Acid Etched

Guest Brothers.

After separating from Northwood, Thomas Guest in conjunction with his brothers Edward and Richard set up a rival decorating business in Brettell Lane, Amblecote; Guest Brothers. Their major customer was Thomas Webb & Sons.

Guest brothers took out a patent that covered the filling of acid etched lines with black and gilt for added decorative effect.

Edwin Grice

Edwin Grice was employed at J. & J. Northwood in Wordsley for about 18 years, probably starting there when the firm began etching designs on glass in 1861. He worked along side John Northwood perfecting the etching process and producing the wooden patterns from which Northwood worked.

In the 1870s, he was working as an essential assistant to John Northwood in cameo carving projects, including the celebrated Portland Vase and the Pegsus Vase. The extent of his involvement with these cameo masterpieces was captured in an interview in 1913 transcribed below.

Leaving J&J Northwood in 1879 he went to work at Guest Brothers, in Brettel Lane, until his retirement in 1904.

At Guest Brothers he introduced various improved processes; one being the vertical etching machine. There are no definitive records of the type of work produced by Edwin.

 

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