Moorish Bathers

Moorish Bathers is George Woodall's masterpiece. It was started about 1890 and completed in 1898. The plaque was acquired by the Hon. George Brookman of Adelaide, Australia, and it narrowly escaped destruction when Brookman's home was destroyed by fire. George and Thomas Woodall left school at about the age of 12 and became apprentices at the firm of J. & J. Northwood. They also attended evening classes at the local art school, where Thomas later became an instructor. After completing their apprenticeships, they moved to the Dennis Glass Works, where they were employed primarily as designers. The Woodalls made two important innovations. One was their extensive use of the cutting wheel, which greatly accelerated the process of decorating cameo glass. The other was their use of an overlay of white glass. When this overlay was thinned over a base of burgundy or brown glass, a much greater variety of shading was achieved than was possible with other white glasses. (see cameo glass in Stourbridge, 89.2.11).