NetworK Special: Sowerby Glass Works, May 2017
by Glen and Stephen Thistlewood
Totally Devoted to Carnival Glass
Totally Devoted to Carnival Glass
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We are delighted to bring you this NetworK Special – A Profile of the Sowerby Glass Works. It’s a pocket sized profile - short and to the point, with links to find out more at your leisure. We hope it will be a useful aide-memoire for collectors and we aim to create more of these pocket sized Profiles on other Carnival Glass factories for you. If you want to read and see more about Sowerby's Carnival Glass, the links are at the bottom of this NetworK Special. A Profile of Sowerby Glass Works Sowerby made some exceptional and exquisite Carnival Glass - in unique shapes and patterns - that is very sought after by collectors worldwide. They were a major exporter of glass all around the world, with Agents in Australia, USA and Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica and Argentina. As we have found out on our travels, their Carnival Glass can - and does - turn up almost anywhere! Full name: Sowerby’s Ellison Glassworks Limited. |
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Where located: Gateshead on Tyne (north east England)
When established/founded: early 1800s Trademark: a peacock head, moulded onto the glass (not all Sowerby pieces are marked this way) - see right. Carnival Glass production era: 1920s-1930s and again c 1960s. |
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Typical types and colours of Sowerby Carnival: bowls, table sets, vases, novelties and bonbons.
Carnival colours: marigold, amethyst, aqua and various shades of blue (rare), amber (rare), purple, black amethyst (rare), black (rare) and vaseline (rare). Most recognisable Carnival pattern: Diving Dolphins, with Sowerby's version of (Imperial's) Scroll Embossed interior. See right. |
Diving Dolphins bowls in amethyst (left) and amber.
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Most misunderstood Carnival pattern: Chunky, aka 2266, aka English Hobstar (see right). Proudest Carnival moment: Queen Mary’s visit to the Sowerby stand in 1930 (at the British Industries Fair in London) where she reportedly bought “a quantity of blue iridescent glassware for the table” (see below) 
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A two-tier Chunky epergne with !art deco" metalwork
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Longest serving employee: as reported in the Yorkshire Post, January 1936, the Duchess of Northumberland (on a visit to Sowerby’s) “met Mr. W. Cowan, the oldest employee, who is 82 years old. For 62 years he has repaired moulds at the same bench”.
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A display of Sowerby's Carnival Glass. Left: Diving Dolphins rosebowl shape, marigold. Centre, back: Sowerby Drape vase, black amethyst. Centre, front: Royal Swans posy in amethyst. Right: Covered Swan, marigold. |
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Read and See more about Sowerby's Carnival Glass
We have arranged our website so that each Carnival Glass maker has their own "Homepage" from which there are links to all the information we have about that maker elsewhere on the site.
Here is the link to the Sowerby Homepage.
Or ... you might want to follow up on the Stories Behind The Glass that we have featured above. Here they are:
Diving Dolphins and inspiration in Brighton: Inspirational Diving Dolphins.
Collectors Facts: The Ubiquitous Chunky!
Or ... just feast your eyes on some wonderful Sowerby Carnival in our Sowerby Carnival Glass Gallery.
We have arranged our website so that each Carnival Glass maker has their own "Homepage" from which there are links to all the information we have about that maker elsewhere on the site.
Here is the link to the Sowerby Homepage.
Or ... you might want to follow up on the Stories Behind The Glass that we have featured above. Here they are:
Diving Dolphins and inspiration in Brighton: Inspirational Diving Dolphins.
Collectors Facts: The Ubiquitous Chunky!
Or ... just feast your eyes on some wonderful Sowerby Carnival in our Sowerby Carnival Glass Gallery.
We hope you have enjoyed this NetworK Special. Do take a look at the unique information elsewhere on our website. We most certainly enjoyed researching it and recording it for Carnival Glass posterity!
If you have missed any issues of NetworK, read them all here: Back Issues
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