I've been lurking and admiring the many beautiful chess sets that have been posted in the forum. I thought I'd add some pictures that I came across online of a prototype for a set that was patented but never put into production. Created by a female designer at around the same time that the Staunton pieces came out. I'm attaching the copy that described the set on the site that sold it. The bishop is probably a little tall but the design itself is lovely. The human figures of the king, queen, and bishop are captured beautifully with minimal effort. And the idea of designating the king side rook and knight with different designs is clever. I'd love to know more about Sarah Graydon who came up with the set. If anyone has any information on her or the other sets that she designed, please post it!
-Mike
Sarah Ann(e) Graydon (“Ann(e”) is spelled both ways in her registration design applications) was born in Ireland in 1829 or 1830. Her father, Thomas H. Graydon, was a land agent. By 1851, the family had emigrated from Ireland and were living in London. In the months before the Great Exhibition, she designed chess sets and registered her designs at the Patent Office pursuant to the Ornamental Design Act, 1842. They show her as living at at least three different addresses in those months and include two figural sets, Crusaders versus Saracens, and two playing sets that distinguished between rooks, knights and bishops that began the game on the king’s side and those on the queen’s side. This system of distinguishing those pieces seems to have begun with the registration of the Staunton pieces in 1849.
By may 1851, when she registered a design for a figural set (showing Crusaders versus Saracens), she was living with her father and brothers at 15, Winchester Row, New Road. The 1851 census has them living at that address. The set for sale is clearly the taken from two “ornamental designs for chessmen” patented by Sarah Graydon in 1851 and it is likely that this is a prototype which Sarah took with her when she emigrated to St Catherine’s, Canada. The set was never manufactured commercially.
It's not mine. It was sold before I saw it. I just thought it was beautiful and interesting. I'd just love to know some more about the person who designed it. I also thought maybe a forum member bought it.
Beautiful, thanks for posting the pictures. I'd be curious to see how the size of the pawns relates to the others. No turning that rook over to promote though...
I've been lurking and admiring the many beautiful chess sets that have been posted in the forum. I thought I'd add some pictures that I came across online of a prototype for a set that was patented but never put into production. Created by a female designer at around the same time that the Staunton pieces came out. I'm attaching the copy that described the set on the site that sold it. The bishop is probably a little tall but the design itself is lovely. The human figures of the king, queen, and bishop are captured beautifully with minimal effort. And the idea of designating the king side rook and knight with different designs is clever. I'd love to know more about Sarah Graydon who came up with the set. If anyone has any information on her or the other sets that she designed, please post it!
-Mike
Sarah Ann(e) Graydon (“Ann(e”) is spelled both ways in her registration design applications) was born in Ireland in 1829 or 1830. Her father, Thomas H. Graydon, was a land agent. By 1851, the family had emigrated from Ireland and were living in London. In the months before the Great Exhibition, she designed chess sets and registered her designs at the Patent Office pursuant to the Ornamental Design Act, 1842. They show her as living at at least three different addresses in those months and include two figural sets, Crusaders versus Saracens, and two playing sets that distinguished between rooks, knights and bishops that began the game on the king’s side and those on the queen’s side. This system of distinguishing those pieces seems to have begun with the registration of the Staunton pieces in 1849.
By may 1851, when she registered a design for a figural set (showing Crusaders versus Saracens), she was living with her father and brothers at 15, Winchester Row, New Road. The 1851 census has them living at that address. The set for sale is clearly the taken from two “ornamental designs for chessmen” patented by Sarah Graydon in 1851 and it is likely that this is a prototype which Sarah took with her when she emigrated to St Catherine’s, Canada. The set was never manufactured commercially.