In 2017 contact was made by the Victoria & Albert museum (V & A), they had recently found a file of Thurston papers and wished to return them. Some 30+ years earlier a number of files had been lent to the museum containing old drawings etc. but most had already been return. The file which the V & A found had been overlooked when the other files had been sent back and as the V & A didn’t want to keep the file they checked that Thurston would take it back..

There were some quite interesting items some of which have been photographed to add to the the Snooker Heritage site. Some original drawings by Frank Brangwyn R.A. (1867-1956)show his design which were made into actual pieces by Thurston which were shown in their catalogue.

The above pictures are from one of the old Thurston catalogues and you can clearly see that the finished articles were faithfully produced from the artists design. He also designed the rather splendid table table Design No. 15.

There were also a Billiard Room design concepts – for which we do not know the artists.

There is the original of a certificate of a record Billiard break by Tom Reece.

The break was 1825 with 899 consecutive cannons in a match against M. Inman. The Certificate notes that it was made on a Standard Billiard Table in Thurston, Leicester Square on 14th March 1907

Thurston Match Room, Leicester Square. The marking board has M. Inman and J. Davis names on it.

The above picture is the Thurston Match Room in , we believe, Cape Town probably circa. 1928 and the match was between Geldenhuis Deep and Crown Mines, both teams were competing in the Mines Billiard Championship.

Acknowledgement – Peter Ainsworth for providing information on the South African picture



Although the table design below is not one of the items discovered in the Papers return from the V&A the following does show Thurston continued association with significant architects of the period. C.F.A. Voysey FRIBA RDI (1857-1941). He made important contributions to the Modern style as can be seen in his Billiard table design for Thurston.

The Snooker Heritage Collection is free to enter BUTas the rooms are just part of a working office and factory a Guide is required. So please make an appointmentgiving at least 72 hours notice. The maximum number that can be shown round is limited to four. To make an appointment phone 0151 482 2700.

For all your Snooker, Billiard or Pool accessories Contact – Thurston

phone +44 (0)151 482 2700

or visit their eshop – www thurston.co.uk

email – thurston@eaclare.co.uk

© E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. 2018. © Peter N. Clare 2018
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.

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All items displayed are from the Heritage Collection, unless otherwise acknowledged.

Reproduction of article allowed only with the permission from E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. All pictures, unless otherwise noted, are E. A. Clare & Son Ltd. copyright and can not be reproduced without permission. When permission is allowed full recognition of ownership must be shown.