Using Glasscatalogue.com

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Category: Discussion

Published on Monday, 10 September 2012 13:10

Written by Frank Andrews

Hits: 1905

Using the Glass Catalogues

A lot of work has been invested in restoring images from, tears, stains, printing defects and decay. Where there was insufficient information to restore a portion of the image that part remains untouched. The site is intended to give authors a rich good quality source for their publication for a marginal cost. Large versions suitable for print are available at nominal cost. Please discuss your use for approval before taking the images, at the very least we require a credit to this site and Frank Andrews. Whole catalogues may not be reproduced without special consent. Websites will be authorised to include images in articles but not catalogue databases. 

Organisation

Every item is in at least four categories: Catalogue Name, Type of Glassware, Region and date.

Spelling is as found in original catalogues, only corrected where obviously an error. A conventional spelling will be added to the description for keyword searches e.g. Carafe. If the catalogue did not give a name/description, an appropriate name will be given to the piece.

Sizes are as given and where they have been measured from the page this is because the scale of the images is known or given. In some cases an example was available to measure. All glass measurements are approximate. Errors in original metric/imperial units are noted. Conversions have not been added if not in original catalogue.

Whisky tumblers may appear under Spirit/Liquor and Tumblers. Port, Sherry and Champagne glasses under Wine glasses. Cocktail glasses are listed under spirit/liquor.

When browsing you can select a number of different orderings, SKU will usually give the original catalogue pagination. Note where items occur more than once in a catalogue, the first example only is listed... but the other images added to that record if they are different. You can subset

Photographs of actual pieces are added as additional images except where clarity is improved in which case the catalogue image is an 'additional' image. To see the additional images click on the product name or details button.

Searching is from the current level and subfolders, select Main Menu>Catalogues to start at top level and search all records.

Manufacturer vs Wholesaler/Retailer

In general a glass makers catalogue shows the range available to order, not neccesarily produced. Wholesaler catalogues show what is held in stock and thus actually available at a particular point in time. If the maker of a piece in a retail catalogue is known, we have updated the record for the item. Look at the list of Manufacturers to find these companies that are not represented by a catalogue. Decorators are classed as a manufacturer as their work is often available on the collecting market under that name. However where the maker of the blank is known, this will replace the Manufacturer for that item and the description will be updated. There is a pitfall in that a reseller catalogue might include 'copies' of the 'known' makers work that is indistinguishable from the catalogue image. Where a reseller, such as UKs Hill Ouston, is known to offer reproductions, we will include this information in descriptions as relevant. If the original maker is known this will be mentioned with a caveat.

Dating is the date of the catalogue, where it can be determined. Pattern numbers can be a good guide to dating in many cases, but in some cases such as Moser designs were renumbered. Where the date of a design introduction is known that item will appear under both dates and the information added to the description of the item. We welcome further information on any piece as available.

Additional keywords are added to some records to assist in searches.

Your input is always welcomed as are of course additional images once the work in hand has been published. Additional data for any item already published is greatly welcomed at any time.

Image Integrity

Every printing process has been used for catalogues with the earliest being hand engraved and later photo-reproction methods. Particularly in early screen printing the film had to be masked with an light-opaque over the positive. This mask was cut-out by hand tracing the outline of each item with a sharp knife - when insufficient care was taken portions of an item may have had part of their edges removed or part of an originally dark background left in. Both of these can result in a slight distortion of an individual image.

Some items were photographed in groups with an unsuitable lens that results in items on the edge of the image appearing skewed. 

Some of the other reprographic processes used could also give slight distortions such as stretching on one axis and in extreme cases the film being allowed to curl during the exposure of the printing plate.

Member Projects

Private research projects, rights to image use remain with their respective owners even if the images also appear in the main sections.

Thank you, Frank Andrews 2017