above: Webb Corbett
trademark, c.1947-65
above: lead crystal glass
pitcher by Webb Corbett
below: Webb Corbett
trademark, c.1930-1947
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Webb Corbett Art Glass: A short explanation
Webb Corbett is one of the great names in English lead-crystal glass. It was set up in 1897 by two grandsons of Thomas Webb I, called Herbert Webb and Thomas Webb III, together with George Harry Corbett. They took over the White House Glass Works at Wordsley, near Stourbridge in England, from its previous operators, W H, B & J Richardson.
The original company name was Thomas Webb and Corbett Limited, and it was always a completely separate operation from Thomas Webb and Sons which later became Webb's Crystal Glass Co. Ltd., another famous Stourbridge crystal glass company. Thomas Webb and Corbett Ltd changed their name to Webb Corbett Ltd in the 1930's.
In 1969 the company was taken over by Royal Doulton Company, and in 1986 they stopped using the Webb Corbett name. Glass from the former Webb Corbett glassworks was then produced under the name Royal Doulton Crystal until this glassworks closed down.
Most of the Webb Corbett output has always been high quality tableware and vases. Cut and engraved lead crystal glass is its most well-known product.
There was an interesting range of stone-colored vases, pots, and candlesticks produced in the 1920's which were called "Agate Flambe". During that same period the company had produced attractive designs in enamel decorating on its vases and tableware, mostly depicting flowers, leaves and fruit.
Some of the best known designers associated with Webb Corbett were David Smith (sand-blasting designs and cameo work); Irene Stevens (modern non-traditional cut glass designs in the 1940s and 1950s); and David Queensbury (modern designs suited to glass cutting, in the 1960s).
David Smith was the chief designer at Webb Corbett from 1965 until he left in 1982. He introduced a magnificent range of cameo glass designs using clear crystal overlayed with colored glass, the design being sand-blasted onto the glass to remove part of the coloured layer.
The company became part of the Royal Doulton group in 1986, adding high quality glass to the Royal Doulton ceramics and art pottery range. From that date onwards the output of the Webb Corbett glassworks was called Royal Doulton Crystal. A number of mergers and takeovers followed and at the time of writing (2021) Royal Doulton Crystal are one of the brands owned by the Finnish company Fiskars Corporation, along with Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood, and Iittala.
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Webb Corbett glass  .
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