Studio RT Ltd

Description

This is a very stylish, elegant and substantial brass loaded Door Stop or Door Porter by the well known Birmingham manufacturer of quality domestic goods and door furniture William Tonks & Sons. The stop is marked W T & S, with the empty 8 pointed star that was adopted in 1900. It also bears the mark Rd for registered design, but does not bear the number.

It has a curved top handle which bridges two slender scrolls, which lead down to the bell shaped base, which is flanked by two larger scrolls on each side. This is not a design we have come across before.

William Tonks founded this firm in 1789 (or 1794?). They won gold medals at the 1851 and 1862 Exhibitions in London and in 1855 at Paris The larger factory in Moseley Street was opened in the early 1860s and most items now found will date from after this time.

(By 1869 they had developed the eight-pointed 'sun' trade mark showing two eyes and a mouth. Later the 'WT&S' initials were sometimes inserted instead for the marks on some items but other items had a smaller, empty sun on items designed in the 1900s. (This information courtesy of oldcopper.org website)

Height: 11 1/2 inches - 

Width: 5 inches - 12.7cm

Depth: 2 3/4 inches - 7cm

Weight: 2.8 kg.

Materials: Brass & cast iron

Condition: Very good.