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The Revival of the Enamel Box
The revival of this lost art was begun in the late 1960's when Susan Benjamin, owner and founder of Halcyon Days, thought that this 18th
century art form could be revived. She had the knowledge and design capability, however she required someone with the technical knowledge and
ability to recreate this art form. She found a company in Bilston that had been enameling on copper, and with her design and marketing
capabilities, teamed up with the Marshall family who had the expertise in enameling. The Marshalls formed a company, Bilston & Battersea
Enamels, to manufacture Halcyon Days designs by Susan Benjamin.
After early experimentation, the range of boxes was officially launched in 1970. As no one had attempted this process in modern day, there were
constant changes that can be evidenced by the various types of mounts used through the years and the quality of the painting. One can see the
steady improvement as the years progressed. In the early days, there were numerous limited edition boxes to commemorate events, people and
places. These have become actively sought after by the collector.
A dated Christmas box series was begun in 1971 limited to an edition of the number of days in that year (365 or 366). These small ovals were
only sold in England and were such a success, that in 1973, Mrs. Benjamin decided to issue a round dated Christmas box which would only be
produced in the relevant year. The oval series was ended in 1982, but the round open edition series continues to this day and it is the most popular
of all the boxes. Collectors are constantly seeking the older editions and the market is active.
In addition to making the enamels for their own shop and through selected retailers, Halcyon Days also were commissioned to create special
editions by such retailers as Horchow Collection, Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany's, Gumps, the Smithsonian, and others.
Cameron & Smith not only deal in the retired issues of Halcyon Days including their special commissions, but we also sell the entire current
range of boxes. With over 1600 different designs in stock at any time, we have the world's largest inventory of enamels from various
manufacturers.
After the successful launch of Halcyon Days, John Aris formed a company called Crummles to produce enamel boxes. Not as refined as the
Halcyon boxes, he concentrated his themes on storybook characters that included the works of Beatrix Potter, Winnie-the-Pooh, Paddington Bear,
Brambley Hedge, Ronald Briggs' The Snowman, Alice in Wonderland (based on the Tennile drawings) and Tasha Tudor. All of these boxes have
been retired. Cameron & Smith makes a market in them and our inventory is constantly changing.
Following Crummles, Staffordshire Enamels appeared on the scene and from their early boxes, have increasingly improved their
craftsmanship. They acquired Marshall Enamels and followed that with the acquistion of Crummles.
In the spring of 1999, McLaughlin was commisssioned by the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, to create a box of the White House in a limited edition of 50 to be given as
official gifts to the dignataries attending the NATO meeting in Washington D.C. She has joined the ranks of American artisans such as Steuben Glass and Lenox as
official gift of the Government. You can view her works on the McLaughlin Page.
Two events in the enamels world which has given rise to the quality of workmanship:
Ian Marshall, former head of production and founder of Bilston & Battersea Enamels, lauched his company known as Marshall Enamels in September
renamed it in 2001 to The Ian Marshall Collection. Examples of his work can be found on the Marshall Enamels page. He has managed to recapture the fine
enamel painting that was known in the earlier days of the revival period. Marshall Enamels was acquired and absorbed into Staffordshire Enamels in 2002
Marshall began a second retirement from the industry.
Moorcroft Pottery purchased the small family firm of Kingsley Enamels in Worcestershire and changed their name to Moorcroft Enamels. They disbanded with
most of the Kingsley range to create a new look in enamels. They have intoduced a Lilliputian range of enamel vases in different shapes and have recreated a
number of world famous Moorcroft pottery designs. They have also introduced a range of free hand painted enamel boxes and vases that has raised the level of the
art of enamels. The free hand range is a stuning exercise in craftsmanship and detail and one can only marvel at the finished product.Moorcraft announced as of
January 2006 they would cease their enamel division.
2006 marks a rebirth of the tradition begun by Kingsley and continued by Moorcroft. Having grown up with the enamel business, Elliot Kingsley Hall has
experience in every aspect of the enamel making process. Having worked in the family business, Kingsley Enamels, he was made managing director ofMoorcroft
Enamels after they purchased the former company. He was the innovative driving force to develop freehand painted boxes and miniature vases. Too young to retire,
Elliott turned to the only career he has known and reassembled some of his top painters to create a new range of freehand painted boxes. The new company making
debut June 2006, is aptly named Elliot Hall Enamels.
Cameron & Smith Ltd. was formed in the fall of 1990 by collectors Patricia and Bob Smith to deal exclusively in Enamel Boxes. Realizing that there was no
structured secondary market for the revival boxes created by Halcyon Days, they decided to concentrate in this area by helping collectors acquire those boxes they
desired. To those of you surfing this website that are unfamiliar with enamel boxes, their origin date back to the mid 18th century in England. The boxes are enamel
on copper shapes, however there was a marriage of enamel and porcelain in boxes known as Chelsea Bonbonnieres (figural pieces).
Cameron & Smith Ltd lost one of their beloved owner/collectors on July 29th, 2011. This year after Bob’s passing has been long and difficult, but Patricia Smith
and daughter, Melinda Smith, have maintained the business. They have reorganized and restructured many aspects in order to continue serving you.
FOR ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
"THE FIRST 25 YEARS OF HALCYON DAYS ENAMELS" a book by Susan Benjamin, was published in 1995 with almost 600 colour illustrations. This is the
collector's bible for the revival pieces.
The Revival of the Enamel Box continued
1997, the first known American enameller appeared on the scene. Mary McLaughlin launched her range of hand painted enamels featuring the greater Chicago
area, her hometown. She has steadily expanded her horizons and now has a series of boxes featuring moments of leisure, and her prized series "Christmas In
American Cities." While the early Halcyon Days boxes are reminiscent of a fine oil painting, McLaughlin's works are truer to a fine watercolour. One of her
trademarks has become the painting of a scene inside the bottom of the base.
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