Silver Brighton Bun Travel Candlesticks

A pair of pressed silver Brighton Bun Travelling Candlesticks.

Although cast silver portable candlesticks occasionally come on the market, it is not often that we see pairs with the dishes made out pressed sheet silver. This was an easier, quicker manufacturing process and you see many later sets of brass Military Candlesticks made this way, with examples on this website.

The dishes are hallmarked for London 1887 and the sconces are partially hallmarked with the date letter M in a shield omitted. The maker's mark of E.F.H.T. in a shield is for Horace Woodward & Co, with the initials standing for Edgar Finley and Hugh Taylor.

The Birmingham based company could trace their origins back to Cartwright & Hirons who were established around 1850. In 1853 Horace Woodward joined as a partner with his name added to their title. Their factory was at 138 and 139 Great Charles Street, Birmingham and aside from silver they were also electroplate manufacturers. The company was larger enough to have showrooms in London at 41 Hatton Garden. The company name changed to Cartwright and Woodward in 1859 with the departure of Joseph Hirons. Six years later, George Cartwright retired and Horace changed the company name to Horace Woodward & Co. On the 14th of October 1879, Paradise Street was listed as the address in a patent application. It is not known if the company had moved from Great Charles Street or worked at both sites. In 1883 Horace left the business and Finley and Taylor took over. Ten years later the company became limited. In 1903, further premises were opened at Vyse Street Birmingham. Horace Woodward & Co. Ltd were finally bought by Adie Brothers Ltd. in 1919.

They made a wide range of domestic silverware and electroplate and were known for the quality of their work. They exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 and again in 1862. They also showed their work at the exhibitions at Paris in 1867 and Melbourne in 1881. Although not specialists in travel equipment, the popularity of portable candlesticks must have come to their notice at the time and they were added to the long list of items they produced.

The candlesticks are engraved with the owner's initials of 'HG' in a flowing script to the sconces. Silver was obviously much smarter and more expensive than brass and this was perhaps also true of the owner. Dated 1887.