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The First Pipe Show!: Difference between revisions
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Now to the catalog that’s been a Web hot topic since the Bonhams’ auction: the 28-page | Now to the catalog that’s been a Web hot topic since the Bonhams’ auction: the 28-page ''International Exhibition, London, 1851. Barling’s Celebrated Registered EB WB Briar Pipes.'' A caption under the image of the catalog on pipdia.org reads: “B. Barling & Sons catalogue of pipes—Printed by Unwin Brothers—The Gresham Press—likely dated 1914, Courtesy Jesse Silver.” (Silver was the first to reprint it, Briar Books Press did a second reprint.) Strange, indeed, is that this stag-hunt meerschaum pipe is not illustrated on the cover, nor inside the catalog, nor given honorable mention. What appears on the cover is the following: | ||
International Exhibition, London, 1851. Barling’s Celebrated Registered EB WB Briar Pipes. A | |||
caption under the image of the catalog on pipdia.org reads: “B. Barling & Sons catalogue of | |||
pipes—Printed by Unwin Brothers—The Gresham Press—likely dated 1914, Courtesy Jesse | |||
Silver.” (Silver was the first to reprint it, Briar Books Press did a second reprint.) Strange, | |||
indeed, is that this stag-hunt meerschaum pipe is not illustrated on the cover, nor inside the | |||
catalog, nor given honorable mention. What appears on the cover is the following: | |||
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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 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 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. | ||
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Facebook (Wombell’s Auctioneers, November 25, 2016): “In recognition of the excellence of | Facebook (Wombell’s Auctioneers, November 25, 2016): “In recognition of the excellence of | ||
their work, Barling’s were offered the opportunity to exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851, | their work, Barling’s were offered the opportunity to exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851, | ||
which they duly did, showing a set of 12 (my emphasis) silver mounted pipes.” | which they duly did, showing a set of '''12''' (my emphasis) silver mounted pipes.” | ||
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Danpipe.de: “The Kopp company is dedicating the Benjamin series to company founder Benjam | Danpipe.de: “The Kopp company is dedicating the Benjamin series [of briar pipes] to company founder Benjam | ||
[sic] Barling. On the occasion of the World Exhibition in 1851 he won the highest awards at the | ['''sic'''] Barling. On the occasion of the World Exhibition in 1851 he won the highest awards at the | ||
International Exhibition in London for his silver work on a pipe set.” | International Exhibition in London for his silver work on a pipe set.” | ||
Rallis.blog about Barling: “Auf der Weltausstellung 1851 erhielt man für die außergewöhnlich | Rallis.blog about Barling: “Auf der Weltausstellung 1851 erhielt man für die außergewöhnlich | ||
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for a meerschaum pipe bowl to be carved in Vienna or Munich, and the silverwork and stem | for a meerschaum pipe bowl to be carved in Vienna or Munich, and the silverwork and stem | ||
added in London to complete the pipe. All the dots are there. To connect them just required a | added in London to complete the pipe. All the dots are there. To connect them just required a | ||
degree of investigation and analysis to arrive at a logical | degree of investigation and analysis to arrive at a logical explanation based on the visual | ||
evidence and an understanding of the stylistic changes in meerschaum pipe formats and styles | evidence and an understanding of the stylistic changes in meerschaum pipe formats and styles | ||
as they evolved from mid- to the late 19th-century. | as they evolved from mid- to the late 19th-century. | ||
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necessary to analyze all the available facts. The Barling pipe affair is a perfect example of | 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 | embellished to make it more interesting in pipe books and then online as it travels around the | ||
Web. | Web. | ||
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To those who follow Barling (or briar) history, I would not expect that you would be as familiar | To those who follow Barling (or briar) history, I would not expect that you would be as familiar | ||
with the evolution of the meerschaum industry in Europe in the mid- to late-19th century. To | with the evolution of the meerschaum industry in Europe in the mid- to late-19th century. To | ||
those who did not question Bonhams description of that auction pipe and embraced it, I believe | those who did not question Bonhams description of that auction pipe and embraced it, I believe that my explanation is plausible and persuasive. | ||
that my | I’ve tried not to wallow in the details but, unfortunately, the devil | ||
is in these very details. As an antique pipe-research addict for more than 50 years, it was an | is in these very details. As an antique-pipe-research-addict for more than 50 years, it was an | ||
academic challenge to disentangle and dissect what’s been written and then to formulate a | academic challenge to disentangle and dissect what’s been written and then to formulate a | ||
rational and very plausible explanation of the origin and disposition of this meerschaum pipe. | rational and very plausible explanation of the origin and disposition of this meerschaum pipe. | ||