Barnaby Powell For Whitefriars Blue Glass Bowl Circa 1930s

A hand wrought ‘trailing ribbon’ pattern bowl by Barnaby Powell for Whitefriars, Circa 1930s, in the Sapphire Blue colour, with polished pontil base and hand spun pattern. From a selection of 1930s Whitefriars glassware currently available.

Britain's longest running glass house, best known as the Whitefriars factory, was purchased by James Powell for his three sons in 1834. It subsequently led fashion and technology in the manufacture of domestic glass for a century and a half. The factory's designs, now shown at major exhibitions around the world and sought by collectors, moved with fashion. Whitefriars was the glass maker of choice for English Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau, while the inter-War period and a move to a new state of the art factory in Wealdstone, West London in 1923 occasioned a series of colourful Art Deco wares enlivened by geometric wheel engraving.

This period of prosperity ended with the Second World War since glass manufacture was restricted to that aiding the war effort. By the end of the war, the company was struggling to survive and it was only when Geoffrey Baxter became head designer that the company returned to glory.