Although most people know of Whitefriars glass via their fun moulded vases of the 1960s, the company stretches back much further than that. The original Whitefriars Glass Works were a small glass maker in London which reputedly dated back to the 1680s. In 1834 they were purchased by an elderly entrepreneur named James Powell who together with his children began transforming the factory by forming crucial links with some of the leading designers of the day. During the second half of the 19th Century James Powell & Sons grew in reputation supplying quality domestic glassware and obtaining church window commissions around England.
The company’s ability to adapt and innovate was a key factor to their long term success and during the later 19th Century they were one of the first firms to supply opalescent glass. In 1954 the company employed Geoffrey Baxter who was to create their famous coloured Banjo vases alongside other textured designs. At LoveAntiques we have a great range of antique and vintage glass by James Powell & Co and Whitefriars.