Thomas Webb & Sons had gone into cameo glass production in late 1878 after the Paris Exhibition and was under the art directorship of James M. O’Fallon. Webb very quickly established a core of highly talented and skilled engravers and designers to perform the cameo carving. This core group became known as the Woodall team. Thomas Woodall (1849-1926), who had gone to work at Webb’s as a draftsman in about 1874, was one of the principal members of the team and soon became head of Webb’s cameo glass department. His brother George joined him at Webb’s in about 1877 and quickly became the major designer and carver of cameo glass designs.

There were several other important, although less well known, members of the team. John T. Fereday (1854-1942), who worked at Webb’s for about forty years, executed borders and detailing on plaques and designed and executed a number of vases. He later produced engraved glass (an example of which can be seen in this collection). Daniel Pearce (1817-1907) and his son Lionel (1852-1926) joined Webb’s in 1884 with Daniel coming to the firm as head of the design department. Not only designing a wide range of items, they both worked on the Woodall team. Lionel Pearce is generally credited with having designed The Polar Vase, which was carved by George Woodall, c. 1908-1910. Frederick E. Kny and William Fritsche (c. 1853-1924) were noted Bohemian (Czech) engravers who specialized in “rock crystal” carving at Webb’s but also participated in the production of cameo works.

As mentioned above, the team generally worked on the multi-layered, multi-colored, or elaborately designed pieces, with several members working on any given piece. Although the objects were never designated, either by signature or by acid etched stamp, as having been executed by the Woodall team, per se, it is believed that those works which bear the acid etched mark of GEM CAMEO in addition to the Thomas Webb mark, were works made by the team.