YSART MEMORIES

On Saturday my son Ray and I, together with NPS member Maureen Brint, set off for Lancashire. To be more specific we were going to Garstang Golf & Country Club for lunch.

The purpose, however, was to listen to Catherine Rae talk about her family – the Ysarts. She is the daughter of Vincent Ysart, one of the famous Ysart family of glassmakers.

I first met her when she turned up unexpectedly at the marvellous Paperweight Exhibition organized by Martin Taylor last year and held at St. Anne’s, near Blackpool. Everyone was amazed and naturally very excited when they realized what an interesting person they had in their midst. Of-course our NPS organiser, Sue Broughton, was quick to book Catherine for a future meeting where we might have the chance to hear more about her famous family.

Paperweight Club meetings are always fun and interesting, but every so often we have the opportunity to meet someone with first-hand experience of early paperweight-making. This was one of those occasions. I had wondered what kind of a speaker she would be – inevitably she would be interesting – but some people are better at presenting facts than others – and some people take more trouble. In the event we found ourselves listening to a polished, experienced speaker, who had left no stone unturned in making her presentation memorable. She had assembled photographs, slides and a large array of general Monart and Vasart glassware. Of particular interest to us, of-course, were the paperweights made by Catherine’s Uncle Paul and her father Vincent. There were also weights made by others such as her grandfather, Salvador.

Oh, by the way, one of the reasons that the talk was so excellent was that Catherine was an ex-primary school teacher! If you keep young children interested you can keep anybody interested! She must have been an excellent teacher.

She covered the story of the Ysarts coming from Spain, working briefly in France and settling in Scotland in the early part of the twentieth century. She explained the now familiar story of Salvador apprenticing his four sons to himself at Moncrieffs in Perth, and his artistic liaison with Mrs Moncrieff, which resulted in the now famous Monart label vases, etc. She again said what I had heard many times – that there was a serious family split between her uncle Paul and the rest. She didn’t go into reasons, but she did say that her grandfather, on his death bed, insisted that the feud be ended.

It was fascinating to hear the familiar framework take on a fuller structure, as she held up paperweights, vases and bowls. She showed us a piece of goldstone, which appeared to have a tiny fossil in it. No one seemed to know whether this object was one which was mined or mixed – including myself! She showed us glass which she had bought at various auctions. One item in particular seemed rather poignant: her grandmother’s dressing-table set turned up in the Ian Turner sale!

As you will see in the picture, there are many paperweights which one would be hard put to to recognize unless one had had them positively identified by someone like Catherine.

It will be a long time before I expect to see so many fine pieces made by the Ysarts, but I must say the many ‘curiosities’ added to the fun of the occasion. Who could fail to be charmed by Catherine’s doll’s house furniture? Not me!

Oh, and Garstang Country Club was rather charming too. An excellent meal and a lovely venue.

Photographs courtesy of Gordon and Paddy Bushell (I forgot my camera):

Catherine Rae - A selection of glass used daily - Canes - Ysart Paperweights - Bowls & Vase - More canes.