A Short History of Jewellery Designer Henry George Murphy
Henry George Murphy was born in Birchington-on-Sea in Kent in 1884 and even as a small boy he showed an interest in jewellery. In 1899 the jewellery designer Henry Wilson offered him an apprenticeship and Murphy worked for Wilson until 1912, when he set up his own workshop. He initally worked in silver but soon moved on to gold and expensive gems. In 1922 he designed a gold, topaz and sapphire tiara for Mary, Princes Royal for her engagement, and in 1924 he designed a miniature version of the crown jewels for Queen Mary’s dolls’ house at Windsor Castle.
Murphy designed mainly pendants, brooches, rings and buckles in styles from Arts and Crafts to Art Deco. The pieces were exquisite and stood out from the cheap, repetitive jewellery of the day, which consisted mainly of cheap diamond chipped rings and brooches.
In 1928 Henry George Murphy founded the Falcon studio and took up making silverware such as church plate, trophies and domestic items covering a range from tankards to egg cups. His circular modernist coffee set won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1933. Murphy’s first passion though was jewellery and he produced some stunning earrings and necklaces in the Art Deco style. He also produced a sizeable range of inexpensive silver brooches, his zodiac and animal designs being particularly popular. Continue reading »
Filed under Jewellery and Watches | Tags: Art Deco, art deco style, Arts and Crafts, Central School of Art, falcon studio, Henry George Murphy, HGM, miniature crown jewels, Queen Mary, Queen Mary's Dolls House, zodiac pendants | Comment (0)Collecting Buttons
If you want to be a collector and only have a small budget you might want to consider collecting buttons. Many households have a button bag or box where discarded buttons are kept. In thriftier times no garment would have been thrown out without removing the buttons first and keeping them for future use. On examination you might find that you have buttons that belonged to your grandmother or great-grandmother and your buttons do not only cover three or four generations, but they are also a fascinating insight into the history of fashion.
The first buttons in Britain were made in the Shaftesbury area of Dorset around 1620, they were made out of ram’s horn and covered with fabric and were then embroidered with undyed linen or cotton thread. The buttons were stitched onto cards and were exported to Europe and America between the late 18th century and the middle of the 19th century, it was a very lucrative business. Then, at the Great Exhibition in 1851, John Ashton exhibited a machine that could cheaply produce fabric-covered buttons and that was more or less the end of the demand for Dorset buttons. Continue reading »
Filed under Fashion | Tags: bimini, buttons, chanel, collecting, collecting buttons, dorset buttons, jasperware, lucie rie, the great exhibition, the victorians, wedgwood | Comment (0)Collecting Antique Lockets
Lockets evolved from ancient amulets and really became popular in the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I wore a locket ring, containing her own portait and that of her mother, Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was in the habit of giving jewel encrusted lockets to the likes of Francis Drake and others of her favourites. Mary Queen of Scots is supposed to have presented her servant with her locket on the eve of her execution – it is known as the Penicuik locket and is now in the Scottish National Museum. The images in antique lockets were hand painted by the leading artists of the day and could only have been afforded by the wealthy.
While we often imagine the antique locket as a token between lovers, the 17th century brought another dimension. It was not uncommon for people to wear a concealed locket containing the image of Charles I, to signal opposition to Cromwell. In the following century the Jacobite supporters would wear hidden lockets of the young Pretender. Continue reading »
Filed under Jewellery and Watches | Tags: antique lockets, Cartier, collecting antique lockets, faberge, lady hamilton, lockets, mary queen of scots, nelson, prince albert, queen elizabeth, Queen Victoria, regard locket | Comment (0)Collecting Lea Stein Brooches
Brooches, after being neglected by the fashionistas for a while, are definitely making a come-back. Not many of us can afford a high end diamond or Tiffany brooch, but there is some amazing costume jewellery around that is much more affordable. If you are a brooch person you should definitely check out Lea Stein brooches. They are colourful, fun and the designs are stunning.
Lea Stein was born in Paris in 1931 and not much is known about her early life, other than that she initially worked for Coco Chanel before establishing her own textile design company in 1957. The company started making buttons for the fashion industry and Lea’s husband developed a laminated coloured rhodoid, consisting of multiple, paper-thin sheets of cellulose acetate that could be inter-layered with materials like glitter to produce a stunning effect. The layered sheets were then baked to harden and various shapes would be hand-carved. Continue reading »
Filed under Jewellery and Watches | Tags: Art Deco, Christmas tree pin, Coco Chanel, collecting Lea Stein brooches, Fox pin, Gomina, Lea Stein, Lea Stein brooches, Lea Stein Fox pin, Ric the Dog | Comment (0)Collecting Mordan Propelling Pencils
In the age of the computer hand-written letters and notes are becoming increasingly rare. If we need pens or pencils we buy cheap packs of mass-produced, throw-away items, that is the modern way. In the Georgian and Victorian era these pens and pencils were expensive and beautifully made and they have become desirable collectors’ items. One of the most famous makers of propelling pencils was Sampson Mordan. He was born in 1790 and not a great deal is known about him, but he founded his first company in London in 1815 and entered his first silver hallmark in 1823.
In 1822 Mordan got together with the inventor Samuel Hawkins and they developed a mechanism for a propelling pencil that became known as the ‘ever-pointed’ pencil. Mordan then bought out Hawkins’ share of the rights and sold them to stationer Gabriel Riddle in order to finance the production of the pencils. By 1836 he was not only making propelling pencils but also vesta cases, perfume bottles and other items, always in silver or gold and excellent in form as well as function, but the ‘ever-pointed’ pencil always remained at the core of the product range. Mordan died in 1843 and the company was run by two of his sons with great success. They were at their peak in the late 1800s, but by the beginning of the 20th century people became interested in the coloured plastic fountain pens that were now available.
Tragedy struck during WW2 when the factory was bombed and the company’s archives were destroyed along with the factory. It is therefore very difficult to know the full production range, the only catalogue to survive is from 1898. Most of the propelling pencils that were produced during the 19th century are simple, elegant silver cylinders, decorated with fluted or reeded columns. They have ring sliders to extend the pencil mechanism and they can fetch between £30 and £300, depending on period of manufacture and condition of the item. Many of these pencils are not hallmarked and sellers often do not realise that they are silver, therefore bargains are to be had.
Mordan propelling pencils made in the 20th century are more affordable and you can often pick them up between £10 and £30. Watch out for dents, splits and missing parts, as it is almost impossible to get them repaired. The 19th century silver pencils are very desirable, especially the ones with hand-engraved scrolling vines, flowers or leaves. Have a good look at the terminal at the opposite end of the lead holder, which unscrews to reveal lead storage cylinders. Elaborately cast examples, which should echo the design of the slider ring are the most sought after and therefore the most expensive. Nearly all have stones set into the end and are sometimes engraved with a seal or monogram. You would have to pay between £100 and £350 for one of these.
Gold, ivory and tortoiseshell were also used. These were primarily made in the second half of the 19th century and they would fetch between £70 and £150, depending on size and decoration. The most desirable Mordan pencils are the enamelled ones – they are very rare and very desirable and a finely detailed enamelled gold faceted pencil would easily fetch above £1,500.
Mordan’s propelling pencils did not just excell in decoration, they were also extremely innovative, some contain small knives, while others have bodies that act as rulers. There is a rare sheath pencil that has a case for a compass and thermometer. You should also look out for the three colour-pencils where the slider ring is divided into enamelled sections, each containing a different colour lead. Among the most easy to find are his pen and pencil combinations – they have two sliders, one moving the lead holder out, the other a pen nib holder. Prices for these are between £60 ad £150 for a simple, late 19th century example and between £300 and £600 for an early example fitted with a rare ‘Bramah-type’ swivelling nib holder.
The most popular and also most expensive among the Mordan range are the novelty-shaped pencils, which were the company’s speciality. There were many different themes, including animals, sports, weapons and many others. Prices are high and you would need to pay between £300 and £1,500. Animals are highly sought after and include owls, pigs and fish. Other rare examples include a pistol, a range of enamelled Egyptian sarcophagi, champagne bottles and a very rare sword.
If you want to become a collector it is quite easy to date Mordan propelling pencils and you should look out for the following marks:
- SM/GR Hallmarks – Mordan was in partnership with Gabriel Riddle from 1824-36. These are very rare
- S Mordan & Co Makers and Patentees - Used from 1836 to c1845, following the split from Riddle
- S Mordan & Co Makers – 1845 to c1852, these are hard to find
- S Mordan & Co - the most common mark, used from c1852 into the 20th century
- The ‘Mordan Arrow’ – it was only recently discovered that the arrow mark identifies a 10ct gold piece made by Mordan.
Unfortunately, the company never recovered from the fire at the factory and they finally shut their doors in 1952.
Filed under Pens and Pencils | Tags: engraved pencils, georgian, Mordan, Mordan pencils, Mordan propelling pencils, novelty pencils, propelling pencils, silver propelling pencils, Victorian | Comment (0)