On 20th February 1934, Bagley & Co. registered design number 790481. ¹  The design was for pattern number 5234, otherwise known as Empress, produced from 1934 through to 1975. ²

In 1949 Bagley showcased articles from the Empress range on stand 15 at the British Industries Fair at Earls Court.   The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review describes the stand as containing “impressive ranges of new lines in pressed glass for table use. (…) In addition to the usual fruit and salad sets, there are honeys, and flintware biscuit and salad bowls.” ³

^{Bagley trade stand at the BIF 1949. Credit: The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review, June 1949}

The photograph shows the open sugar bowl, milk jug, square jam pot, square biscuit barrel, fruit bowl and another bowl in between the sizes of the other two.

Two months later a Bagley Empress fruit bowl was featured on the cover of the Pottery Gazette.

In addition to the items displayed at the BIF, Bagley also produced a butter dish, mustard pot, cheese dish, waisted vase, round honey and a footed salad bowl.  A selection of these items are available to view online through the Wakefield Museum collections.

The 1953 catalogue shows several items in the Empress range⁴, including the following open sugar bowl (left), cream jug (top right) and milk jug (bottom right).

Although only flint (clear) designs are shown here, it was definitely produced in amber and pale blue, but possibly other colours too.

References

1. Great Glass : Registered Design Numbers 750,000 to 799,999
2. Wakefield museum collection
3. Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review, May 1949
4. Bagley Glass 4th Edition. Angela Bowey. ISBN 1 54408 388 2