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The First Pipe Show!: Difference between revisions
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St., Camden Town, Des. And Manu.—Silver-mounted meerschaum smoking pipes.” Was this pipe one of the eight? I had my doubts, because it raises an obvious question: had both meerschaums—a period pipe for sale to the public and a very ornately-carved one associated | St., Camden Town, Des. And Manu.—Silver-mounted meerschaum smoking pipes.” Was this pipe one of the eight? I had my doubts, because it raises an obvious question: had both meerschaums—a period pipe for sale to the public and a very ornately-carved one associated | ||
with the Great Exhibition—been produced around the same time and, as importantly, what was | with the Great Exhibition—been produced around the same time and, as importantly, what was | ||
their respective provenance? I looked for evidence. An article in the May 12, 1951 The | their respective provenance? I looked for evidence. An article in the May 12, 1951 ''The illustrated London News'' mentions “A silver-mounted and engraved meerschaum pipe, with | ||
illustrated London News mentions “A silver-mounted and engraved meerschaum pipe, with | |||
cherry and amber stem and polished barrel. It was originally shown by Benjamin Barling and | cherry and amber stem and polished barrel. It was originally shown by Benjamin Barling and | ||
Sons.” But where and when? I could not access the complete article, but this description | Sons.” But where and when? I could not access the complete article, but this description | ||
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Now to my original interest, how many pipe makers exhibited and what did they exhibit. | Now to my original interest, how many pipe makers exhibited and what did they exhibit. | ||
The challenge was to search every available catalog (the ''Official Descriptive and Illustrated | The challenge was to search every available catalog (the ''Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue''… consisted of five volumes), other editions, and every version published by or for the Exhibition sponsors. Not all were available to me, so it was impossible to find every tobacco pipe manufacturer who participated. More frustrating was the fact that I encountered information inconsistencies between and among the various catalogs; what pipes were exhibited or who were the exhibitors depended on the catalog accessed. For example, in the ''Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851. Part I. Alphabetical Index of Contributors and Whose Names Appear In The Catalogue'', on page 12, there is “Barling & Sons.” Barling is also listed in Part II. Alphabetical and Classified List Of Articles Contained In The Official Catalogue'', under “Meerschaum Pipes,” but under “Tobacco Pipes, Bowls, Tubes, &c.,” Barling is not. The ''Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851 Reports by the Juries of the Subjects in the Thirty Classes Into Which The Exhibition Was Divided (1852)'' identifies all the pipe-exhibitor awardees: Barling is not among them. | ||
Catalogue''… consisted of five volumes), other editions, and every version published by or for the | |||
Exhibition sponsors. Not all were available to me, so it was impossible to find every tobacco | |||
pipe manufacturer who participated. More frustrating was the fact that I encountered | |||
information inconsistencies between and among the various catalogs; what pipes were | |||
exhibited or who were the exhibitors depended on the catalog accessed. For example, in the | |||
''Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851. Part I. | |||
Alphabetical Index of Contributors and Whose Names Appear In The Catalogue'', on page 12, | |||
there is “Barling & Sons.” Barling is also listed in Part II. Alphabetical and Classified List Of | |||
Articles Contained In The Official Catalogue, under “Meerschaum Pipes,” but under “Tobacco | |||
Pipes, Bowls, Tubes, &c.,” Barling is not. The 'Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, | |||
1851 Reports by the Juries of the Subjects in the Thirty Classes Into Which The Exhibition Was | |||
Divided | |||
It was also difficult to weave together the many disparate entries from so many catalogs and | It was also difficult to weave together the many disparate entries from so many catalogs and | ||
reports into a coherent narrative, so what you will encounter, organizationally, is a patchwork | reports into a coherent narrative, so what you will encounter, organizationally, is a patchwork | ||
… all the relevant pieces and parts I discovered that, together, tell a story, not the story. | … all the relevant pieces and parts I discovered that, together, tell a story, not ''the'' story. | ||
Robert Hunt, ed., ''Hunt’s Hand-Book to the Official Catalogues: An Explanatory Guide to the | Robert Hunt, ed., ''Hunt’s Hand-Book to the Official Catalogues: An Explanatory Guide to the Natural Productions and Manufactures of the Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations'', Vol. II (1851): | ||
Natural Productions and Manufactures of the Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations'', | |||
Vol. II (1851): | |||
“Tobacco-pipes, &c. (65.)—Richly ornamented pipe-bowls are shown, decorated with figures of | “Tobacco-pipes, &c. (65.)—Richly ornamented pipe-bowls are shown, decorated with figures of | ||
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exhibition catalog that I accessed. You probably will not recognize most of the manufacturers, | exhibition catalog that I accessed. You probably will not recognize most of the manufacturers, | ||
but the array essentially consisted of meerschaums, clays, and narghiles. | but the array essentially consisted of meerschaums, clays, and narghiles. | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;" | {| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;" | ||
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|Tobacco pipes (Turkish clay); genuine meerschaums | |Tobacco pipes (Turkish clay); genuine meerschaums | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Joseph Wojtech, Vienna Pipe-tubes of wood, of various kinds | |Joseph Wojtech, Vienna | ||
|Pipe-tubes of wood, of various kinds | |||
|- | |- | ||
|J. Yerbury, England | |J. Yerbury, England | ||
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My best source for identifying the pipe awardees was not any of the Exhibition catalogs, but an | My best source for identifying the pipe awardees was not any of the Exhibition catalogs, but an obscure 32-page monograph, ''The Great London Exhibition. 1851. Awards. Published for the Subscribers to Galignani’s Messenger'' (1851). “The number of pipe and amber exhibitors is forty-nine: 10 holders of a Prize Medal; 18 who received honorable mention; 21 unrewarded. Two types of bronze medals were created: the Prize medal (busts of Queen Victoria and Prince | ||
obscure 32-page monograph, ''The Great London Exhibition | Albert, two dolphins and a trident on the obverse; Britannia and attendants on the reverse), and the Council medal (busts of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the obverse; Britannia and Mercury, the Roman God of Commerce, on the reverse); 2,918 Prize Medals were awarded; 170 exhibitors earned the highest and rarest Council Medal for outstanding achievements or contributions. A recipient of honorable mention meant that the exhibitor fell short of meeting the workmanship or innovation standards set for the award of a medal. ''The Industry of Nations, as Exemplified in the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Materials of Industry'' (1852) lists awards for the category “Miscellaneous Manufactures,” which included tobacco pipes; England received | ||
Subscribers to Galignani’s Messenger'' (1851). “The number of pipe and amber exhibitors is | four Council medals, 142 Prize medals, and 100 Honourable mention, information that is not exhibitor-specific. Not surprisingly, these numbers do not comport with the following table. The Jurors Medal was given to all the members of the Jury who judged the exhibits, and Prince Albert was awarded a Great Medal of Achievement. More than 600 American exhibitors participated and, of the 170 medals awarded by the Council of the Great Exhibition, five were | ||
forty-nine: 10 holders of a Prize Medal; 18 who received honorable mention; 21 unrewarded. | |||
Two types of bronze medals were created: the Prize medal (busts of Queen Victoria and Prince | |||
Albert, two dolphins and a trident on the obverse; Britannia and attendants on the reverse), | |||
and the Council medal (busts of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the obverse; Britannia and | |||
Mercury, the Roman God of Commerce, on the reverse); 2,918 Prize Medals were awarded; 170 | |||
exhibitors earned the highest and rarest Council Medal for outstanding achievements or | |||
contributions. A recipient of honorable mention meant that the exhibitor fell short of meeting | |||
the workmanship or innovation standards set for the award of a medal. ''The Industry of Nations, | |||
as Exemplified in the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Materials of Industry'' (1852) lists awards for | |||
the category “Miscellaneous Manufactures,” which included tobacco pipes; England received | |||
four Council medals, 142 Prize medals, and 100 Honourable mention, information that is not | |||
exhibitor-specific. Not surprisingly, these numbers do not comport with the following table. The | |||
Jurors Medal was given to all the members of the Jury who judged the exhibits, and Prince | |||
Albert was awarded a Great Medal of Achievement. More than 600 American exhibitors | |||
participated and, of the 170 medals awarded by the Council of the Great Exhibition, five were | |||
awarded to American exhibits, none of which was for pipes. | awarded to American exhibits, none of which was for pipes. | ||
There’s evidence of a degree of prejudice regarding awards for the pipe exhibitors that may | There’s evidence of a degree of prejudice regarding awards for the pipe exhibitors that may have influenced who and how many received recognition: “Many months before the opening of the Exhibition we had ourselves put forth a plan which (whatever might have been its faults) at least possessed comprehensive substantiality, and would, if acted upon, have prevented the possibility of a tobacco pipe carrying off as great a reward as a mariner’s compass. …For our | ||
have influenced who and how many received recognition: “Many months before the opening of | part, we do not go so far, but think that, if a definite plan had been determined on, and made known to the exhibitors, a far more satisfactory result would have been arrived at in the distribution of awards than is now attained.” (“The Industrial Exhibition. General Remarks,” ''The London Journal of Arts, Sciences, and Manufactures, and Repertory of Patent Inventions'', 1851). | ||
the Exhibition we had ourselves put forth a plan which (whatever might have been its faults) at | |||
least possessed comprehensive substantiality, and would, if acted upon, have prevented the | |||
possibility of a tobacco pipe carrying off as great a reward as a mariner’s compass. …For our | |||
part, we do not go so far, but think that, if a definite plan had been determined on, and made | |||
known to the exhibitors, a far more satisfactory result would have been arrived at in the | |||
distribution of awards than is now attained.” (“The Industrial Exhibition. General Remarks,” ''The | |||
London Journal of Arts, Sciences, and Manufactures, and Repertory of Patent Inventions'', 1851). | |||
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Parenthetically, this exhibition set the example for a multitude of national, international, and | Parenthetically, this exhibition set the example for a multitude of national, international, and | ||
regional exhibitions that followed in which many more pipe manufacturers from the far reaches | regional exhibitions that followed in which many more pipe manufacturers from the far reaches | ||
of the globe participated, with the most frequent being five Exposition Universelle in Paris, the | of the globe participated, with the most frequent being five ''Exposition Universelle'' in Paris, the | ||
first in 1855. Inspired by London’s Great Exhibition, a little-known, near-forgotten “Crystal | first in 1855. Inspired by London’s Great Exhibition, a little-known, near-forgotten “Crystal | ||
Palace—The Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations“—the first World’s Fair held in the United | Palace—The Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations“—the first World’s Fair held in the United | ||
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Peter Davey (ed.), ''The Archaeology of The Clay Tobacco Pipe IX. More Pipes from the Midlands | Peter Davey (ed.), ''The Archaeology of The Clay Tobacco Pipe IX. More Pipes from the Midlands and Southern England'' (1985): “Benjamin Barling & Sons seem to have specialized in meerschaum pipes, for they had a stand at the 1851 Great Exhibition where they exhibited ‘an | ||
and Southern England'' (1985): “Benjamin Barling & Sons seem to have specialized in | |||
meerschaum pipes, for they had a stand at the 1851 Great Exhibition where they exhibited ‘an | |||
assortment of silver mounted meerschaum pipes.’” | assortment of silver mounted meerschaum pipes.’” | ||
John Culme, The Directory of Gold & Silversmiths (1987): “At the Great Exhibition of 1851, | John Culme, ''The Directory of Gold & Silversmiths'' (1987): “At the Great Exhibition of 1851, | ||
Benjamin Barling & Sons, described as designers and manufacturers, showed 1. Silver- | Benjamin Barling & Sons, described as designers and manufacturers, showed 1. Silver- | ||
mounted meerschaum smoking pipe, chased, engine-turned, and engraved top, oak border.” | mounted meerschaum smoking pipe, chased, engine-turned, and engraved top, oak border.” | ||
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support to ideas or beliefs that don’t have an historical basis. Because there are so few sources | support to ideas or beliefs that don’t have an historical basis. Because there are so few sources | ||
that accurately recount the early history of the meerschaum pipe industry, it is absolutely | that accurately recount the early history of the meerschaum pipe industry, it is absolutely | ||
necessary to analyze all the available facts. The Barling pipe | necessary to analyze all the available facts. The Barling pipe affair is a perfect example of | ||
how a story can take on a life of its own, frequently being modified, changed, expanded, or | how a story can take on a life of its own, frequently being modified, changed, expanded, or | ||
embellished to make it more interesting first in books and then online as it travels around the | embellished to make it more interesting first in books and then online as it travels around the | ||
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A final word. I believe that what I have catalogued is also ample proof that briar pipes were not | A final word. I believe that what I have catalogued is also ample proof that briar pipes were not | ||
on display at the Great Exhibition. “Who Carved the First Briar Pipe?” (pipedia.org) cites Hacker | on display at the Great Exhibition. “Who Carved the First Briar Pipe?” (pipedia.org) cites Hacker | ||
(The Ultimate Pipe Book): “Nonetheless, it was around 1840 when a pipemaker named François | (''The Ultimate Pipe Book''): “Nonetheless, it was around 1840 when a pipemaker named François | ||
Comoy (who, in 1825, started the first full-time pipe factory in St Claude) began carving pipes | Comoy (who, in 1825, started the first full-time pipe factory in St Claude) began carving pipes | ||
out of France's native bruyere (which has subsequently been called brier and finally briar.” | out of France's native bruyere (which has subsequently been called brier and finally briar.” | ||
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Let’s assume that history favors Comoy, so I close with a rhetorical question. If François Comoy | Let’s assume that history favors Comoy, so I close with a rhetorical question. If François Comoy | ||
was the first to produce la pipe en bruyère, why wasn’t he or his son at the Exhibition | was the first to produce ''la pipe en bruyère'', why wasn’t he or his son at the Exhibition | ||
promoting this new pipe medium? He would have introduced this newly-discovered pipe | promoting this new pipe medium? He would have introduced this newly-discovered pipe | ||
material to millions of visitors. As well, he could have been the impetus for an earlier expansion | material to millions of visitors. As well, he could have been the impetus for an earlier expansion | ||