John Walsh Walsh Glass
Excerpts from the
Pottery Gazette
1890 - 1892
Extract from POTTERY GAZETTE September 1890
John Walsh Walsh, glass manufacturer, of Birmingham, has placed upon the market very pretty floral novelties for table decoration, called tea rose and moss rose. The moss rose is as the name indicates, a rose in ruby and white glass, mounted on an amber coloured stem, such stems and leaves being made flat to stand upon the table. The tea rose is similar, the colour being altered to the tint of that well-known blossom, and mounted on a green glass stem so as to harmonise better. This novelty is also built up into larger flower stands.
Extract from POTTERY GAZETTE May 1891
John Walsh Walsh, of Soho and Vesta Glassworks, Birmingham, has recently introduced to the notice of dealers a number of pleasing novelties, which he has brought out in anticipation of the coming season, prominent among which may be named the Gloire de Dijon rose, than which a more effective ornament for table decoration could not be.
Extract from POTTERY GAZETTE September 1891
Mr John Walsh Walsh, of the Soho Glass Works, Birmingham, and 4, Holborn-circus, London, E.C., is showing a selection of very choice novelties, both useful and ornamental. He has quite a variety of “Fairy” lamps in various styles. These are really very taking, especially the “Gloire de Dijon” pattern, which is an excellent representation of the celebrated rose. We were fortunate in seeing many samples lighted, as we happened to call about dusk, and the effect was very pleasing. A very useful novelty is a small glass lining (registered), which instantly converts all kinds of “Fairy” lamps into “Fairy” flower holders. The glass lining is made to fit into the socket which holds the candle. All that is necessary is to remove the candle, insert the glass lining or small tube, put water and cut flowers into it, and we have an attractive flower holder, which can be immediately converted into a lamp again by the substitution of a candle. Mr Walsh is happy in his production of coloured goods, his heliotrope being a very delicate tint, which is seen to great advantage in his fancy productions. These samples are well worth the attention of buyers. We cannot enumerate all the specialities, but may say that some of the most pleasing effects shown are produced by the new patterns of “Fairy” lamp brackets with mirrored backs.
Extract from POTTERY GAZETTE November 1891
Mr John Walsh Walsh, of the Soho and Vesta Glassworks, Birmingham, is well to the front this season with novelties in crystal and coloured glass. For table ornamentation he has introduced some charming vases for grasses in heliotrope and straw opalescent: but the most beautiful of all his novelties are sprays of roses, in which the colour of the petals is imitated with strict fidelity. A disadvantage of these table ornaments has hitherto been that when they required cleaning, or the flowers changing, it has been necessary for the servant to remove them from the room, and as it has been almost impossible to effectually dry the glass forming petals, dust having lodged between them and the rose has far too soon looked grimy. To obviate this and to lesson the danger of breakage, Mr Walsh has commenced to make the roses so that they will serve the double purpose of a flower holder and a “Fairy” light. The shade itself, which takes the form of a rose, is removable as in the of the ordinary “Fairy” lights, and the interior is fitted with a small glass tube called an “inner”, which is only used when it is proposed to fill them with flowers. The advantage of this is that it is only necessary for the servant when changing the flowers to raise the outer shade and take the “inner” away, the flower stand itself not being touched, and therefore all risk of breaking the delicate branches from which the roses spring is done away with, and at the same time water is not brought into contact with the petals of the rose.
Extract from POTTERY GAZETTE January 1892
The firm of John Walsh Walsh of Birmingham, has created quite a revival in the use of Fairy lights as a decoration, their Gloire de Dijon rose sprays lending themselves especially to such treatment. They have also introduced, and registered, a lining, to be interchangeable with the small glass which holds the Fairy candle, thus converting a lamp into a flower holder at will. This possess many advantages, as faded flowers can be removed, and fresh water supplied without the decorated article going into the hands of domestics. Then, as a further development, there is a registered piece, in the shape of a nozzle and pan in one piece, which, being dropped on to the top row of leaves on the rose, connects what was previously a lamp and flower holder into a floral candelabra.