John Walsh Walsh, Ltd.
John Walsh Walsh, Ltd. (Soho and Vesta Glassworks), of Birmingham, England, has been in business since 1801, continuing under the direction of the members of John Walsh Walsh's family without a break since its foundation. Walsh Walsh crystal glassware is entirely a handmade product, which interprets the spirit of the age, or reproduces "period" glass with utmost accuracy. Skillful cutting on well shaped, crystal clear glass may be considered a fair, unqualified definition of Walsh Walsh glass. Although prismatic form and that type cutting has been rather completely exploited, this firm is remarkably successful in its continuance. Intangibly, their highly refractive ware reflects utter confidence in their ability to outdo others using the same tools and materials.
Essentially their decorations are deep cut on rather thick metal, but they belie any such characterization in their airy little animal figures of blown opaque glass; and their uncommonly beautiful colored glass of lighter metals.
John Walsh Walsh purchased a glass company in 1850 in Birmingham, England. His previous business was making soda water and one of the first registered designs made at his glass factory was a container for soda water. JWW passed away in 1864 and his will divided property between his (2nd) wife and the 6 children (3 children from each of his two marriages). In 1879, John Walsh Walsh (II), the son from his second marriage died at the age of 28, and the executors decided to sell. Ellen Eliza (daughter from first marriage) convinced her husband, Thomas Ferdinand Walker, to buy the business. Walker hired Lewis John Murray (formerly of Stourbridge and had experience with Joseph & Edward Webb's business). Murray became the manager in Sept. 1882. In November, 1897, the pattern OPALINE BROCADE was illustrated in the POTTERY GAZETTE. (A year later, Harry Northwood copied the design and sold it under the same name in the USA. Wm. Heacock erronously named the pattern SPANISH LACE, but the original name has surfaced from old catalogs). a design was registered on Jan. 20, 1891 for a new shaped leg for wine glasses, bent round so as to look like the stem of a flower. This was later incorporated into other designs made by the company. The WATER LILY pattern was illustrated in the POTTERY GAZETTE in August, 1903. VESTA VENETIAN was registered in March 1908, and it resembled fine, iridescent Venetian threads. The company was well known for their excellent cuttings and the company survived until 1951. (Information condensed from: THE GLASS OF JOHN WALSH WALSH 1850-1951 by Richard Dennis & Eric Reynolds, copyright 1999, published by Richard Dennis)
