Page 17 - BBR July 5 2020 Auction

63. J LEWIS LONDON MINIATURE
HAMILTON. A fabulous mini 2.5ins long,
mid cobalt blue glass Hamilton from this very
popular London perfumer (with their famous key trade mark).
Burst lip. Embossed on as above, interesting brown striation in neck. Originally containing perfume, the shape capitalised on the great popularity of the Hamilton/ Torpedo bottle at the time. Superb blue colour, well embossed. James Lewis produced various minis but this considerable rarity must rate as their best? Don’t miss it! (9/10) NR £600-800+
(the latter featuring the 1862 Exhibition where he exhibited and won a
medal) and bears grease). The later may include the ‘Arctic Expedition’ lids that may be his earliest packaging*.
* See ‘Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids, Houghton, Layden & Taylor, London lids - nos 20-24
Selection of Lewis minis and left a classic Doulton made ‘JAS LEWIS/ LONDON’ mini water filter shape.
James Lewis was a wholesale perfumer, born in 1820 in Margate where his father was a jeweller, something perhaps explaining his own career
in producing small and exquisite novelty gifts. Although he is recorded
in London in 1851 at Red Lion Court off Fleet Street, advertisements
only began to appear in newspapers from 1854 when he had moved to Bartlett’s Buildings at Holborn. The buildings were still standing when Constance Hill wrote about them in ‘Jane Austen: Her Homes & Her Friends’ (1923): “a less elegant part of the town... these [buildings] are still to be seen, forming a quaint alley of dark brick houses with pedimented doorways and white window-frames”.
Lewis had both a shop and ‘factory’ there employing 18 staff, mostly women and girls. Between 1857 and 1877 Lewis made use of the Diamond Design Registry system to protect the design of no less than nine glass bottles, all in novelty figural shapes beginning with a heart-shaped bottle they included: a mantel clock, teapots and kettles, a roller-skate boot and the well-known Birdcage. All are described as for “perfume and other like-liquids” (he sold hair and other oils). Their similarity to cracker novelties is perhaps no coincidence: he advertised Christmas hampers in 1877. One of his specialities was perfumed soaps - their shape was also registered (under class IV) including bars made to look like a potato and a currant bun! A whole series of miniature drinks bottles and a tiny Doulton water filter would not have been possible to register because their shape was already in use. They include a beer bottle, cylinder wine, champagne and dumpy seltzer - all embossed with his name and key trademark with the miniature blue Hamilton the rarest and most desirable of all the designs. Outlets
are recorded by the time of a bankruptcy hearing in 1883, when he was
in partnership with his son Arthur Frederick, including Old Bond Street
and Kings Head Court but he advertised as a wholesaler and exporting perfumer. In 1871 Charles Henry of 22 King Street announced he had received the agency for the sale of James perfumes ‘Lorne’ and ‘Princess Louise’ bouquets. A series of pot lids for cold cream, tooth paste, pomade
64. PRINCE OF WALES FEATHERS PLUME FAIR
LIGHT. 3.3ins tall, gorgeous golden amber glass, sheared lip. ‘PATTISON LONDON’ embossed around the base. Made
by glass and bottle makers James Pattison of London who specialised in optical and medical wares, but are responsible for two Vauxhall lamps: this design and one featuring a penny red stamp-like profile of Queen Victoria’s
head suggesting they date to the Queens
Jubilee celebrations in 1887 when
Pattison were at 22 Valentine Place
off Blackfriars Road (moved
later to Montford Place in
Kennington). An exceptionally
rare and hard to obtain
mould recorded in milk
glass, cobalt and cranberry
as well as shades of amber/
olive glass. (9/10) NR £80-
120+