William Wilson

A picture of the Engraved Glass Commemoration Bowl designed by William Wilson is shown in the illustrations part of the 1948 catalog. It was produced by James Powell of Whitefriars Glass, a London-based glass manufacturer that existed since the 17th century.

Wilson joined Whitefriars Glass as an errand boy at the age of 14 and remained with the company for more than 40 years. He was regarded as one of the finest 20th century engravers and was the leading exponent of diamond-point engraving. Wilson became chief designer of Whitefriars in 1948 and was later managing director, a post he held until he retired at the end of 1972.

Wilson was responsible for designing many pieces for Royal occasions since 1935, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, her marriage to Prince Phillip in 1947, and the investiture of King Charles III as Prince of Wales in 1969. One of Wilson’s other famous works was in designing and engraving the cut glass casket used to house the scroll given to recipients of the Freedom of Harrow. The first one was designed for Winston Churchill when he was the inaugural recipient to be so honored in 1955. The following year Wilson designed and engraved a goblet for the Royal Air Force (RAF), which contained their insignia and Churchill’s memorable speech: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” in reference to the RAF fighter pilots and bomber crews who kept control of the skies over Britain during World War II.