999), Claude Fraser (9,999), M Macintyre (10,000) and Miss D Fraser – Claude’s sister - (10,000).

Davidson performed well as a limited company, always making a profit and issued dividends of between 7.5% and 20% per annum. As the post depression economy picked up, demand for glassware improved. Davidson introduced many new lines and colours, winning a Diploma of Merit at the Paris Exposition in 1937 for their range or royal blue domestic glassware. Advertising was not high on Davidson’s agenda. They only spent between £100 and £150 per year on advertising. This compares with £250 per year spent on the their stand at the British Industries Fair.

Success did bring its own problems. In 1939, the Japanese started to copy the 255 Barrel Can (Registered Design No 802751) and sell it a lower cost in the Australian market. Davidson decided to register some of the new designs in Australia to protect that market and in late 1940 W Hills of their Australian Agents, T W Heath was granted Power of Attorney to sign documents relating to Design registration. In 1933 Davidson had bought the sole rights to the Chippendale range of glassware, paying £3,000 for the moulds. Despite being very successful in the UK, and copied by most other manufacturers, it did not sell well in Australia. In 1938 T W Heath & Co was granted an extra 10% commission to help establish the range in Australia.

On the first of February 1938, the Davidson Company employed their first designer W J G Fullerton, who designed some of their more popular ranges including the ‘Ripple’ pattern and the ‘Van Vase’. Actually Claude Fraser wanted to employ a designer who could also help at on the technical side as well. Fullerton was only with the company for 10 years. In 1947 he was told to look for alternate employment, as there was insufficient work for him at the Davidson Company.

The workforce benefited from Davidson’s prosperity. In 1937, the year that Thomas Davidson died, the company ran a trial for holiday with pay, which soon became available to all. In 1938 they introduced a pension scheme, putting £1,000 into the scheme in the first year.

The Davidson Company had many local problems to deal with, all of which required money. For example money was put aside each year to cover repairs to the Quay. The opening of the new Trading Estate, which changed the flow of the river, cause the company to take out extra flood insurance in 1938 at a cost of £70 per annum. The state of the buildings was also a constant source of concern. In 1937 the estimated cost of repairs amounted to between £25,000 and £35,000. This high cost caused them to consider moving to the new Trading Estate, but this was rejected when the cost was calculated. For a number of years the company put off any decision about the building repairs, each year they considered new alternatives and estimates. Eventually the war intervened and no work was carried out until after the war.

The Davidson board found that year on year the difference in value between the glass produced and the glass in the packing room was running at over 20%. The difference was put down to breakages, bad work, trial pieces, experiment, stock breakages and theft. This high loss rate could not be sustained, and so in 1938 a ‘Progress Manager’ was appointed to improve the manufacturing process and reduce this wastage. This was very successful and the loss rate was reduced to only 2.4% in 1941 as can be seen in the table below:

 

Year

Value of Glass Produced  
£

Value of Glass Packaged  
£

Difference  
£

Difference
%

 

 

 

 

 

1934

134,850

98,050

36,800

26.5

1935

124,400

97,800

26,600

21.4

1936

135,600

106,100

29,500

21.8

1937

135,300

114,300

21,000

15.5

1938

143,750

111,000

32,750

22.8

1939

122,125

105,326

16,799

13.75

1940

130,378

113,489

16,889

12.15

1941

112,724

110,016

2,708

2.4

And this was achieved with out the need for “Management Consultants”!!

Although Davidson regarded themselves as makers of domestic glassware, about 40% of their production was for specialist glassware or domestic products for other companies such as Clayton Meyers. One of their largest customers was Holophane. Davidson had been making illuminating glassware for Holophane since the late 19th century; the first moulds for Holophane were made on 23rd July 1896. In 1940 Holophane considered acquiring a financial stake in the Davidson Company – a proposal which was rejected by the company.

Other pre-war customers included Cadbury’s Chocolate and John Smith’s Tadcaster ales.

Reports from the Pottery Gazette

In 1931 Davidson introduced ‘Jade’ at the British Industries Fair. Their display impressed the Gazette reporter, who produced quite a long piece in the report on the BIF. The gazette also introduced an error, stating that amber was the first cloud colour. The report wrote:

Geo Davidson & Co., Teams Flint Glass Works Gateshead-on-Tyne, occupied a spacious stand of dignified characteristics, which was concerned with a wonderful display of pressed glass for both useful and decorative purposes. Of plain white moulded ware for ordinary table uses there was a powerful assortment, but from a spectacular point of view the coloured glasses, were perhaps, the principal feature. We have watched with interest, over a period of years, the gradual evolution of the coloured glasses in the pressed ware of Gateshead, and we are inclined to think there is nothing more wonderful that one could relate in connection with the recent development of popular-priced glassware in England. When the plain amber glass first made its appearance trade buyers hesitated momentarily, wondering whether it would “go” or not.  They felt their way cautiously until they were assured that the public was ready for it .It was with greater courage that the cloud effects were taken up as they came along – first the amber cloud, then the mauve, followed by the blue cloud. A year ago saw the advent of a brilliant scarlet, networked in black, and this year witnesses the marketing of still another colour – this time a beautiful jade. We congratulate Davidson & Co upon the way this was displayed. An alcove, having a background of black velvet, was entirely reserved for a full range of this new jade colouring, and we have grounds for believing that it was one of the talks of the fair. Retailers will do well to make a note of the value of this process of isolating a line that is powerfully individualistic. We have often urged that a window, or a section of window, should be draped off to display a particular line of goods that has its own definite message to convey. And certainly this is the case in regard to these glasses of unique colouring. Taking a broad general glance at the entire exhibit of the Teams Flint Glass Works, one was satisfied that considerable progress is being realised, and that this progress is based definitely upon the changing moods of the retailers and the general public. No longer can it be said that our English manufacturers of pressed glass are not impressionistic.

The British Industry Fair was not always popular with the salesman who had to be on duty all day, particularly after the public were allowed in. In 1931 a prominent pottery manufacturer gave the following analysis of how he spent his time

10 %     Dusting  
20 %     Sitting or standing idle  
5 %      Eating (including smoking)  
5 %      Grousing  
10%      Trying to distinguish buyers from members of he public  
10%      Selling to the lady “who only wants one” generally introduced by some so-called friend of the firm  
10%      Discussing the history, value, and possibility of “matching up” with the lady who has a set that has been in the family umpteen years  
5 %      Explaining the difference between earthenware and china  
5%       Directing people to another stall  
10%      Waiting for so-and-so who was “going to come in again” and didn’t

And Finally

That’s all for this newsletter. If you have anything to include in the next letter, then please email info@cloudglass.com.

Best Wishes,

Val & Chris


Copyright (c) Chris and Val Stewart 2002