I retrieved some original Hukin / Dresseer registered designs for 1881 claret jugs from the National Archives. This threw up two insights. One being that the jugs were entered as “coffee percolators?” I am sure their radical design confusing the registrar. Also written below the designs is “metal protected only”, suggesting the bottle shapes could be copied, as we do see by other manufacturers of the period. Full details at this link.

Lilian Simpson was the star art school pupil who died whilst still a student. One of her very few completed works, fully documented in The Studio, is now listed and researched at this link.

A bit of random research has revealed that Fisher was commissioned to make two plaques for the Lusitania. See the atteched newspaper article. The Lusitania was sunk in 1915 quite probably taking the plaques with it, though just possibly they would have been removed on the ship’s conversion to a merchant ship for the war effort. I think you can see one of the plaques in the main lounge of the Lusitania in the attached image. The frame of the picture looks like Fisher’s work and I am guessing the figure is rising from the sea and hence the title “Theconquest of the sea”.

Recently listed are a striking spoon and knife set, inlaid with abalone and very much in the style of Mary Thew. Unmarked. But are they by little known Ida Heynes. See this link for full research.

I have listed another amazing jug in solid silver in this ancient form and updated my research into the Collection’s original Melillo askos. For that new research see this link.

I am delighted to have sold the Collection’s utterly brilliant Peter Wylie Davidson “swallow in clouds” brooch to Wylie Davidson’s descendants. Five of these brooches were made for the women in his family and this one has returned home. For details on the brooch see this link.

I am delighted to announce that the Collection’s Ashbee claret jug was voted “Best in Fair – Silver” at the LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair.

I will be exhibiting at the Berkeley Square Fair from September 26th – 1st October. Tickets and highlights can be hound at this link

I have been doing a little research into the Potteries Guild (also the Potteries Cripples Guild of Handicraft) , the forerunner of the Duchess of Sutherland Cripples Guild, and came across a 1904 newspaper reference (November 4th, The Clarion, page 5) “That the best work of the Potteries Guild is undoubtedly that made for the “Frame Food Factory“. Curious, I found that the Frame Food Factory was/is an outstanding building in Southfields SW18, built c 1903, to make baby food, now converted into flats. More details at this link. I have found no pictures of the interior but I assume the sculptural roof finials or spires visible in the images below are by The Potteries Guild.

A wonderful new book has been published by the collector John Davis “20th Century British silver caddy spoons and spoons”. The introduction being by myself and published below. If you are interested in a copy simply email me.