Identity Of Some Wonderful Unusual Miniature Garden Items!

 Recently some unusual vintage metal garden pieces came in and were finally put up for sale on Monday, after I'd spent some time in trying to identify them. 

  

After much delving through all the literature I have here, finally I came across a photo of an identical pond with fish fountain, bird table and sun dial in THE GREAT BOOK OF HOLLOW-CAST FIGURES BY NORMAN JOPLIN. The author stated that he believed them to have been made by a London company who traded as B&S but very little is known about them....other than in 1950 they brought out a series of metal miniature garden items (this pond being one of them) and that they are absolutely nothing to do with the Barrett and Sons Company who often marked their products B&S.

This lovely pond measures 3 1/8" long x just under 2 1/4" deep x approx. 2" to top of fish. It has MADE IN ENGLAND embossed underneath. Although it was made in 1950, it has a distinct air of the 1920s/30s/40s to me! Perhaps that is why I like it so much. I was so tempted to keep it but had nowhere to put it, so go it must!

The fish fountain slots snugly onto the central point of the pond.  The beige paint is a little worn in places but that doesn't matter - it all adds to the character I think! Needless to say this was snapped up very quickly as soon as it went up for sale.

This bird table stands at a height of 3 1/2" high.

This beige painted metal sundial is suffering greatly from metal fatigue both on the base and top particularly. It measures 2 1/2" from base to top of dial.

So the very heavy metal pond with fish fountain, bird house and sundial had been identified. 

Am assuming that the spade and garden roller are also made from the same company even though they did not appear in Norman Joplin's book. The garden roller has MADE IN ENGLAND embossed onto the handle and both these items have the same "feel" to me as the pond, bird table and sundial. 

Anyhow...no sooner had these gone up for sale on Monday afternoon and a KT Miniatures Newsletter gone out, then a wonderful person emailed to say that she too had a pond just the same and knew what B&S stood for......"BYRITE & SELMORE". So there we are... it is very satisfying when a puzzle is solved! I must admit I don't know anything about Byrite & Selmore but needless to say, if anyone else out there can add anything to this, please do let us know - we would love to hear from you. 

This is not believed to be a B&S mower, as it is quite different from the one shown in Norman Joplin's photograph. It is obviously missing a grass box off the front but is exquisite. I don't know the maker but I have seen mowers like this once or twice before. As you push it along, all the rollers and cutter rotate! Does anyone know the manufacturer?

At the time of putting up this posting, just the lawnmower and sundial are still available to purchase. These can be found on the following KT Miniatures' page:

http://www.ktminiatures.com/Antique_Vintage_General.html