Thursday 9 September 2010

Design Registration Numbers


Please click on images to expand them.

Following on from a previous blog regarding Diamond Registration Marks, we at The Period Ironmonger have decided to try and explain how Design Registration Numbers work and which design era's they are pertaining to.  

There are quite a few architectural eras and many of them overlap especially during the reign of Queen Victoria 1839-1901. In the blog I have included a chart entitled 'Design Registration Number Key', using this together with the previous blog on Registered Designs - Registered Designs Diamond Registration Mark - 1842-1867 & 1868-1883  you can put a date and design era to any of your pieces. Design Registration Numbers superseded the Diamond Registration Mark in 1884 so this is the date we will start with.

The Georgian era started in 1720 and culminated in 1839, in the 119 years it existed there were four Kings on the throne. George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United Kingdom and George IV of the United Kingdom. 

In our our 'Diamond Registration Marks' blog we explain that although an initial committee of MP's was set up to determine how the scheme would work in 1835 during the reign of George IV, the laws passed regarding registered designs didn't begin until 1842 when Queen Victoria was on the throne. 

From the end of the Georgian period to present date there have been many quite diverse architectural era's, here are a few that may be of interest:- Jacobethan Revival (1830–70 the precursor to the Queen Anne style), Gothic Revival (1840 -1880), Neo-Grec (1845–65) includes Neoclassicism, early Neo-Renaissance now called the Greek Revival style, Second Empire (1865–80; originated in France sometimes called the Napoleon III style), Queen Anne (1870–1910), British Arts and Crafts movement (1880–1910), Art Nouveau - (1890-1905), Art Deco - (1920-1930 also revival in the 1960's).

The letter plate in the picture has been cleaned and refurbished by The Period Ironmonger, the number on the back of the letter plate is - Rd 419804, from the Design Registration Number Key you can make out that this falls between 1903-1904 and from the list of architectural era's shown above you can see that this is an Art Nouveau letter plate.

We have a Reclaimed and Refurbished section on our web-site at The Period Ironmonger, If you are looking for original quality letter plates, door knockers, door knobs or any period hardware please take a look, if what you are after isn't there please don't hesitate to call us and see if we can find what you are after.