Colin R Lattimore. Barrie & Jenkins 1979
Pressed glass collecting is hampered by the limited amount of information. This 1979 volume is available for a very low price and is one of the few volumes which deals exclusively with press-moulded glass in Britain.
Initially he goes through the methods of glass manufacture from before the press moulding era and then into how to identify pressed glass items, the effect of the glass tax and its repeal in 1845. The tax had a great effect on pressed glass as it was heavier than other types on average, and the lifting of the tax allowed the process to be used more widely. The position of the unions and the problem of worker drunkenness is also covered.
Chapter 2 discusses the additions to flint glass which were developed which allowed the huge range of colours and patterns to be produced. Early designs mimicked cut glass as that was the glass of the well off, to which the middle class aspired. This fashion faded and pressed glass developed in its own directions.
The next six chapters cover the major and minor manufacturers with which we are familiar:
- Sowerby
- Davidson
- Greener
- Burtles, Tate and John Derbyshire and Molineaux Webb and others
- W.H. Heppell, Edward Moore, Percival Vickers and others
The next chapters cover the design marks and trade marks, commemorative items, with the last chapter containing some tips on collecting. The book is finished off by a list of registration designs with dates and a list of patents.
For those of us interested in pressed glass this book is a very useful survey of the field with a good number of photographs including 12 colour plates.