Posted 10 years ago
pickrknows
(385 items)
This little 11" copper vase caught my eye at a recent estate sale I attended . The gentleman was a auto mechanic for 70+years, so I thought initially this was a container for adding oil or something.
Doing a little cleaning, found the maker mark from Beldray, made in England.
Here's a little on them,
http://www.englishmetalware.com/Beldray.htm
Beldray metalware includes vases (flower vases and fern pots), crumb sets (crumb tray and brush), crumb scoops, tazzas (fruit dishes or table centres with cut glass linings or inserts), cake or fruit baskets (with handles and cut glass linings), pitchers (hot water jugs), hot water cans (with handles and spouts), fancy tea kettles, tea urns, copper kettles, letter holders, ink wells, rose bowls (with brass wire nets), shaving jugs, tea caddies, steel plaques, coal scoops, waiters (round trays), clothes brush sets, and tea and breakfast trays (oval and rectangular trays). Beldray pieces are English and appear to have been produced mainly in the early 1900's.
The most common Beldray antique items appear to be vases, especially in brass, although copper/brass, and many chrome examples exist as well. The brass and copper vases usually have decorative handles; the chrome vases generally do not. Besides the vases, some of the most attractive items include ink wells, crumb trays, letter holders, waiters, and tea and breakfast trays. Very attractive ornate smokers' stands (with match box holders) are found in a 1926 Beldray catalog. (Oddly, only the plain smokers' stands seem to regularly turn up on eBay.) Similarly, ornate ash trays, rose bowls, and fancy tea kettles have not been seen on eBay or elsewhere although all seem quite collectable. (Antique dealers are missing the boat on these.) Some of the nicest Beldray items occasionally seen are copper clocks, letter holders, and spirit kettles.
Beldray items with Registered Design Numbers include a crumb tray, 473163 (January 30, 1906) and a letter holder, 475680 (March 15, 1906). Those registrations were to Bradley and Company, Limited with an address of Albion Works, Bilston, Staffordshire. The company was described as "Manufacturers."
Today, Beldray Limited is a UK-based manufacturer of consumer durable products. According to the company web site, it was originally established in 1872 as the Bradley Company.
Link to a site with a history of Bradley and Company and Beldray
What is the origin of the name Beldray? It is an anagram of the letters in Bradley. The company's logo was a bell on a wagon (an old word for wagon is dray).
The Author of this site has come into possession of a extensive Beldray MetalWare booklet produced in 1926 by Bradley & Co. Ltd. located in Bilston, England. Bradley & Co. was the holder of the Beldray trademark. Presumably, Bradley & Co. eventually changed its name to Beldray.
This is not a valuable piece because it's English , but American made pieces from the same era bring big money, such as Roycroft!
Also, it's a little dented and beat up, but it's over 100 yrs old, so should I try to straighten?
Should I try to clean this better?
Thanks for looking!!
Cheers!!
That was my first thought also Phil, It was with a pile of junky vases, and it looked like a shell casingnthat had been worked.
When I saw it was copper, I knew it was not trench art but what?
I love finding these little history lessons that otherwise would end up in the scrap pile.
Nit sure if I should. restore it or leave alone.