EDITORIAL AUTUMN 1995 Rosin on the bow and off we go Well another Convention has come and gone, and several members have told me they thought it was the best one ever. I know many of the regulars look forward to it coming round, as it gives us a chance of seeing old friends again, and some of their material. It is especially nice to see new faces showing some of their treasures for the first time, and this year four out of the thirteen displays were by members who have not displayed to us before. The Study Group is steadily growing in numbers, and we are established on a very sound footing now. The two articles on pull-outs has proved popular, and several members have sent me in additional information and photo-copies of cards. Also an offer of a copy of the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition card listed as the forerunner of the pull-outs. This I have bought, and when I received it found it is slightly different in that it does not have "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" printed at the bottom, but, it does have a tab sticking out of the side, which when pulled out, slides the pictures out to make them easier to see. So it's not only the first pull-out but also the first mechanical card. It also now becomes apparent that the Christmas card type listed, had one of the pictures missing with a backing reading "Family of Victorian Aboriginals in Native Hut". I must try and get round to seeing the original card again to see if that also had the slide mechanism, it certainly had no tag but this could have become detached sometime in the last hundred and nine years. Stanley Hunter brought all his Scottish Exhibition pull-outs down to the Convention and has kindly loaned them to me to examine and I am sure something new will turn up there. There will have to be a further article on pull-outs to cover all the additional information that has come to light. I would ask all collectors to check up on their pull-outs and if you have anything that is not listed please let me have details, and if possible a photo-copy. I must apologise to Ken Harman for the many errors of layout in Part 1 of his List of Exhibitions, this was my mistake and was caused by my not checking what the article looked like after reducing it from print size 12 to 11 I have been getting around to some fairs and in the last six months have been to Stafford (Twice), Cheltenham, Southampton (twice), Birmingham, Hove, Bristol, Haywards Heath, Wells and Hythe, as well as Bloomsbury and the local fairs. Most times I have gone under my own steam, and can find my way about with difficulty, although it must be said I have not been able to get to Bloomsbury Autumn 1995 29
Transcript
EDITORIAL AUTUMN 1995
Rosin on the bowand off we go
Well another Convention has come and gone, and several members have told me they thought it was the best one ever. I know many of the regulars look forward to it coming round, as it gives us a chance of seeing old friends again, and some of their material. It is especially nice to see new faces showing some of their treasures for the first time, and this year four out of the thirteen displays were by members who have not displayed to us before. The Study Group is steadily growing in numbers, and we are established on a very sound footing now.
The two articles on pull-outs has proved popular, and several members have sent me in additional information and photo-copies of cards. Also an offer of a copy of the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition card listed as the forerunner of the pull-outs. This I have bought, and when I received it found it is slightly different in that it does not have "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" printed at the bottom, but, it does have a tab sticking out of the side, which when pulled out, slides the pictures out to make them easier to see. So it's not only the first pull-out but also the first mechanical card. It also now becomes apparent that the Christmas card type listed, had one of the pictures missing with a backing reading "Family of Victorian Aboriginals in Native Hut". I must try and get round to seeing the original card again to see if that also had the slide mechanism, it certainly had no tag but this could have become detached sometime in the last hundred and nine years.
Stanley Hunter brought all his Scottish Exhibition pull-outs down to the Convention and has kindly loaned them to me to examine and I am sure something new will turn up there. There will have to be a further article on pull-outs to cover all the additional information that has come to light. I would ask all collectors to check up on their pull-outs and if you have anything that is not listed please let me have details, and if possible a photo-copy.
I must apologise to Ken Harman for the many errors of layout in Part 1 of his List of Exhibitions, this was my mistake and was caused by my not checking what the article looked like after reducing it from print size 12 to 11
I have been getting around to some fairs and in the last six months have been to Stafford (Twice), Cheltenham, Southampton (twice), Birmingham, Hove, Bristol, Haywards Heath, Wells and Hythe, as well as Bloomsbury and the local fairs. Most times I have gone under my own steam, and can find my way about with difficulty, although it must be said I have not been able to get to Bloomsbury and back without losing myself. As I mentioned in the last newsletter all of my trips to fairs in the past have been as a passenger, and passengers don't look where the driver's going, (at least this one didn't) so although my records show me I was driven to Bloomsbury 21 times since January 1991, I still don't know the way for this 35 minute journey. A local dealer Mike Drought has taken me on some of the longer journeys, to Stafford and Birmingham for example, but I am learning to get about by myself. Referring to my records I find that at the earliest Cheltenham Fair I have recorded is May 1991, I bought 126 cards at £203.80, four years later in May 1995 I bought 47 cards for £106 15. This is interesting as it shows the average price of cards has risen from £1.62 to £2.26. It also shows I am buying less cards. You might think this could be put down to the fact that as my collection grows I will be finding less cards that I have not got. I don't think this is the case, because I don't pass by lots of nice cards because I have got them, I just don't see lots of nice cards in dealers stocks anymore.
Also the increase in the average price does not tell the whole story. For some time now, possibly up to a couple of years I have been buying all the Missionary cards I can get, and very often these are 50p to 75p cards. It could be that exhibition cards on average have doubled in price.
Since writing this I have again been up to Cheltenham for their two day fair at the end of October, and bought a total of 57 cards. 35 of these were Missionary cards and only 22 were exhibition cards, 5 White City, 5 Wembley, 2 F.O.B. and 10 odd exhibition cards. So you can take it from me good exhibition cards are getting very thin on the ground. There is of course the social side, I stayed for two nights at a lovely farmhouse, also staying there were a couple of dealers I have let
Autumn 1995 29
into the secret, Mike Drought and Pat Waring and his wife, the farm did us a first class meal Friday evening, and we got through three bottles of wine. Mike Perkins was at the fair and we had several long chats, I also saw Brian England with his wife, so for me it made a very nice three day break. I get more out of postcard fairs than just getting cards.
One still comes across the dealer asking absolute ridiculous prices for cards, and I still feel that a collector who pays well over what a card is worth is making a rod for his own back. Unfortunately very few collectors and very few dealers really know what a card is worth. I have been seriously collecting exhibition cards I suppose for over fifteen years now, certainly before decimalisation came in, in 1971, I expect Mike has been at it as long as I have, so, as far as Wembley cards are concerned, if a really nice trade card comes up what should we pay for it £10, £15 or £25? The only thing in our favour, is we know just how rare a card is. We are both capable of looking at a card and knowing that it is the only known copy, or that we know of three others or five others. There is another factor, if you have not seen a card in a 15 year search, and one turns up, what are your chances of ever seeing it again if you don't grab it.
Subscriptions are now due, and a standing order form will be sent out with this Newsletter, for those who wish to pay their subscription in this way.
The Editor
A LIST OF WORLD EXHIBITIONS
Compiled from many sources, guaranteed to be incomplete,but someone has to try!
by Ken Harman.
Part 21878 to 1904
NOTES
1 Ideal Home Exhibitions, pageants, stamp fairs, etc. are NOT included.2 Abbreviations
a) Att = attendance.b) Blgs. = noteworthy buildings or other features.c) P.C. = postcards seen, or said to exist.d) Anvers & Antwerp are the same city in Belgium.e) Luttich & Liege are the same city in Belgium.
1878EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE
Paris, France. Att. 16,032,725. 192 acres. Blgs. Trocadero, Palace of Industry.1879
MILAN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONMilan, Italy.
1879 - 1880SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Sydney, Australia. Att. 1,117,536. 15 acres (building only).1880a) NATIONAL EXHIBITION
Brussels, Belgium.
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b) ELECTRIC LIGHTING EXHIBITIONLondon, England. (Alexandra Palace)
c) PRINTING AND STATIONERY EXHIBITIONLondon, England. (Agricultural Hall)
1880 -1881INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Melbourne, Australia. Att. 1,330,297. 63 acres.1881a) ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Adelaide, Australia.b) NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Auckland, New Zealand.c) Brussels, Belgium.d) Halle, Saxony, Germany.e) MEDICAL AND SANITARY EXHIBITION
London, England. (South Kensington)f) SMOKE ABATEMENT EXHIBITION
London, England. (South Kensington)g) INTERNATIONAL WOOL EXHIBITION
London, England. (Crystal Palace)h) NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION
Milan, Italy.i) INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF ELECTRICITY
Paris, France.1882a) NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION
Christchurch, New Zealand.b) INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF
INDUSTRIAL ARTLille, France.
c) INTERNATIONAL ELECTRIC EXHIBITIONLondon, England. (Crystal Palace).
London, England. (Earls Court).c) ROYAL MILITARY EXHIBITION
London, England. (Chelsea Hospital).1891a) INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Kingston, Jamaica. Att. 304,354. 12 acres excluding racecourse.b) GERMAN EXHIBITION
London, England. (Earls Court).c) ROYAL NAVAL EXHIBITION
London, England (Royal Hospital, Chelsea). P.C.d) GENERAL JUBILEE EXHIBITION
Prague, Bohemia.1891 - 1892
TASMANIAN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONLauceston, Tasmania, Australia. Att. 262,059.
1892a) HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION
London, England. (Earls Court).b) Munich, Germany. c) INTERNATIONAL MUSIC EXHIBITION
Vienna, Austria.1893a) Antwerp, Belgium.b) Bristol, Englandc) WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION (Commemorating the landing of Columbus in the
New World).Chicago, U.S.A. Att. 27,529,400. 685 acres. P.C.
d) SOUTH AFRICA AND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONKimberley, South Africa. Att. 339,950. 3 acres.
e) GARDENING AND FORESTRY EXHIBITIONLondon, England. (Earls Court). P.C.
f) Zurich, Switzerland. 1894a) EXPOSITION INTERNATIONALE D'ANVERS
Antwerp, Belgium. Att. 3,000,000. 148.25 acres.b) Lyons, France. c) CALIFORNIA MIDWINTER INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
San Francisco, U.S.A. Att. 1,315,022. 160 acres.1894 - 1895
TASMANIAN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONHobart, Tasmania, Australia. Att. 290,000. 13 acres (covered area only) .P.C.
1895a) COTTON STATES AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
Atlanta, U.S.A.b) EMPIRE OF INDIA
London, England. (Earls Court).
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c) INDIA, A GRAND HISTORICAL SPECTACLELondon, England. (Olympia)
d) Venice, Italy. 1896a) Berlin, Germany. (Possibly same as 1897 exhibition).b) Budapest, Hungary. c) Geneva, Switzerland.d) INDIA, CEYLON, BORNEO AND BURMA SHOW
St. Louis, U.S.A. Att. 19,694,855. 1,272 acres. P.C.h) Turin, Italy.
End of part 2
REPORT OF THE 1995 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The President Karl Illingworth opened the meeting and welcomed all those present especially new members who had not attended a meeting before. Karl asked for a minutes silence for Nancy Tonkin and Lyn Lane. After this had been observed he reported the Committee had decided to purchase a leather bound attendance book to be used at all future conventions in memory of Nancy, and in recognition of all she had done for the Study Group. Bill Tonkin thanked the meeting for this gesture.Secretary's Report. Bill mentioned the Groups attendance at Cinderpex and Stamp '95, in both instances the organisers had given the group a free stand. He had also brought along the Desmond Chamberlain Silver Trophy awarded for outstanding post card research which had been presented to Mike Perkins and himself for their book on the Postcards of the British Empire Exhibition 1924-25. He told the meeting he regarded this as a joint effort by all members of the group who had supplied information for the book.Treasurer and Publicity Officer's Report. Alan Sabey said copies of the balance sheet had been given out to the meeting, and we were in a very happy financial state, showing a profit of £838.85 for the year. A publishing fund had been set up, at present standing at £1172.55 and this together with our balance brought forward from last year of £735.14 meant we had a total of £2746 54 in the bank. Membership this year had gone up from 72 to 85. Alan explained that he was also publicity officer for The Society of Olympic Collectors, and The British Thematic Association, each group paying the costs in rotation. This has meant we have been able to get a lot of publicity in the philatelic press. Bill explained for the benefit of new members how the publishing fund had come into being, through the generosity of Karl who had personally paid the printing costs of the book written by Mike and himself and published by the Exhibition Study Group. It was Karl's wish that as money came in from sales it would go into a publishing fund to be administered by the committee. Don Knight proposed a vote of thanks to Karl for his very generous gesture, this was passed. In closing Alan mentioned he had again been asked to prepare a display for Stamp '96 and Stanley Gibbons the organisers were again offering The Study Group a free stand in recognition of the work Alan was doing. He would again be looking for volunteers to man the stand.Packet Secretary's Report. Mike gave a brief report on the packet which was going very well. Good material was being sent in, and the last four or five packets had only got half way round the circuit
Autumn 1995 37
before they were sold out. Mike made the point that it was important members sent in slips even if they had made no purchases, so he could keep track of where the packet was.Election of Officers. The following Officers were elected.
President Karl Illingworth (who still has a further two years in office)Vice President Fred PeskettSecretary Bill TonkinTreasurer & Publicity Alan SabeyPacket Secretary Mike PerkinsCommittee Andrew Brooks
Moray Graham-BonnalieStanley HunterDon Knight
News-Letter Editor Bill TonkinPrinting and distribution Karl IllingworthAccounts Examiner George Simner (Apparently you can no longer call a person
an auditor unless he holds professional qualifications)The meeting was reminded that the costs of printing and postage of the News Letter was met
by Karl who had also supplied a special Exhibition Study Group Meter MarkIt was proposed in view of the very high standard of the news-letter it should be renamed the
Exhibition Study Group Journal, this was agreed. It was also suggested by Suresh Gupta that it might be worth considering publishing a bound volume containing the first fifty newsletters, which we should reach within about three years. It was agreed this was a good idea and will be discussed again nearer the time.1996 Convention. After some discussion it was agreed we should meet again at Wembley in 1996. We are very happy with the arrangements at the Century, which is an ideal venue, and there is plenty of good accommodation at Mrs Mullanes Andrew Brooks and Stanley Hunter who travel the longest distance to come to convention, both made the point that travelling to London was very fast and simple by train or coach, while meeting at a more central town might not be so easy to get to. It was also felt that attendance would fall if the convention was not held in the south.
Fred Peskett told the meeting that the Festival of Britain Society were planning a large exhibition in the main museum at Portsmouth from June to December. This had started out to be a small affair, but like Topsy just grew and grew, until now it was going to be a very big do. He said if we cared to consider holding the 1997 Convention at Portsmouth he could probably get the use of the Ward Room of H.M.S. Warrior for our convention centre, accommodation for members was also available on board. Fred agreed to make inquiries and report back. Bill asked as he was on the spot would he be prepared to help organise the event to which he agreed. As there would be a lot going on, and in view of the attractions in Portsmouth members were asked if they would like to make it a three day event from Friday to Sunday, this was received enthusiastically by the members, and after further discussion Fred was authorised to make enquiries and if it seemed practicable to make a firm booking on the groups behalf. The meeting also authorised Alan to pay any deposit should it be necessary.Any other business.
Fred gave a report on the publishing of an article and a drawing, pirated from the newsletter which appeared in a Hampshire Federation publication under the name of another person. He had been advised that an action for infringing of copyright was unlikely to succeed, but he found he could go for them under the 1823 act for plagiarism, which has never been repealed. This still carries the penalty of transportation. It is understood under this dire threat an explanation and apology have been promised.
Bill suggested the group should seriously consider the appointment of an Assistant Secretary in view of what recent events had shown. Nancy had also been a secretary and newsletter editor for a local history group of about 250 members, nobody had volunteered to take the job on, while another local history group had formed a committee of four people to do the job she did single handed. He was conscious that in the event of his possible sudden death the group should have someone ready,
38 Autumn 1995
who would know the ropes and be able to carry on. Since so much of the groups business was now on computer discs, ideally it needed someone who had a computer as this also made producing the newsletter so much easier. It was hoped a volunteer would come forward by our next committee meeting. At the moment what was needed was someone standing in the wings, rather than taking on some of the work load.
Deborah Ryan who now lives in Oxford brought to the members notice the large John Johnson collection of exhibition material in the Bodlian Library at Oxford, and also the Earls Court archives, and she raised possibility of organising a visit to the latter to see the collection of posters and catalogues and related Earls Court material. Unfortunately it was housed in a small room which would not hold a large party, the archivist was Mr Victor Bryan.
As nothing had been arranged for the Sunday afternoon it was decided to leave this as a social gathering, and general chat. Dilwyn Chambers announced he would be conducting a personal tour round the Wembley grounds, if anyone wished to join in.
As there was no other business the meeting was closed.
FAME AT LAST GEORGE
In the publicity blurb just published for next years Stamp '96 they have used some shots taken at this years Stamp 95, and there not only on the front page, but also on page 2 are pictures in glorious colour of George Ithell browsing through a dealers stock. It is not known if Gibbons paid George for permission to print the picture, or whether George paid Gibbons.
And while we're on the subject of fame that comes to those who just stand around, waiting to have it thrust upon them, in a recent Philatelic Bulletin quiz, competitors were asked to name the Secretary of the Exhibition Study Group. It is understood that nobody was able to get it right.
MEDALS AT THE SUPERMARKET, 1995
"Palman qui Meruit Ferat"
By Stanley Hunter
Most Victorian-age exhibitions are now long forgotten, except among enthuastics. There are exceptions, such as the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Philadelphia "Centennial" of 1876, the "Columbian" of 1893 and the Paris Universal of 1900 which are regarded as historical and artistic high-water marks. As these great shows were devised to showcase the best of each product, awards were made. These could be cash premia, certificates or even medals.
While researching the U.S. World Fairs, I was struck on how certain food products became commonplace after a major exhibition. Shredded Wheat, the first packaged cereal, appeared at the "Columbian" 1893. The ice-cream cone took the world by storm after St. Louis 1904, etc. Glasgow first met candy-floss in 1938.
Other products which achieved fame as competitive exhibits are also still remembered. The exhibitions themselves are also recorded in your larder or drinks cabinet. I doubt whether many people notice this. We may study the amount of E-numbers on the label but how many have studied the links with the early exhibitions? Can you describe the medals displayed on a "Vulcan" matchbox? (Moscow Vienna 1873, etc.). It was a very common box.
To demonstrate their excellence, manufacturers often displayed reproductions of those medals on the labels of their goods and on their stationery. Printed letterheads of the Victorian era were often quite elaborate and are often still available at moderate cost.
I have built up a small collection of stationery showing medals of various Scottish exhibitions and of Scottish-based winners at other exhibitions. Pride of place, of course, goes to competitors at the Great Exhibition itself. The London 1862 International medal is also an interesting
Autumn 1995 39
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40 Autumn 1995
find - on stationery, it could well cost as little as £1.50.Displaying a "medal" brought kudos to a firm. It was not long before traders who were
economical with the truth began adding "medals" to which they were not entitled to. Winners naturally felt aggrieved and agitated for legal controls to protect their hard-earned status.
As a result, a UK. act to prevent false representations as to Grants of Medals or Certificates made by the Commissioners for the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862 was passed on July 1863. First offenders faced a £5 fine. Subsequent offences could attract a £20 fine (or up to six months imprisonment). I have a copy of "The Exhibition Medals Act, 1863" in my Crystal Palace collection.
Letter heading showing array of medals
Some exhibition organisers eschewed any awards. Certainly, some awards particularly at French exhibitions seemed rather partial. Edinburgh issued awards for her Internationals. (I have a fine "Silver" 1882 International Fisheries medal - for "Smoked Haddock").
Glasgow, on the other hand decided against medals in 1888. Exhibitors grumbled so much that the executive compromised by issuing "Certificates of Participation". No medals were awarded at the 1901 International. The French Section distributed a most attractive bronze plaquette to all its participants at Glasgow.
Product labels were sometimes designed to obscure the modest status of some of the more minor awards. Local trade fair or competition prizes are sometimes made out to appear awards at major international exhibitions. While it must be satisfying to score over one's peers locally, it can hardly compare with winning a gold medal, at, say Paris 1900. These minor awards are usually poorly reproduced and perhaps not attributed.
Medals are often shown on the back of Photographic Cabinet Cards, precursors of the postcard. These often include awards at photographic exhibitions.
Autumn 1995 41
Medals are usually issued with two sides (obverse and reverse)). It is sometimes difficult to tell in a row of "decorations" if half were simply "reverses" rather than other wins. Perhaps, someone will produce an illustrated guide to exhibition award medals.
Business stationery is now much more restrained. Labels are now so full of technical information, electronic bar-codes and diet benefits that the old medals have been squeezed off. Who wants to know that this lager won a medal at Bremen in 1874 or this rum took a gold at Barcelona in 1888?
Well as one interested in the whole concept of exhibitions, I do !
Bottle label
I decided to take a walk round the nearest supermarkets and delis and see if, despite slick computer-originated graphics, I could find any old exhibition links.
42 Autumn 1995
I knew that Beck beers had won a medal at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876, but learned of their Bremen medal by studying the label. I also had found out that my Berio olive oil got a medal at Chicago in 1893 and the label shows also a Lyon 1872 gold medal. Tarradei virgin olive oil also displays awards (trade?). Guisti's balsamic vinegar from Modena lists seven medals including Paris, Brussels, Vienna and Italy.
Nestles Menier Swiss chocolate labels show an award listing and illustrate some medals in gold. The list includes London 1862 and Paris 1867 Hors concours, Grand Prix 1878 and 1900, and a Philadelphia 1876 gold along with various industrial exhibitions since 1832. Amaretti di Sarona range of Italian confections illustrate medals from Turin 1902, Brussels and Argentina in 1910.
Campbell's Soups show their Paris 1900 medal, while Coleman's mustard tins show "the only 1878 Paris gold medal" along with the Exhibition Cross and the Legion of Honour! Burton's "Gold Medal" Biscuits is a long established baker. On inquiry, I was told that George Burton of Blackpool won a gold medal for his sugar confectionery, just after W.W.I. The firm still wins baking awards on the continent and the collection of medals is housed at Sighthill in Edinburgh. How did the "Gold Medal" pub in Edinburgh get its name?
Martinellis of California won a gold medal from the State Agricultural Society in 1890 and this appears on the label of their "Gold Medal" apple juice.
The Terry's of York box for its "1767" plain chocolates is decorated with five "gold" medals, York 1866, Adelaide 1881, New Zealand 1882, London 1899 and British Empire 1925. Beefeater Gin labels recall London awards in 1873, 1011 and 1924. Was this at Wembley?
Cigar boxes and cigarette packets also show medals. "Romeo y Julieta" Havana cigar packets show about eight such awards. Mitchell's "Prize Crop" showed Edinburgh 1886 and the much rarer Glasgow Industrial Exhibition of 1886. (They were frequent exhibitors and produced a splendid set of cigarette cards for the Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938.)
It is in the booze department, however, that many of the "medals" survive.I found I had a label from Cabinet Verzenay Champagne which shows both 1886 and 1890
Edinburgh International exhibitions, plus the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition medal. The Edinburgh medals would have been won by the local shippers, Rutherford & Kay. Another label I have is from a bottle of St Emilion Bordeaux. It shows the two Edinburgh medals, Melbourne 1888 and Bordeaux Gold of 1895.
Bacardi Rum boasts Madrid 1877, Barcelona 1888, Paris 1889, 1900, Chicago 1893 and Buffalo 1901. I noted a few other awards to spirits. There was of course, Lang Bros. Of Glasgow's "Gold Medal" Banana Jamaica Rum won at the Edinburgh International in 1886. The Bols range of drinks show eight awards. The popular schnapps from Steinhager claims "250 awards and medals since 1883". That could have made an interesting label!
Stolichnaya and Starka, which I first met on a voyage to Leningrad in the early 'sixties display a medal gained at the 1968 Leipzig Fair and at Brussels in 1958, at which the old Soviet Union was a major exhibitor. I took up a recent offer to get a free tee-shirt, replicating the label. I was surprised to find that the Brussels Medal obverse had been replaced by another Leipzig medal. I can only surmise that the male nude on the Belgian medal might have offended some of the more sensitive vodka drinkers.
M & S's vodka, distilled by Burn Stewart of Glasgow, shows groups of three (Russian?) medals. Tesco's White Rum has three medals, one of which shows the old colonial arms of Jamaica. I wonder if this relates to the 1891 Exhibition shown on a later postage stamp. Another Jamaican speciality is Red Stripe lager, with its "award winning recipe". Cans show four modern(trade fair?) medals.
Surprisingly I could not find any whisky bottles with medals. Recently at an antique fair in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, I was offered a whisky stoneware flask for Catto's Highland Whisky, Aberdeen. There is a transfer print of prize medals for Paris 1878, London 1884 (the "Healtheries"?) and the International at Crystal Palace. The flask was £295 - and it was empty!
Autumn 1995 43
Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey does not illustrate medals but lists its awards on the side of the label, such as St Louis 1904, the Anglo-American Exposition of London, right up to 1981. Old Bushmills Whiskey shows six sets of medals, including Adelaide 1886 and (I think), an 1893 Chicago medal.
Sheridan's of Dublin ("and Best") offer black and white concoctions which could well be whiskey-based. A special miniature twin-bottles offer shows two medals(one portraying Queen Victoria) but the standard label has the medals in outline only.
Pimm's does not illustrate medals but some bottles list 14 awards on a separate label. These date from 1880 to 1951 but do not appear to be major events and were probably trade fair events.
Jose Cuervo's tequila bottles show seven medals, rather difficult to identify, as is the gold medal shown on Sol labels of Mexican lager. The label of Luxardo Marashino cherry liqueur is like a display chart of medals. There are a couple of dozen and all are identified. They include Bronzes at London in 1862 and Paris 1867. This label is certainly the finest one I have found.
Other Italian medalists include Averna's Sicillian Fratelli (four medals and a diploma), Laazroi Amaretto and Amaro Montenegro (also four medals). Sari Maraschino labels show seven medals for their cherry liqueur.
The Aalborg Danish akvavit label shows seven sets of medals, including Copenhagen 1872, 1888, Philadelphia 1876 and Paris 1900. Peter Heering's Danish cherry liqueur illustrates a series of gold and 1st class medals. Courvoisier Cognac has a medal of rather doubtful design. Angostura Bitters displays its 1873 Vienna International Exhibition medal and the label mentions that "at the principal International Exhibition(s) it has received the highest recognition."
The Vermouths were obviously competitively inclined. Martini has medals from Philadelphia, Paris, Alexandria and Dublin. Filipetti has only an 1932 Italian medal while Cinzano goes back much further, Florence 1861, London !862 and a Victor Emmanuel II Industrial Exhibition medal (i.e., pre-1878). VNP Vermouth Bianco labels show three medals which appear to be Turin awards, but this is not clear. Gaudin's Vermouth also shows its medals.
Sherries were also prize winners. Bodegas Garcia de Leane show three medals, while Safeway's sherry produced by Emilio Lustan of Jerez shows a Paris medal of intermediate date and origin.
Stella Artois lager shows Belgian medals, one portraying Leopold II. Heineken won a gold at Paris in 1876 and 1888 (?) and a Diploma at Amsterdam in 1883. At Paris 1900, the firm was hors concours and a member of the jury. Murphy's stout has a Manchester medal along with one for Dublin 1892. Newcastle Brown labels show a medal - the 1928 Breweries & Allied Trades International Exhibition & Market.
Belhaven Brewery in Scotland labels show seven medals which may be mainly trade exhibitions. Schlitz ("The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous") shows the gold medal for the best American Lager, awarded in 1992.
Legend has it that Eau de Cologne was originally a spirit. To evade an early occupation tax on liquor, the distillers declared it a perfume. "4711" labels show some nice medals including Philadelphia 1876 and Paris.
I propose that the Group establish a sub-committee to prepare a shopping list of all current products which carry labels showing medals gained at exhibitions. This hard-working committee would be required to sample all such products, including chocolates, wines, beers and spirits and declare whether they still meet the high standards demanded at these early exhibitions. It might also be necessary to group these products by exhibition, for sampling. Senior members of the committee will have to sit on individual sub-committees of the more important events, such as Paris 1900.
Seriously, if you can add to the list of medals still on display on current products, or even identify the more obscure ones, I am sure this will be of interest.
The end.
44 Autumn 1995
PRINTING OF PRINTS
by
Ken Harman
WOOD BLOCKThe wood engraver prepared a suitable block of wood. The design was
then drawn with ink or brush. The engraver removed all wood not marked in ink to a depth of 1/16th inch or more, using a knife or graver, leaving the design standing in relief.
To produce a print, an ink-coated roller was rubbed over the block so that only the raised design accepted a coat of ink. The paper was then laid on the block and manually rubbed on the back, thus transferring the image in reverse.
Later, woodcuts were made by actually incising the design into the wood with a graver. After inking, the block face had to be cleaned to leave the ink in the engraved channels only. This method required greater pressure to transfer a good impression onto the paper.
Wood blocks did not wear particularly well, and so it was not possible to obtain very many high quality impressions.
LINE ENGRAVINGThe block consisted of a sheet of copper, thick enough to be rigid when
taking impressions (approx. 1/8 inch) and flat. The outline of the subject was first traced on the copper, then using a burin or graver, the engraver guided the tool along the outline, at the same time varying the pressure to cut a groove of varying depths into the metal to form either a coarse or fine line on the finished impression.
From 1820 onwards, copper slowly lost its popularity in favour of steel.
ETCHINGThe engraver first prepared a copper plate with a thin film of wax ground,
then with a needle or similar tool, he proceeded to draw the subject on the wax with sufficient pressure to expose the bare metal underneath.
The next step was to protect the back and edges of the plate with a suitable acid resistant medium, then the plate was completely immersed in acid which bit into the areas exposed in the wax. When the lines requiring light treatment had been "bitten" to the required depth, the plate was removed, and those areas covered with an acid resistant varnish to prevent any further action by the acid. The plate was then returned to the acid so that the lines required to be darker could be etched deeper. Repetitive treatments of "stopping off" and re-etching resulted in the graduation of lines from the very delicate to the strong and bold.
When the etching stage was completed, the plate was washed, and both varnish and wax removed, leaving a beautifully clean etched place ready for impressions to be taken.
DRY POINTDry point etchings were made simply by scratching the drawing into the
copper plate with a needle-like tool. This action produced a thin line in the copper to receive the ink, and at the same time produced a ragged edge or burr each side of the line, which also retained a large proportion of ink. The resultant impressions taken from dry point plates were therefore richer and more velvety than those from line engraved, or acid etched plates.
Due to the delicate nature of the burr, it soon wore down so that the number of prints produced was low.
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MEZZOTINT-ENGRAVINGThe engraver first polished the copper sheet on the face to be engraved,
then with a piece of chalk marked a series of parallel lines across this face, about 3/4 inch apart. The first stage of engraving was executed with a chisel-like tool, with a curved edge, one side of which was grooved, shaped, and sharpened to form a series of cutting points, or dots. Placing this tool between the first two chalk lines, he rocked it back and forth, and at the same time moved it slowly across the plate. This formed a band of dotted indentations in the metal. He then proceeded to treat the next chalk marked band in the same way, and so on, down the plate until the whole plate had been covered. The same operation was then repeated vertically over the plate, then diagonally at varying angles until the whole surface of the plate was roughened evenly. This was known as "laying the ground" and if an impression was taken from it at this stage the result would be a perfectly black surface.
The next operation required the outline of the design to be drawn on the roughened surface, then with a very sharp scraping knife, the engraver proceeded to develop the design by carefully scraping away more or less of the roughened surface to produce the variety of graduated tones from very light to black.
STIPPLE ENGRAVINGThe copper plate was first given a wax ground, and treated in much the
same way as for etchings, but instead of drawing lines into the wax, the design was first outlined by pricking dots into the wax. The darker passages were then filled in either by larger, or more closely grouped dots. The plate was then immersed in acid to bite the dots into the place. After this treatment, the wax ground was cleaned off and the engraver proceeded to re-enter most of the dots with a "stipple engraver", to emphasise and develop the design. Stipple engravings therefore are really a combination of the etching, dry point and graver work.
AQUATINT ENGRAVINGSThere were two basic grounds used to produce plates for aquatints; the
dust ground and the spirit ground, but whichever is used the technique is the same.
The cleaned copper plate was evenly coated with a film of finely powered resin. The various methods used to scatter the resin were to place the plate in a rotating box, by revolving a fan inside the box, or by blowing with a pair of bellows: the plate was then heated to just melt the resin. Spirit grounds were applied on a carefully cleaned plate by covering the plate with a solution comprising resin and spirits of wine. With the evaporation of the spirit, the resin dried, and in so doing, contracted, leaving the resin adhering to the plate in fine, particles, which exposed the raw metal around the particles.
When the etching acid was applied over the resin ground, it bit into the minute exposed areas, but its action was inhibited where covered by the tiny particles of resin. The graduations of tone necessary to express form were obtained by successive applications of acid and by stopping off areas with acid resistant varnish. When a definite or well defined line was required, it was added by the etching needle which removed the resin.
LITHOGRAPHSLithographs were not produced by any method associated with engraving,
but they rank among the best of some of the antique prints. Lithographic prints were produced from a special kind of limestone to which a granulated surface had been added by rubbing the printing surface with a similar piece of stone. This action naturally flattened the surface also. The design was then drawn on the stone, in reverse, with a greasy pencil and the stone treated with a weak 46 Autumn 1995
acid. Before applying the ink with a roller, the stone was first wetted, and because oil and water do not readily mix, the ink adhered only to the greasy drawn design.
It was only necessary to lay a piece of damp paper on the stone and press to obtain the final impression.
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An alternative method was sometimes practised by first drawing the design with a greasy pencil on a special transfer paper; this was subsequently pressed onto the prepared surface of the stone and the paper removed, leaving the drawn image. Impressions obtained by this method were generally not quite as crisp as those obtained by direct drawing.
SOFT GROUND ETCHINGThe plates for soft ground etching were prepared by coating the polished
surface of the plate with a tallow or wax, much the same way as for normal etchings. A sheet of paper was then laid on the waxy surface and the design drawn with a pencil. When the paper was removed, the wax adhered to the underside of the paper wherever a line had been traced, and in so doing exposed the bare metal in the form of the design. The plate was then immersed in acid and the plate bitten on the exposed areas.
The appearances of a print produced by this method shows the lines to be rough and similar to crayon lines, whilst those produced by a normal etching process are fine and clear.
COLOUR PRINTSThe majority of old engravings were hand coloured with water-colours, but
these must not be confused with engravings "printed in colour". Stipple engravings printed in colour were produced from a single stipple engraved plate, and the various coloured inks rubbed into the required areas by the printer. Excess ink was removed from the plate surface, leaving the tiny pockets of the engraving filled with ink. The subsequent impression resulted in a beautiful coloured print, composed of tiny coloured dots on a white background. Depth of colour tone, or shading, was achieved by the proximity or size of the colour dots.
Colour prints had been produced very early in the history of prints by the Chinese, using various wood blocks to produce the individual colours, but the process used by Jacob Christopher Le Blon very early in the 18th century had a similar basis to present day techniques. Le Blon, a German painter, settled in Amsterdam in 1702. In 1704 Newton published his theory of the composition of light, showing how it could be split into the three primary colours of blue, red, and yellow. Using this knowledge, Le Blon produced a three colour process using three copper-mezzotinted plates. Soon after, he added a fourth plate for black. The plates were inked with their appropriate colour, and printed on the paper, one impression on top of the other, registration of each plate being of considerable importance.
1834 saw the beginning of the Baxter oil prints. These were produced from engraved steel plates, the first block engraved became the master, and the subsequent colour plates (made of wood, steel, copper or zinc) were prepared by transfers made from this master. The various colours were mixed by hand to the required tint, plates inked, and prints produced by printing one colour impression upon another in accurate register.
Additional notes on Baxter Prints and Lithographs
1. BAXTER PRINTSGeorge Baxter was born 31 July 1804, the second son of John Baxter, a
printer, of Lewes, Sussex. His early career is obscure, but it is said that he illustrated books for his father before 1827. He went to London, and married Mary Harrild at Lewisham on 23 August 1827.
His addresses in London were:-1. 11, Great Distaff Lane, Cheapside2. 29, King Square, Goswell Road (from 1829 to 1835)3. 3, Charterhouse Square, Smithfield (from 1835 to 1843)4. 11 and 12, Northampton Square, Goswell Road (from 1844 to 1860).
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Baxter's first colour print was made in 1829 from King Square, but there were no more prints published until 1834. After illustrating a number of books he began to attract attention in the printing world, and he was commissioned to produce eleven illustrations for a book called "Cabinet of
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Paintings". While at work on this, Baxter discovered the value of a steel plate for a foundation and he was able in a short space of time, with little to guide him, to carry colour printing far beyond the point at which he found it. His method, using a foundation plate, generally of steel and plates for colours made of wood, steel, copper or zinc and other substances as Baxter found best for the effect he desired, using oil colours which he mixed himself, was patented in 1835 for fourteen years (extended in 1849 to 1854). Sometimes twenty blocks were used for one picture, and all of these had to be in perfect register. Baxter's imagination became fired with the prospect of producing colour prints in quantities and at prices within the reach of most of the population, and he worked constantly to improve his technique.
Although his early prints had been made for inclusion in books, as time passed he produced separate prints, some of which were mounted on card with Baxter's printed, engraved, stamped or embossed mark on them.
By 1837, the year of Queen Victoria's accession, he had reached a very high level of achievement, and on two occasions was admitted to Buckingham Palace so that he could complete a portrait of Queen Victoria in her robes, (and afterwards submit the prints personally to the Queen and Prince Albert).
By 1850, he had sufficient standing to be asked to explain the details of his oil-printing process to the Prince Consort, and in 1851 he took a stand at the Great Exhibition; under the classification "Sculpture, Models, and Plastic Art" he received an "Honourable Mention"; medals were subsequently awarded (Austria 1852, New York 1853, Paris 1855 and Sweden 1857).
It is obvious that royal patronage and the lure of prestige productions had a disastrous effect on his finances and this together with Baxter's incurable inability to have anything ready on time, meant that it is doubtful if he profited financially from his work. Certainly after he retired he was declared bankrupt.
Chromo-lithography, which had run side by side with Baxter's oil colour process from the beginning, was a serious menace to Baxter. Whatever the merits of his process, it was not equal to the growing demands of speed, economy and number.
George Baxter retired in 1860 and lived at "The Retreat", Sydenham. He died in 1867 after an accident whilst entering an omnibus and was buried at Christ Church, Forest Hill.
2. LITHOGRAPHSLithography was first practised in Britain between 1818 and 1820, but it
had been used as a means of reproduction many years earlier on the continent. The credit for the invention goes to Aloys Senefelder of Germany, who discovered the process in 1796, almost by accident. It was soon widely used for music printing and there were early experiments by artists, but the great surge in lithography came after about 1820, when commercial printers saw that they now had at their disposal a device of unprecedented ease and versatility. Not only could local views, or portraits of worthies, be made available more rapidly and more cheaply than before, but even small jobbing work became easier to provide. The great attraction was that creating an image on the lithographic stone was an action almost as natural as drawing on paper. Gone was the need to grapple with those comparatively intractable materials, wood or metal.
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