The Snooker and Billiard Collection

The Norman Clare Collection, now called the Snooker Heritage Collection, at Thurston, St. Anne Street, Liverpool is probably the largest collection of billiards and snooker memorabilia in the world. Only the Heinrich Weingartner Museum in Vienna compare with it and that is devoted to carom billiards. In 2026 a vast Billiard museum was opened in China. It is worth a look at its ‘Facebook’ entry – (20+) Facebook . However the Snooker Heritage Collection is the ‘oldest’ collection dedicated to the U.K. Billiards & Snooker covering all aspects from accessories to tables, cues to balls. We hope that the following gives you a taste of what the Collection holds but also we recommend you take a look at the Articles and Company histories.

The Billiard & Snooker Heritage Collection

(Originally the Norman Clare Museum)

The Billiard & Snooker Collection, housed in the E.A. Clare & Son Ltd building in Liverpool, owes its existence to Norman Clare (son of the founder, E.A. Clare). While acquiring Thurston in the 1960s, Norman spotted an original, full-size wooden bed for a billiard table blocking a window to stop pigeons from entering the works in Cheyne Walk. This discovery sparked his interest in the history and objects related to billiards and snooker.

He subsequently began collecting any items associated with the games, as a result, the collection ranges from sheets of old rules, chalk, and tips to books and even full-sized tables. The Collection has hosted many visitors, including television and radio crews, though the majority of visitors are individuals with a personal interest in cue sports. Unlike specialist collectors, the aim of this collection is to preserve as many different pieces of billiard and snooker paraphernalia as possible.

In late 2024, the collection was closed to visitors, and the items were placed in storage due to necessary and extensive building work. Once the majority of the work was completed in 2026, Peter Clare (Norman’s son) undertook the task of displaying as much of the collection as possible, utilizing both the original display room and two new rooms. In April 2026, Peter Clare welcomed the first visitor to the reinstated collection and personally showed them the exhibits.

Picture shows just the start of the removal of the whole wall, which was in danger of falling into the street below. (2025)

Same room after building work completed and exhibits re-instated

The collection was formed by Norman Clare (1914-1990) based on items he found at the premises of the famous London firm of Thurston’s, when Clare’s took over the company in 1963. His son Peter has subsequently added to the collection. Among its unique items are Joe Davis’s cue, and a gold watch presented to John Roberts Senior, who was World Billiards Champion from 1850-1870. He had the distinction of being born and bred in Liverpool, as was the 1991 World Snooker Champion John Parrott, whose early career was sponsored by Thurston. Here are pictures of some of the highlights of the collection.

Norman Clare – the founder of the Collection

Joe Davis’s Cue & other Joe Davis Memorabilia

John Roberts Senior’s Pocket Watch

TABLES

Modern tables are rectangular, standard-sized and made of wood and slate, but in the past tables could be as long as 15 feet, circular or triangular, and made of marble, metal, or even concrete! The museum has an octagonal table made in 1908 to fit into a room with a bay window; a table with a cast-iron frame made by Harris and Son of London; and a Thurston portable table with a wooden base rumoured to have been used by the Duke of Wellington and his staff officers during the Napoleonic Wars.

Marsden & Safley Cast Iron Frame – note Liver Bird (This table was on loan & displayed until 2024 when the owner had it exported)

Octagonal Billiard Table – A bespoke billiard table manufactured by Thurston in 1908

Thurston Portable Table

THE MIP Table – Multum In Parvo – Much in Little Also, in the background – the Thurston Royal Warrants & Victorian Patents

BILLIARD AND SNOOKER BALLS

Ivory balls replaced wooden ones in the early 1800s but by the 1880s about 12,000 elephants a year (mostly female) were being killed to supply Britain with billiard balls. By 1890 artificial balls, invented by an American, began to be available in Britain. Ivories were last used in professional games in 1928, though they are still sometimes used in “artistic billiards” played in Europe. Snooker, invented in 1875, became popular after 1900 mainly because it became cheaper to buy full sets of artificial balls. By the late 1930s it had outstripped the older game of billiards in popularity .

The museum has many set of ivories including a magnificent box of billiard, pyramids, and life pool balls. Note that life pool and pyramids, were killed off in Britain by snooker – modern pool is an imported version of the American 8-ball game.

Billiard, Life Pool & Pyramid Set

Ivory Billiard Ball Mountain – 1911

CUES

Cues were invented in Europe in the 18^th Century and began to replace maces in the early 19^th Century, especially after the invention of the leather tip and cue chalk, which made side and screw shots so much easier. Most cues were imported from France until about the 1860’s. Although highly decorated, individually designed cues are made in the United States, most British players still prefer to traditional unadorned ash cues.

The museum has a particularly fine selection of maces of various sorts. It also has several beautiful 200 year old French cues with intricate marquetry designs, and virtually all the “signature” cues that have the names, and sometimes the photographs, of famous players on them. A glass case contains the cue and set of travelling balls used by the great Joe Davis, World Snooker Champion from 1927-1947.

Maces Heads

Marquetry Cues

Part of the cue collection

OTHER ITEMS

Among the thousands of artefacts in the collection is an extensive range of books and magazines, predominantly English, though including works on carom billiards and American pool. There is also a unique collection of trade catalogues, along with hundreds of photographs, pictures and prints.

The collection features numerous trophies, including the cup awarded to John Roberts Junior for winning the Championship in 1870 (displayed by kind permission of the World Snooker Association). Also on display are a variety of scoreboards, some of which are particularly striking, as well as a lathe once used for turning ivory balls and other historic tools.

In addition, the collection includes cue racks, cushions, posters and personal memorabilia. Among the most notable items is a copy of a large portrait of the Australian billiards player Walter Lindrum, the original of which is now held by the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

Walter Lindrum Portrait showing him at the THURSTON Match Room table by the Australian artist, Will Longstaff

Bust of Joe Davis

Cue & Billiard Irons

Fred Davis Section

Some additional pictures of the collection of Billiard and Snooker memorabilia that Norman Clare founded and has been maintained in his memory.

Thurston Royal Warrant granted by Edward VII in 1907

The original cheque signed by Charles Dickens dated 29^th January 1866

We have only been able to display a small selection of the collection, so we have carefully selected items which we felt would be of interest not just to Snooker, Pool & Billiard players.

For further information and to read Norman Clare’s articles on Billiards & Snooker equipment and

Past Masters of the game of Billiards log on to – www.snookerheritage.co.uk

We have an online shop covering Billiards. Snooker & Pool as well as Bowling Green Bowls

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

Please do not hesitate to ask should need any advice on snooker, billiards or pool or wish to make a purchase. Thurston has the most comprehensive range of Snooker, Pool & Billiard accessories available. Visit our e-shop – www.thurston.co.uk

email – thurston@eaclare.co.uk or Phone – 0151 482 2700

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