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Beer-Pump Handles, and the Catalogue of my Complete Collection
Introduction
To most people, one beer-pump handle is much the same as any other. It is not a thing worthy of note, just a fairly unremarkable feature of the apparatus involved in the process of dispensing that perfect pint of ale. The customer's immediate focus is invariably, and quite understandably, drawn to the pump clip, for that determines the important business of what tipple is on offer. These, of course, now come in a profusion of shapes, sizes, colours, designs and materials, all competing for the drinker's attention with but one aim - TRY ME!
The Modern Beer-Pump Handle
Perhaps it is as much to do with ensuring that this message gets across with the minimum of other visual distractions, as the economic dictates of mass-production and standardisation, that the modern porcelain beer-pump handle no longer vies for attention with quite the flamboyance of its predecessors. In most pubs now there are generally just two variations on the theme - plain black or plain white.
There are, of course, exceptions - such as the various styles of "hunting scene" decoration which became the vogue during the 1960s, and handles displaying a brewery logo, eg Bass. However those are in a distinct minority. Most, as has already been observed, are just plain black or white, and it must be said, rather boring.
The modern porcelain beer-pump handle has also adopted a standard size and shape, being 9" tall and 2" in diameter at its widest point, with a double-collared base, relatively slim profile and a fairly pointed apex.
But it was not always like this.
The Vintage Beer-Pump Handle
Before the advent of the "modern standard" porcelain beer-pump handle, probably during the 1950s although it may have been earlier, there was no precise uniformity of shape, size, design or colour. This obviously reflected a similar lack of standardisation in the manufacture of the beer engines to which they were fitted. Often a bank of beer-pumps would have handles of similar design but in different colours. In the days before the emergence of the pump-clip, and when most pubs were tied to a single brewery, it is not inconceivable that this served a purpose as a way of colour-coding the pumps containing mild, bitter and best, for example.
In practice, of course, beer-pump handle design then, as now, was dictated largely by the ergonomic requirements of its function, so the variations that are to be seen are relatively subtle. Nevertheless, a vintage beer-pump handle has various characteristics that set it apart from its modern cousin, and which make it readily identifiable:
Features
1) Height. Can range from 5.5" to 10.5", although around 9" tends to be the norm.
2) Size & shape. Although the diameter of the upper section at its widest point is also around 2" it has a rounder, more bulbous profile than that of the modern handle, which makes it appear bigger. The apex is much more rounded, and on the full size handles the bottom end profiles usually conform to one of three types, which I have designated "flared", "ball" and "double-collared" (for examples, see nos 10, 11 & 14 respectively, below). The spindles on vintage beer engines are tapered, and the spindle-hole at the apex is much narrower than the 5/8" found on modern handles to accommodate the top finial barrel. This means that a vintage beer-pump handle will not fit on to a modern beer engine without drilling out the top end (Noooooo!!!).
3) Colour & design. Although many were plain black or white, the overall trend does seem to have favoured the prolific decoration of beer-pump handles in a rich variety of colours and diversity of designs. This trend appears to have reached its peak during the 1880s, after which time at least one manufacturer (Twyfords) was no longer offering that variety, reverting back to plain white only in the same three shape variations (plus one addition) as had appeared in their 1879 range. Some common themes emerge - blue on white willow pattern, hop bines, abstract and art-nouveau designs, and floral designs - some hand-painted, others transfer-printed.
My Collection
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1. Blue on white Willow pattern. Gilt band around the bottom; traces of gilding are also evident on some of the detail.
2. Reverse view of 1.
3. Blue on white birds, flowers and butterfly.
4. Reverse view of 3.
5. Olive green with gold, pink & white flower design.
6. Pale blue, white central panel with transfer-printed chrysanthemums.
8. Green with hand-painted yellow, gilt and cream stylised floral design.
9. Same design as 8 but on a black background. Pump handle is same overall size but has bulbous bottom shape rather than the flared profile of 8. More of the gilding detail on this remains.
7. Reverse view of 6.
10. Green with yellow central band and hand-painted yellow floral design. Almost all of the gilt edging has worn away, but traces can be seen under where the top finial sat.
11. Same design as 10, but with cranberry red background. Pump handle is same overall size but has bulbous bottom shape rather than the flared profile of 10. Most of the gilding on this is still intact.
12. Green with vertical gilt stripe pattern. Large central panel depicts Grenadier Guardsman, repeated on reverse. Zulu/Boer War era?
13. Pale cranberry with rococo bordered central panel containing hand-painted floral design. Similar on reverse. V. large (10.5"), one of a pair.
14. White bottom with faded gilt design near centre. Salmon pink upper section with hand-painted floral decoration. V. large (10.5").
15. Brown with gilt edging and raised enamel dots. White upper panels with hand-painted flowers. Large (10.25").
16. Pale green with white Art Nouveau tree/leaf/fleur-de-lys design.
17. The one that started it all off! Royal blue with central panel containing painted transfer-print of two Bacchanalian cherubs pouring water (or wine?) from a pitcher on to a grapevine. The design is repeated on the reverse. Traces of faded gilt decoration remain around the panel edge.
18. Red background with abstract design in pale blue and yellow with gilt edging.
19. Red background with green vertical stripes contained within a white border around the lower circumference; white horizontal band with yellow ovals around the upper section. Always reminds me of a fairground carousel.
20. Green top with gilded design around the central area; white, yellow, pink and green banding around the bottom with gilded patterning. One of a pair.
21. Red, wide cream centre panel with hand-coloured transfer-printed floral decoration.
22. Pale green, cream panel with hand-painted kingfisher perched in reed bed. Reverse shows kingfisher in flight with dragonfly. One of a pair.
23. Second of pair 22, showing reverse.
24. Deep cobalt blue, centre panel with hand-painted floral pattern.
25. Rich cranberry red, centre panel with similar floral pattern to 24, gilt edging. One of a pair.
26. Similar to 25, but in pale blue, with centre panel having the same floral design as 21. One of a pair.
27. Salmon pink with 4 vertical stripes forming into diamonds containing yellow flower pattern and bounded by raised blue enamel dots in upper section. Yellow banding around top and bottom, with traces of gold rococo pattern on the pink stripes. One of three.
28. Cranberry red with abstract hop bine and leaf design in white. One of a pair.
29. Blue on white willow pattern. Virtually identical to 1, but ink more heavily applied with some consequential loss of detail.
30. Reverse view of 29.
31. Small (6"), royal blue with similar hop leaf design to 28 in white with gilt edging.
32. Small (6"), white with gold transfer-printed grapevine design.
33. Small (6"), pale green with rococo-bordered central panel containing hand-painted flowers. Similar on reverse.
34. Small (6"), white bottom, blue top with decorative gilt banding and panel containing hand-painted flowers. Similar on reverse.
35. Small (7"), ebony with brass or nickel bands and top finial. Tortoiseshell collar at base.
36. Rosewood with central brass or nickel band and top finial.
37. Black ebony with small brass mount and brass top finial.
38. Black with raised blue and white enamel dots and cross decoration, repeated at each quarter.
39. Plain white tapering cylinder, with brass mount and collar stamped "BOWEN DOVER" on bottom.
40. Green veined marble, presumably made purely as a decorative piece, since the centre spindle hole is too narrow to accommodate either vintage or modern sized spindles and finial caps.
41. Pink top fading into blue bottom with gold relief transfer-printed leaf decoration.
42. Wedgwood, blue with applied white relief fern leaf and lily-of-the-valley decoration, impressed letter "D" on the base which dates it to 1875, 6.75" tall. One of a pair.
43. Pale blue with transfer-printed floral designs.
44. Blue, white upper panel with transfer-printed pansies.
45. Pale blue with yellow star decoration.
46. Green background, decorated with hand-painted floral sprays, each different, on three pink vignettes; mounted with wooden base and finial. One of a pair.
47. Second of pair 46. A hand-written inscription on the base reads: "Crystal Palace 1914 from bar known as The Hole In The Wall. Originally in Great Exhibition, Hyde Park 1852" (sic). The Great Exhibition was, of course, held in 1851.
48. Upper section decorated with transfer-printed roses on white background. Salmon pink lower half with faded gilt banding.
49. Cranberry red with abstract hop bine and leaf design in white. Identical design to that of 28, but the handle's profile is much slimmer than was typical, closely resembling the modern slimline shape that is the current standard today.
50. Similar to 49, but in pale green.
51. Cherry red with hand-painted thistle, rose and shamrock design. One of a pair.
52. Same design as 51, but on a green background with a white stripe around the base. One of a pair.
53. Green background with white hop-bine decoration identical to 28, 49 and 50, with faded gilt edging.
54. Salmon pink background with yellow banding containing faded zig-zag gilt decoration dividing the upper, middle and lower sections. White central panel border containing raised blue enamel dots, and hand-painted white flower in the centre.
55. Reverse view of 54. Similar in decoration, but with a blue flower.
56. Blue with white band containing white floral decoration, repeated on lower band with gilt background. Three circles of raised enamel and gold dots.
57. A curiosity. I am not sure that this is a beer-pump handle at all, although it was described as such when sold. It is 5" tall, silver-plate with an etched scroll design and a hand-screw in the base. For now I will give it the benefit of the doubt, but it seems rather small for that function.
58. Reverse view of 57. There are two tiny manufacturer's marks on the base, but unfortunately they are indecipherable.
59. By way of comparison, and to show that there there are always exceptions to the general rule, this is a modern handle that does buck the trend, boasting some fairly elaborate decoration. Note the slimmer profile compared with that of the vintage handles.
60. Red background with three elliptical vignettes containing hand-painted floral displays (repeated on reverse with slightly different floral scenes). Intricate gilded patterns decorate the other two faces.
